Strafford Honors Its Veterans With Barrett Hall Ceremony
By John freitag

Strafford honored its veterans Wednesday, Nov. 8 in a simple yet moving ceremony at Barrett Hall.

Newton School students and townspeople heard from Peggy Thorp and Joey Hawkins about the meaning of Veterans Day and the sacrifices these men made for our country in their younger days. Each veteran introduced himself or herself, spoke briefly about their service, then joined in singing "America the Beautiful." At the end of the ceremony children had the chance to shake hands with and thank the veterans.

Those Strafford men who served in the armed forces and were able to attend were Marvin Pixley, Ned Coffin, Ian Thompson, Rod Maclay, Richard Wilson, Jim Wilson, Bob Uman, Carle Williams, Bob Boyajian, Robert Bushway, Kendall Odell, Everett Linton, John Linehan, Jim Condict, Richard Rice, Richard Rhodes, John Weilhan, Bill Burden, and Roscoe Manning. Newton School staff members who are veterans and who attended the event included Erin Masteller and Frank D’Aprille. Supt. Steve Metcalf, a Navy veteran, was also present.

"Programs like this mean a great deal to the school children and are one of the intangible benefits of Vermont’s small schools that do not show up on standardized tests," commented Newton School Principal Paul Lowe.

After the ceremony the veterans were treated to a turkey dinner, courtesy of the Strafford Seniors.

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