We salute not only the hundreds of Eastman Members who have served our country in uniform, but also those work with our servicemen and servicewomen in the Upper Valley. We present the stories on the following pages in the spirit of thanksgiving and goodwill with which November 11 (Veterans Day) was first established as a federal holiday in the United States.
The names of the veterans listed in this issue are printed with their permission. Among those who responded to an appeal for this tribute are two World War II veterans, Muriel (Moe) Betts, a U.S. Army Nurse who met her husband while based in Puerto Rico, and Richard Davis who flew PBYs, i.e., flying patrol boats, in the U.S. Naval Air Corps. This past summer, David Greenfield had the opportunity to speak with and photograph Moe. He captured her speaking about one of her treasured souvenirs of her time in the military—a group photo taken with famed comedian Bob Hope during one of his tours to entertain troops. Also on the following pages is a story written by David about another distinguished WWII veteran with ties to West Cove Special Place where Moe resides with her daughter and son-in-law.
At the other end of the age spectrum for Eastman veterans, Paul Holzer, a U.S. Navy SEAL, served in Iraqi Freedom, and John Bickford completed two tours in Iraq. The majority of ECA Member veterans listed in this issue served during the Vietnam era. Some of those continued their service in reserve units; ECA General Manager Ken Ryder, now with the U.S. Air Force Ready Reserve, is in his 40th year in the U.S. Air Force. Some, like Claudia Gelzer, a captain in the U.S. Coast Guard, and Michael Douglass, a member of the Nurse Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve, are in active service of the country and ready to be deployed wherever and whenever the need arises. In fact, the veterans listed on these pages have served during every major engagement that the United States has been in since 1944.
In addition, many Eastman residents, both former military and non-military, volunteer their time at local institutions, such as the White River Junction VA Medical Center and Friends of Veterans in the Upper Valley, and at some beyond. If only there were the time and space to publish the stories of each and every one of them…
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.