To the editor:

“They went with songs to the battle, they were young
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow
They were staunch to the end against all odds uncounted
They fell with their faces to the foe
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor do the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
we shall remember them”
- Robert Lawrence Binyon, Sept. 21, 1914

This is what Memorial Day is all about. Remembering and reflecting upon those no longer with us who lost their lives in the defense of liberty. It is not the gateway to summer and special sales events as some have recently suggested. It is not a time to honor all veterans and those who have served, which is the realm of Veterans Day in November. It is to remember and honor our war dead.

I am submitting this article because I am personally appalled and offended at the recent actions of public officials in Barrington to publicly denigrate the Barrington Veterans Council, who have selflessly served the Town of Barrington for the past 68 years in honoring our war dead. I don’t wish to delve into local politics, beyond stating that as a veteran who served over 35 years, I was incensed at the treatment of local Barrington veterans. As the longtime chairman of Warren’s Memorial Day activities I proposed to our group that we invite the disenfranchised Barrington veterans to participate in our activities. So this year we will jointly commemorate Memorial Day as a group of honorably served veterans of Warren and Barrington, in observing the true meaning of Memorial Day.

In Warren we begin the day with a Naval Honors ceremony at the Town Wharf at 8:30 a.m. The observance will continue at the Town Common at 9:00 a.m. with readings by students at the Hugh Cole School, with a parade forming up immediately thereafter to march to the South Burial ground for additional readings and the speaker of the Day Colonel Charles Brule, veteran of a deployment of the 43rd Military Police Brigade, and former Barrington Police Chief.

Please join us in our Memorial Day activities.

Brigadier General Richard J. Valente USA (Ret)
36 Barden Lane, Warren

Former commander 103d Field Artillery Brigade,
Former Commander 43d Military Police Brigade, 
Assistant Adjutant General, Deputy Commanding General RI Army National Guard, Former Commander Providence Marine Corps of Artillery