The city hosted its bi-annual Veterans Day breakfast at Wiggins Auditorium in City Hall, followed by a celebration in front of the building. The auditorium was filled with veterans, and each branch was honored. This year, the breakfast was dedicated to veterans of the Global War on Terrorism.
Master Sgt. Chris Lanning, who served in the Global War on Terrorism, said Veterans Day means more than just a “thank you.”
“The just generic, ‘Thank you for your service’ probably doesn’t encapsulate what it really is,” Lanning said. “It’s a huge thank you to all the people that came before you that give you the opportunity to serve later on, that makes the service better for you, and then it’s an opportunity to say thank you to brothers and sisters in arms.”
Lanning is one of the two instructors for the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and said he was happy to see many cadets volunteering to serve breakfast at the event on the holiday.
“These are the people that are going to serve after us,” he said.
Mayor Ted Bettencourt said the city has a ceremony every year, but hosts a breakfast every other year to further honor its veterans.
“It’s just wonderful to be able to see so many of our veterans, their families, and to show our respect and appreciation for everything that they’ve provided to us – the sacrifices they have made for the betterment of our city and for the betterment of all of our lives,” he said.
He said seeing the PVMHS AFJROTC student volunteering at the breakfast shows the community coming together.
“We all have such warm feelings for our veterans and our students,” he said. “It’s very generous with their time and that adds just another special element to this.”
