More than 80 Marblehead veterans enjoyed the annual Veterans Breakfast sponsored by the Masons at the Council on Aging Friday morning.
“I come every year, every year,” said Walter Horan, who served in the Navy 1964-67, including one year in Vietnam. “I like seeing my old buddies.”
John Capellotti, who served in the Air Force 1956-60, worked as a weather observer in the Bering Sea.
“I wouldn’t miss the coffee” and the conversation,” Capellotti said with a laugh.
Marblehead Veterans Services Officer Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli welcomed the crowd. Marine vet Francisco Urena led a brief prayer and Liz Tauro sang the national anthem.
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli mentioned that the government shutdown is “greatly affecting veterans services” and expressed hope that it would end soon.
State Rep. Jenny Armini thanked the vets for their service, saying she often brags on Beacon Hill about Marblehead’s role in the country’s founding.
“This is the home of patriots, from John Glover to everyone in this room,” Armini said. “Liberty started here and continues here.”
Tomorrow, Nov. 8, the VFW will hold a clothing drive for homeless vets, with doors opening at 7 p.m. There will be live music. The VFW is located at 321 West Shore Drive.
Congressman Seth Moulton will host his 11th annual Veterans Town Hall Monday, Nov. 10, at 6:30 p.m., at Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St. The event is an opportunity for veterans to share personal stories of service. It is open to the public.
Then, on Nov. 11, 10 a.m., Trionfi-Mazzuchelli will lead a Veterans Day program, also at Abbot Hall. The Marblehead High School chorus will perform, and Army veteran Tom Mathers will be a featured speaker.
