SHARON — There are times when destiny may not be apparent. Such is the life of David Cadwell, coordinator of the EMS Institute at Sharon Hospital. From 1970 to 1972 Cadwell, a conscientious objector, served as a medic with the U.S. Army in Vietnam.Perhaps his personal feelings about war and mortality and his own experiences tending to the wounds of others set his life on a course of service, both volunteer and professional.Cadwell and his family moved to West Cornwall in 1987 from Orlando, Fla. He opened Cadwell’s Corner restaurant in West Cornwall on July 4 of that year in the space now occupied by the Wandering Moose Café. He operated the restaurant for 10 years.His desire to serve others and give back to the community continued in his volunteer work here. From his earliest days in West Cornwall, Cadwell has been an active member of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department.Knowing of Cadwell’s Vietnam war experiences, Cornwall First Selectman Gordon Ridgway asked Cadwell to give the 2005 Memorial Day talk at the town ceremony. “I didn’t have to think twice. I accepted that honor on the spot.” He added, “Every Memorial Day I think about that very special day in my life. Prior to that speech, I had only told the story of my time in Vietnam a total of five times.” In recent years, most Memorial Day speeches have been given by veterans of World War II or Korea, retired servicemen and women from wars that Americans feel more comfortable remembering. Vietnam has continued to be an uncomfortable memory for many Americans, and veterans of that war, many of whom felt unwelcome when they returned from their tours of duty, often didn’t talk about their service.Cadwell was the first Vietnam vet to talk, proudly, of his military service. It was memorable, for him and for those who heard him speak. One town resident made a videotape and presented it to Cadwell afterward. During the time he operated Cadwell’s Corner restaurant, Cadwell became friendly with newscaster Tom Brokaw, who was a regular customer. On a whim he sent a video of his Memorial Day talk to Brokaw, “to seek Tom’s advice on how to tell my Vietnam story to others.”Brokaw had lionized the men and women who served during World War II with his book, “The Greatest Generation.” When Cadwell reached out to him, the newsman was working on a new book, “Boom,” about the 1960s in America.One section in it is called “The War Without End.” Cadwell’s story is the first in that section, and is followed by the reminiscences of luminaries including Gen. Colin Powell, Senators John McCain, Bob Kerrey and Chuck Hagel, the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and others.Cadwell continues to serve the community as a volunteer EMT, driver and all around “old timer” at the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department. He is now the second longest-serving member; Asa Goddard holds the title of longest serving.In 2006, Cadwell was asked to become the coordinator of the EMS Institute at Sharon Hospital.Asked what the main mission of the institute is, Cadwell replied, “We are an American Heart Association training center. We teach emergency squad personnel how to teach CPR to others.” He said the teachers they have trained not only teach other squad members CPR, but also teach firemen, lifeguards, day care center workers, school teachers and others. The institute also provides training courses to 16 area emergency rescue squads.One of the institute’s popular programs is a monthly (except in July and August) case review meeting at Sharon Hospital. “This is a chance for volunteer EMT’s to talk about and share some of the difficult and interesting cases they have had to deal with. It is a learning experience for others who might one day encounter similar situations,” Cadwell said.He is concerned that all emergency squads in the area need volunteer members to continue their lifesaving work. “It is a real problem,” he said, “because of attrition due to age. Young people generally do not remain in the area after school. There is a lack of affordable housing. So there is a shortage of young volunteers to replace the older people who retire.”Cadwell feels one solution is for local fire departments and emergency squads to establish “junior departments” to get high school students involved with their operations at younger ages. “By getting young people involved early on, it gets in their blood and makes them aware of how important it is to give back to our communities.”When asked why he remained in Cornwall all these years, the California native said, “The wonderful friends I have made. The beauty of the area,the beautiful towns and communities. I have a purpose here. I love what I do and also get paid for it.” He added, “I never lack for things to do.”
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One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
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