NORTH CANAAN — Two years ago, Susan Bysiewicz came across “stunning statistics.� Every day in America nearly 1,000 World War II veterans die. With a family rich in military history, it hit close to home for Bysiewicz, who is Connecticut’s secretary of the state.
“I wanted to honor them. It’s now 130 towns [that she has visited] later,� she told about 85 people who came to Geer Village on Monday, Dec. 7, the anniversary of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
A combined ceremony with North Canaan, Falls Village and Cornwall veterans was part of the state official’s sweep across the state to give every World War II veteran a chance to not only be publicly acknowledged, but to share their memories and emotions.
She said she has learned all vets share some specific and honorable qualities, such as modesty and resilience.
“They are all incredibly modest and humble about what they did, at a time when ordinary people were called upon to do extraordinary things,� Bysiewicz said.
She spoke of the horrors they saw and endured, yet, “They came back to raise beautiful families and lead productive lives.�
She referred to remarks made by Cornwall First Selectman Gordon Ridgway, who credited that generation with truly being “the greatest.� Both of his parents served in the armed forces during the war. He noted that more than 10 percent of Cornwall’s population enlisted. Those who came back carried on a culture of volunteerism that he said is a huge contribution to the town.
Later, his mother, Kitty Ridgway, spoke of her experiences in the Navy, stationed in Washington, D.C. Nearly every day she rode the bus to Constitution Avenue to work.
“After President Roosevelt died, and Truman became president, I got off the bus one day and saw President Truman standing on the other side of the park.
“I decided to stay on my side because at the time I was a Republican. If I went to the other side, I would have had to salute our new president.�
“Maybe later you can tell us how Gordon became a Democrat,� said Bysiewicz, a Democrat, getting one of many laughs during the event.
Among the half dozen other veterans who spoke, the theme was one of finding the silver lining.
Chuck Shannon said he served in the Coast Guard for four years, seven months and 15 days, getting knowing laughs from an audience aware that every veteran can tell you exactly how long they served. He spoke proudly of how the smallest military branch grew from about 9,000 to 230,000 before the war was over.
“For people who think war is hell, it is,� Merrill Franks said. “But I was one of the fortunate Marines who got in early. I went to mechanics school.�
He described how he was able to find solace in expressing his artistic side, painting pictures on the sides of fighter planes — using Japanese paint — while stationed in Okinawa.
Navy veteran John Lyon said he was floating 10 miles off the coast of Japan with Air Group 6 when word came that the end of the war had finally come.
“We were very relieved to hear the bomb had dropped and the war had ended. Before November, we were scheduled to land on the Isle of Japan.�
