City Seeks Military Veterans For Medal Ceremony
By Robin Vinci | Editor at September 28, 2023 | 2:30 pm | Print
If you are a military veteran, the City if New Britain is seeking to honor you with a commemorative City of New Britain Veteran’s Commission recognition medal in honor of your service.
Mayor Erin Stewart and Veteran’s Commission Chairman Peter Scirpo have announced that there will be a City of New Britain veterans medal ceremony recognition event on Saturday, Oct. 21 in Central Park.
“Many of our veterans have unfortunately not been given the proper recognition that they deserve following their service to our great country,” Mayor Stewart said. “It has been decades since the City of New Britain has awarded its own veterans with a token of appreciation. We’ve been planning this for over a year now, and I find it fitting to hold the event in our new Central Park, right before Veterans Day.”
The idea for a City veterans medal ceremony was brought to the Mayor’s attention in December of 2015 when she received a letter from a veteran of the City with a sample of a medal the City gave him decades ago.
“He said the medal meant so much to him and he really felt appreciated by the City. We decided to come together and find an appropriate way to celebrate the service and dedication of the men and women who served in the armed forces,” said Mayor Stewart. “We want to do this in Central Park to showcase the park and have the ceremony underneath the sailors and soldier monument. We want to get the word out to as many veterans as possible.”
The medals will be awarded to veterans who meet one of the following requirements: previously lived in New Britain, currently live in New Britain, enlisted in New Britain, or belongs to a veteran organization in New Britain.
The ceremony in Central Park will begin at 1 p.m. and will feature Mayor Stewart, Chairman Scirpo, a guest speaker, and other city officials.
A couple hundred service men and women are expected to be honored.
“A lot of people have been coming in, but it is difficult to get the word out to everyone and we don’t want anyone disappointed if they didn’t know about it,” said Stewart. “If you are a member of any veteran war organizations you automatically qualify. We are really glad to be able to provide this for them.”
Individuals interested in participating in the medal ceremony should fill out a form that’s available at various veterans organizations across New Britain, in the Mayor’s Office (Room 204), and in the Parks and Recreation Department (Room 302.) The form is also available at newbritainct.gov.
Completed forms must be returned to the Mayor’s Office, 27 West Main Street, New Britain, CT 06051, by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Any questions regarding registration or the ceremony itself should be directed to Paul Amarone at 860-612-1619 or by email at [email protected]
During the event, eligible veterans will receive a commemorative City of New Britain Veteran’s Commission recognition medal in honor of their service.
