This year’s observation was held shortly before the unveiling of two stones at Veterans Memorial Park.
LEWISTON – As flags waved Tuesday, Nancy Cunningham struggled to hold back her tears.
She was attending Veterans Day ceremonies at the Lewiston Armory, and the occasion was a bit tough to take.
Her son, Daniel Cunningham Jr., was killed in Iraq earlier this year. She came to the armory to show support for others serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It’s too much of a loss, that’s for sure,” Cunningham said of her personal grief. “All I can say is it’s heartbreaking to know he served his country but had to give the ultimate sacrifice to do so.”
Her son, 33 when he lost his life during the U.S. invasion of Iraq this past spring, had graduated from Oxford Hills High School in Paris in 1988. An effort is under way now to establish a scholarship in Cunningham’s name for Oxford Hills graduates, his mother said.
That’s comforting, but not enough to ease her pain entirely.
“Every time I see that a soldier comes home wounded, I get very, very angry because I could have tolerated my son coming home wounded, but not dead. He was an American hero, and he’ll always be remembered that way.”
The L&A Veterans Council organized the ceremony at the Lewiston Armory as it has for the past 11 years, said Armand Bussier. He’s a Vietnam veteran from Lewiston and a member of the council.
This year’s observation was held shortly before the unveiling of two stones at Veterans Memorial Park in Lewiston. They include the names of local people who served in several of the nation’s wars. The stones join three that were already that include names of veterans from as far back as the Spanish American War.
The city donated land for Veterans Memorial Park two years ago. The Veterans Council placed the stones and gathered veterans’ names to be put on the memorial.
“Now we’ve got approximately 1,200 names of veterans of all wars, living and deceased. There will be room for more than 6,000 names,” Bussier said.
Earlier, speaking to the crowd at the Armory, Auburn Mayor Norm Guay called attention to the men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
“They have responded to their country. It is now time for their country to respond to them,” Guay said.
Lewiston City Councilor Ronald Jean reminded the veterans and others that for many years the communities have sent brave men and women to serve their country.
“Some have made the ultimate sacrifice. The veterans listed on the stones have greatly served our country,” he said.
Groups included in the L&A Veterans Council that participated in the ceremony at the Armory included American Legion posts 22, 153 and 210, the Disabled American Veterans, the DAV Auxiliary, Franco American Veterans Post 31, FAV Auxiliary, Marine Corps League, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars posts 1603 and 9150, VFW Auxiliary 1603 and 9150, and Women Marines Association.
Entertainment was provided by Just Us, a musical group from Lewiston and Auburn. The bands and color guards from Edward Little and Lewiston high schools performed separately and together played “America the Beautiful.”
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