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Politics & Government

City May Honor Military Residents Through Plaque

Councilor Sara-Lynn Reynolds will head the project.

 

City residents serving overseas may soon get their names listed on a plaque, which may be displayed at City Hall.  But the plan is going to take some work because it involves locating the honorees and getting permission to list their names.

The idea sprung from Councilor Richard Conti, who discussed the proposal at a Municipal Council meeting Tuesday night.  He said he has already talked to a person who wants to donate a plaque for that purpose.  He also said Veterans Agent Carl Bradshaw is enthusiastic about carrying out the plan.

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 “We have a donor who has come forward, and a Veterans Agent who is willing to move forward with it.  I’m just asking to allow the process to evolve,” he said.

But the implementation may not be as easy as it might seem.  Bradshaw said he is not notified when Attleboro residents are sent overseas, and there is no data base of active military personnel. 

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He said the city already honors military veterans returning from overseas through a ceremony, but that they only honored two people last year because they weren’t aware of others. The residents were honored at Municipal Council meetings, and they received certificates from the Council and the Mayor, as well medallions and veterans’ coins.

Now, the Council is considering expanding the honor by displaying a plaque in a prominent place – perhaps outside the Veterans’ Office, at City Hall.

Though all other Council members seemed enthusiastic, several said that they would have to tread carefully because of privacy issues. Councilor Walter Thibodeau, whose grandson is serving in the U. S. Navy, said his son cautioned him to receive permission from his grandson before publicizing his service. Though he eventually learned that his grandson would not mind the publicity, he said others may.

“Some men and women may not want all the community to know if they were there, with their spouse and families at home without them,” he said.

Council President Frank Cook agreed.  He said the city should keep the project “voluntary” in nature.  He added that they would have to figure out a way to get word out to military people overseas that the city would like to honor them.

Councilor Sara-Lynn Reynolds, whose subcommittee will be dealing with the project, said she felt very positive about the proposal, but there are many details to work out before it goes up for a vote.

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