Marblehead service pays respect to WWII vets

MARBLEHEAD – Toward the end of Marblehead’s Veterans Day ceremonies Veterans Agent David Rodgers asked the guests of honor present to stand for a round of applause.He singled out the World War II veterans first, asking them to stand for special recognition. A handful of people stood in the packed auditorium. No surprise that there were so few.Most of the names on a long list of veterans who had died in the 12 months since Veterans Day 2009 were veterans of World War II. National statistics indicate that World War II veterans, who once comprised a group of 16 million Americans, are dying at a rate of 1,000 or more every day.When they sat down Rodgers took a moment to milk the applause. "They are the Greatest Generation of our lifetime," he told the crowd in the Abbot Hall auditorium before asking all the other veterans to stand.The president that Rodgers chose to quote in his opening remarks was John F. Kennedy, a World War II veteran elected 50 years ago this month, who said in his inauguration speech, "The torch has been passed to a new generation."Rodgers pointed out that Veterans Day is an occasion to show appreciation for all veterans, wartime and peacetime, but featured speaker Ben Gatchell, a Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War, looked at the day as a time of grief as well as gratitude."We’re very grateful for those who returned to us unharmed and with heavy hearts we honor those who gave their lives in the line of duty," he said."We honor the dead by serving the living," he said. "They put their lives on the line for a commitment to duty."In his closing remarks Rodgers asked his audience to remember the men and women serving in harm’s way today all over the world.The brief ceremony concluded with the Marblehead High Chorus, under the direction of Amanda Roeder, singing Marblehead’s own anthem, "Marblehead Forever."As she left the auditorium Joyce Booth, one of the World War II veterans who stood during the ceremony, paused a moment to briefly recall her service as a military nurse in the Philippines and Japan, caring for the wounded alongside members of the Red Cross."It was very sad," she said, "but it was nice to know you were doing something.""It’s good to be in a town like Marblehead that honors veterans," she added.