PHOTOS: Greenwich Veterans Honored with Connecticut Wartime Service Medal

On Monday, Senator Ryan Fazio, in partnership with the Connecticut Dept of Veterans Affairs, organized a medal ceremony for Greenwich veterans. In some cases, medals were received by surviving family members.

The event was held in the GHS Performing Arts Center where veterans were presented with the Connecticut Wartime Service Medal, which was established by Gov Jodi Rell and the CT General Assembly in 2005 as a way to recognize the service of the state’s veterans.

The medal is patterned after one issued following World War I, and includes the distinctive red, white, and blue colors, along with the official seal of each branch of the US Armed Services and the words “for service.”

Senator Fazio introduced Major General Thomas Bouchard who retired last year after 39 years of combined service in the Army National Guard and on active duty.

In his last assignment Bouchard served as the Deputy Commander for Reserve Affairs at the US Special Operations Command. His service includes deployments to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Master Parachutist Wings.

“I enlisted when I was 17 and still in high school,” Bouchard said. “Retiring and hanging up the uniform for the final time last year was a bit rough. Truthfully I do this for the opportunity to be around fellow soldiers.”

Bouchard said he believed that those who serve largely consider the time they serve as the most consequential time of their lives. He talked about the sense of belonging and camaraderie that come from being in the service and contributing to an organization bigger than one’s self.

“While our nation continues to face many challenges, I believe the America experience is unique, and I am an ardent proponent of American exceptionalism,” Bouchard said.

“I strongly believe that the United States is a force for good in the world. Our nation’s military is a vital addition to deter aggression around the world, to secure peace and stability and foster adherence to the rule of law, which benefits not just our security, but advances economic opportunity, equality and hope around the world.”

Bouchard talkeda bout deterring Russia and China who are increasingly repressive of dissent.

“At the same time our nation must work together with our friends and allies to contain Iran and North Korea who seek to further opportunities to be disruptive in an effort to advance their own nefarious agendas.”

“As brutally evidenced in Israel almost a year ago, evil and terrorism have not gone away and we must protect ourselves and support our allies in this critical fight,” Bouchard continued. “As demonstrated almost every day in Ukraine, our adversaries will ensure that the dynamic of warfare will continue to evolve. The ubiquity of unmanned systems, the integration of artificial intelligence, information warfare, and the fight in cyberspace will continue to push our line of contact with the enemy to new and more challenging realms.”

Bouchard said the rights Americans enjoy as provided in the Constitution are best safeguarded by exercising them every day.

Soon, he said, the opportunity will be available to reaffirm what the Constitution provides and what the nation’s forefathers fought valiantly to secure and protect: the opportunity to vote.

“Nothing is more consequential. Please make a plan to vote,” he said.

“We are honored to present these medals to you to commemorate  and that you for your service and sacrifice to our country and our state,” Senator Fazio said.

“We often speak of America in terms of the ideals it represents. Those ideals are righteous and true, most famously memorialized in our Declaration of Independence,” Fazio said. “However those ideals are not guaranteed. Most people across the world to not experience them and most people across human history can barely imagine them. American freedom, virtue, equality and prosperity had to be secured by the bravery and courage of men and women willing to give their lives so that we can be free.”

Full list of Connecticut Wartime Service Medal recipients:

Robert Alonzi, John Ambrogio, Robert Andreasen, Fredrick Baker, Keith Barker, Egbert Bell, George Bennett, Joseph Boldt, Joseph Benoit Jr, Graziano Bortot , James Boyless, Louis Cea, George Chelwick, John Chrusz Jr, John Clark, Richard Cimino, John Considine, Robert Darula, Dominick A. DiMaio, Frank Duzenski, David Elliott, Joseph Filanowski, Carl Fillman, William Fitzgerald, Rudolph Funke, Edward Fox, Regis Gmitter, Allen Green, Patrick Gordiski, Donald Havelka, Barbara Havranek, Thomas Healey, Lloyd Hull, James Hoffman, Ira Honig, Daniel Kim, Kenneth Douglas Knapp, William Kalna, Thomas Kochan, Donald Lewandowski, Boris Lucana, Ethan Letz, Daniel LaRusso, Michael Lynch, Steve Marino, Nicholas Macaluso, Mortimer James McNamara, Bruce Maclennan, Brian Maher, Ruth Martin, Dominick Mediate, Thomas Migliano, Branford Mills,William Mullin, Thomas Murphy, Joseph Neumann, Ciro Notarile, Peter Orico, Robert Palmer, Mark Palazzo, John Pearl, Robert Perry, Joseph Petrone, Michael Petersen, Gerald Pollack, Keneth Popp, James Pufahl, Joel Rein, James Repicci, William Reynolds, Michael Ricci, Lawrence Ricciardi, Lawrence Roberto, William Robinson, Robert Rocceo, James Schembari, Wayne Scott, Donald Sherman, Winona Shingler Mullis, Fred Sojka, Louis Smutny, Christopher Theriot, Robert Thompson, Sean Trahan, John Vecchiolla, Edgar Walsh, Stephen Waters, Noble Welch, James Wilson, Shun Wong, Donald Whyko, Barry Wood, Michael Zygmont.

The CT Dept of Veterans Affairs has more information on the Connecticut Wartime Service Medal.