DERBY – “All gave some, some gave all.”
That’s the familiar phrase Derby Aldermanic President George F. Kurtyka used to summarize Veterans Day in Derby on Tuesday (Nov. 11).
Kurtyka was the keynote speaker during the city’s annual Veteran’s Day ceremony on the Derby Green, hosted by the John H. Collins Post #24, American Legion.
About 75 people, including state and local leaders, braved the cold and wind to honor those who served.
Kurtyka, who served the Derby Police Department for 30 years and is a 53-year member of the Hotchkiss Hose Co. #1, is not a veteran himself, but hails from a military family. His father, George, served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and Korea and later enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served with distinction in the Vietnam War. The city honored the elder Kurtyka by naming the street next to the Derby Police Department as Kurtyka Court in 1992.
“His helicopter was shot down in Laos on January 17, 1969, which was his last mission,” Kurtyka said. “My father rests in Arlington National Cemetery. As his son, I am moved by the sight of Americans gathered here in Derby and across the country today to honor those who have served.”
Kurtyka encouraged all in attendance to ensure they continue to honor and take care of veterans, not just on Veterans Day.
“We owe veterans a debt we can never fully repay, and we all must strive to,” Kurtyka said. “We owe them access to quality healthcare, education and employment. We must address the challenges of homelessness and emotional wounds, and above all, we owe them our respect and our commitment to build a nation worthy of their sacrifice.”
Erwin ‘Gus’ Williams, commander of the John H. Collins Post #24, American Legion, then rang a bell 11 times in a solemn tribute, commemorating the exact moment the armistice ending World War I took effect. Members of Derby’s Scout Troop 3 and Pack 3 then laid a wreath at one of the monuments gracing the Derby Green.
“The 11th hour is very significant to us in the American Legion,” Williams said. “For it was on the 11th month of the 11th day at the 11th hour, that the guns of World War I ceased to fire and the silence encompassed the earth. It was at the 11th hour that the last man died in battle, and it was at the 11th hour that the delivery of joy and Thanksgiving swept over humanity.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal was in attendance.
“I can’t tell you how happy and proud I am to be here, and I’d rather be here than almost anywhere else in the world with the men and women who have dedicated their lives to our country,” said Blumenthal.
State Sen. Jorge Cabrera, along with state Rep. Kara Rochelle, also offered remarks of gratitude to all veterans, as did Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino.
“Today we honor those who served in times of war and peace,” DiMartino said. “We remember those who stood watch in distant lands, those who endured long deployments away from loved ones, and those who returned home forever changed by their experiences. We also must remember those who never made it home, whose ultimate sacrifice reminds us that freedom is never free.”
The hour-long ceremony, emceed by Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo, also featured members of Derby Police Department’s color guard, Derby Scout Troop 3 and Pack 3, the playing of “Taps,” a firing squad and a performance by Alderwoman Sarah Widomski, who sang the “Star Spangled Banner.”
The crowd was later invited to the Catholic War Veterans Post 1562 building to retreat from the cold and enjoy some refreshments.
In neighboring Seymour, the American Legion Emil Senger Post #10 held its annual Veterans Day ceremony at French Memorial Park, where town and state officials gathered with Seymour students and others to commemorate the day.
