The main speaker was Retired Army Lt. Gen. David Valcourt, a Chicopee native.
CHICOPEE – Before the wives, mothers and sisters of fallen soldiers killed in different wars placed wreaths on monuments remembering the city’s fallen residents, a retired U.S. Army general told a crowd of parade-goers Memorial Day should be so much more than a three-day weekend.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. David Valcourt, a Chicopee native, was the main speaker at this year’s Memorial Day ceremonies that followed the annual parade. He thanked residents of his hometown for coming out to remember those who died and said he would be remiss if he did not recognize those who are currently serving, even though Veterans Day is more designed for that purpose.
“There is no free chicken and today we are here to remember those who paid the bill,” Valcourt said.
He then listed the names of the five men from Chicopee most recently killed in war: Marine Capt. John W. Maloney, 36, who died in Iraq in 2005; Army Spc. Christopher Wilson, 24, who was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade while patrolling in Afghanistan in 2007; Army Staff Sgt. Daniel A. Newsome, 27, who died in Iraq in 2007, Army Master Sgt. Kevin Dupont, 52, a Chicopee native who later moved to Belchertown, who died in 2009 from wounds he received in Afghanistan, and Marine Cpl. Christopher Belchik, 30, who died in August 2004 in Iraq. Belchik lived in Illinois but some family members live in Chicopee and attend the parade every year in his honor.
Many people think of those who died in earlier wars, including World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, as older men, but Valcourt reminded the crowd of more than 100 that the men gave up their chance to be husbands, fathers and grandfathers to serve their country.
Also addressing the crowd was Donald Isabelle, this year’s recipient of the Charles H. Tracy Award, which is given to a Chicopee veteran who has gone above and beyond to help fellow veterans.
“Let's not forget all our veterans who have served their country now and in the past,” he said.
Isabelle, who served in the U.S. Army from 1963 to 1965, said he got involved in veterans issues through his hobby as an avid motorcycle rider. He now is the third vice president of the American Legion Post 353 and the current president of the American Legion Riders, which does a variety of charity rides and other work mainly to support the Veterans Administration Medical Center campus in Leeds and the Holyoke Soldiers Home.
The event was preceeded by Thursday’s awarding of the Charles Tracy honor, veterans’ visits to schools and a Vietnam Veterans candlelight ceremony on Sunday.
Col. Steven Vautrain, 439th Airlift Wing commander at Westover Air Reserve Base, Kimberly A. Babin, Chicopee’s Veterans’ Services director, Delfo Barabani Jr. and Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette also spoke at Monday’s ceremony.
In telling the crowd that Chicopee does not forget its veterans, Bissonnette said the city will commit $250,000 in federal grants it receives to assist Soldier On with its plans to renovate the former Chapin School on Chicopee Street and turn it into about 40 apartments for homeless veterans.