VFW leader urges young veterans to get involved

by Dan McClelland

At Friday’s Veterans’ Days service at the Park Street war memorial, it was VFW Post Commander Tracy Luton’s turn to host the observance. She used that opportunity to encourage young veterans here to join the local veterans’ organizations here to help stage events like Friday’s.

Each year the leaders of the five veterans posts here rotate the oversight of Memorial Day and Veterans Day, and serve as the masters of ceremonies.

Welcoming the guests that cool morning VFW Commander Luton began by asking the definition of a veteran.

“A veteran, whether active duty, discharged, retired or reserve is someone who at one point in his or her life wrote a blank check, made payable to the United States of America for an amount to and including his or her life. That’s a veteran!

“Some gave all. Some gave some. You know that, right? So look around and thank a veteran today!”

She paid recognition to a group of high school students who recently took the old podium used at past observances here and in their shop classes restored it. She was standing behind the refurbished speakers’ stand.

“So I want give Tupper Lake Technology Education a shout-out, and particularly students Luke Robillard, Wyatt Godin and Tyler LaPlante” for restoring the podium. The flag on its side was painted by Kendall Kenniston and Lee Ann Stevens. “They all did a great job!”

She also had a strong message for the younger veterans of the community. “You guys have to start stepping up. We’re aging out,” she said of her colleagues currently active in the local veterans posts. “If you want things like this to continue on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, you are going to have to start” coming into the VFW post and the groups here which use it as their headquarters, “and sign up!”

“Many of our board members are passing away, or getting sick. I’m one of the youngest ones at the VFW right now!”

She said most people here who organize these veterans events each year are not even veterans, “but they help out a lot.” She was referring to the VFW post bartenders and the many volunteers.

“If you are a veteran, get your butts up to the VFW and join...and start helping out!

She said staging the annual events are getting more and more difficult for the aging veterans here to tackle. She pointed everyone to the dozen or so elderly veterans- a few in their nineties- all standing proudly next to each other along the recently recoated State Theater wall.

Ms. Luton said if younger veterans don’t soon take over the reins of these various veterans groups here, these special events will soon cease.

“-And that’s a sad thing to say. But we need you younger guys to step up!”

She said she often hears from people fresh out of the military that they intend to become involved with veterans activities here. “Well then do it! We need you to do it!”

She said there was a big gap between the Vietnam War and later Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Iraq and Afghanistan. “But it’s time for those veterans to come forward and help us!”

The town councilwoman said she often hears from young veterans here that the VFW Post on Park Street is “just a bar.” She said it’s much more than that! “We do a lot, we give a lot, we host many functions!”

“Get out there and start doing your part,” she said to all the young veterans of our community. “Don’t tell me you don’t have the time. Make the time!”

At the close of Friday’s service she paid special recognition to the work of Brent Cook and Mary Kay Kucipeck, two volunteers who care for the veterans park. “They did a great job again getting everything ready for today, and sprucing things up here. They do a great job all year long!”

She also invited the crowd back to the VFW Post for refreshments. She thanked the residents who attended that morning’s ceremony and supporting the local veterans. “It’s a great place to be… Tupper Lake!”