story & photo

by Vito J. Leo

This Memorial Day was truly memorable for 125 World War II veterans from around the state who were beneficiaries of a free one-day visit to the nation’s capital.

On the Saturday before the holiday recognizing those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country, veterans had a chance to reminisce about combat experiences while basking in the shadow of the D.C. monument commemorating American valor in the Second World War.

Thanks to the hard work and determination of Norwich resident Christopher Coutu and donations of grateful citizens, AmericanWarrior allows veterans to enjoy a tour of Washington’s war memorials.

“This was the chance of a lifetime for a fellow who hasn’t had the time to get to Washington on my own,” said Charles Chaet of New London, at 83, a self-described “young one” among the veterans on the trip, “Most of us are up there in our 80’s so it was very tiresome doing all that walking,” said Normand Harnois. He left his Norwich home at 6 a.m. and didn’t get back until midnight, “But I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. “It was my first time seeing the WWII Memorial and I thought it was fantastic. I was very impressed. It was well worth the long day and all the walking involved,” Normand said.

To assist those vets who needed a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on or a wheelchair escort, volunteers known as “guardians” made the trip at their own expense, with each guardian assigned three veterans to assist.

One of the guardians was Uncasville resident Bob Hathaway whose trio of vets included his father, Lorenzo Hathaway, also from Uncasville. “It was amazing to see these guys, every one of them had a tear in their eyes, they were so appreciative of what everyone did for them,” Bob said, describing the group’s arrival at the D.C. airport.

“There were hundreds of people waiting for them to get off the plane, a band, the honor guard, people shaking their hands,” he said. “My father said he was shocked — that he never expected anything like that. And then when we got home, at Bradley, there was another 500 people waiting there to welcome us a nine o’clock at night.”

Bob wanted to make sure that organizer Chris Coutu got credit for “putting that look on the faces of all those men.”

“That Chris is quite a kid,” Bob said. “What he does for these veterans, he deserves all the praise. Most of these men are three times his age but he makes them feel so relaxed. He treats them all like family.”

That “family” grew to over 325 veterans who made the trip since Chris first turned his idea into reality a couple years ago.

“Many of the veterans are overwhelmed by everything that takes place throughout the day, but we make sure they know it is their day to take it all in,” said Chris who is already planning the next plane ride, perhaps later this year. “If funding permits, we could send another 200,” he said, noting that veterans should visit www.AmericanWarrior.us for an application or information.

Veterans are also available to visit schools and organizations “to talk about patriotism, freedom, democracy and sacrifice,” Chris said.

Bookmark to:

As the weather heats up, so too are the ovens in the new Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (a.k.a. Pepe’s Pizza originally of New Haven) at Mohegan Sun. On May 28, Pepe’s Pizza celebrated a construction milestone with the official firing up of their ovens, which will stay lit moving forward.

The coal ovens, which were handcrafted one brick at a time and took three months to construct, are replicas of the original ovens, down to the moldings which were formed from the original casting.

“Today, we celebrate a huge milestone in the construction of our newest venue located at Mohegan Sun,” said Francis Rosselli, one of Frank Pepe’s grandchildren. “This oven is an exact replica of the original used in our New Haven location and is the cornerstone of what makes our pizza so unique.”

The restaurant is targeting a July 1st opening and will be approximately 3,800 square feet. The dine-in and take-out eatery will have seating for roughly 110 and be located in the eastern half of the new food court in Casino of the Earth.

Bookmark to:

One of the nation’s most revered entertainers and humanitarians was immortalized by the Postal Service when it dedicated the 44-cent Bob Hope First-Class commemorative stamp on the flight deck of the USS Midway, where “G.I. Bob” twice entertained service men and women during his nearly six-decade commitment to boosting military morale.

They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™, at The Postal Store® website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800.STAMP.24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to: Bob Hope Stamp Postmaster, PO Box 85530, San Diego, CA 92186-5530.

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by July 30, 2009.

Bookmark to:

Summer is all about family, friends and fun!!!!  The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce has the information on events to entertain you throughout the summer.  Two major events are sponsored by the Mystic Chamber: the 52nd Annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival and the 2009 Taste of Mystic.  Both events bring the community out into the streets of Historic Downtown Mystic to enjoy art, food and good company.  The Mystic Outdoor Art Festival will be held along the streets of historic downtown Mystic on August 8th and 9th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.  Taste of Mystic wraps up the summer on Friday, September 11th, 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, September 12th, 11:00 a.m.  to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday September 13th, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Food and entertainment all weekend long!

In addition to these premier events, there are activities planned throughout the summer to keep you entertained! From Music on the River onboard the Sabino, sponsored by the Mystic Seaport, to networking and socializing at Cocktails with the Whales at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration.  Enjoy a relaxing evening in Downtown Historic Mystic with Concerts in the Park in the Mystic River Park. All summer long, Olde Mistick Village has entertainment planned for you: bands and entertainment in the gazebo, the Meet the Artists show, and a Corvette Show to end the summer.  The Denison Homestead helps you get your grocery shopping started with the Farmer’s Market on Sundays.  The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center hosts special hikes during the summer and Mystic Arts Center partners with Mystic art galleries to host Art in the Evenings every first Thursday.  There are special events that became traditions for the community at Mystic Seaport ranging from the Wooden Boat Show to the Antique and Classic Boat Rendezvous.  Exciting encounter programs including feeding a sting ray, getting up close with a beluga, or chilling with a penguin at the Mystic Aquarium, experiences you will not want to miss!

No matter what your interests are, there is an attraction or an event for you!  For more information on each of these events please visit our website www.mysticchamber.org or call the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce at 860.572.9578.

Best Wishes,
Tricia Cunningham
President

Great Mystic Chamber of Commerce

Bookmark to: