Our club has reason to be extra proud after our Veteran’s Appreciation Lunch last Friday at Seasons Event & Conference Center in Portland. In typical Portland Rotary fashion, the club came together to create something very special and a luncheon that will long be remembered by all those who attended.On the heels of our “Flags for Heroes” project, Charlie Frair and Paul Tully once again took the reigns for our 5th annual Veteran’s Luncheon, an event that seems to be getting bigger…and better…with each passing year. But, as we all know, it takes a village, or in our case, a great group of volunteers, both within and outside the club, to create an event with such a significant impact on so many veterans, their families, and the organizations that help so many service men and women throughout our proud state.
With over 25 sponsors and numerous veteran agencies present, along with 80+ volunteers and 300+ attendees, the luncheon allowed us all to show our pride in our veterans, our state and our nation.
With a musical opening to the program, professional singer Joan Kennedy and Melissa Procida, accompanying her on guitar, showcased our spectacular audio/visual system, which was an immediate hit with the packed room. President Amy Chipman welcomed our guests and spoke briefly, yet proudly, about Portland Rotary and Rotary International before turning the mike over to emcee and US Navy veteran Gary Crocker. After a color guard from the United States Coast Guard presented the flag, PP Bob Traill (Marine veteran) led us in the pledge and Kathy Grammar and Betty Rines accompanied the room in “The National Anthem.”
With a musical opening to the program, professional singer Joan Kennedy and Melissa Procida, accompanying her on guitar, showcased our spectacular audio/visual system, which was an immediate hit with the packed room. President Amy Chipman welcomed our guests and spoke briefly, yet proudly, about Portland Rotary and Rotary International before turning the mike over to emcee and US Navy veteran Gary Crocker. After a color guard from the United States Coast Guard presented the flag, PP Bob Traill (Marine veteran) led us in the pledge and Kathy Grammar and Betty Rines accompanied the room in “The National Anthem.”
PP Kris Rosado gave a brief presentation in honor of the fallen heroes and the special table set to commemorate them (photo at left); then Colonel Andrew Gibson, Senior Chaplain of the Maine Army National Guard, provided a heartfelt invocation before our luncheon was served.MC Gary Crocker acknowledged the numerous sponsors and dignitaries in the audience and then introduced Sarah Gideon, the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, who thanked us for our efforts. Major General Farnham read a letter from Governor Janet Mills that she wanted presented to the Portland Rotary Club in her absence (copy can be accessed HERE). Portland City Manager Jon Jennings then gave the Club his thanks on behalf of the City of Portland and presented President Amy with a key to the city. Our annual “Armed Forces Medley,” performed by Kathy Grammar, Betty Rines and Joan Kennedy, gave each service member in the room a chance to stand and show great pride when it was time to honor their branch of service.
Our first speaker was Major General Douglas Farnham, the Adjutant General of the Maine National Guard. A 1984 graduate of the Air Force Academy, General Farnham, a pilot with over 5700 flight hours, assumed his duties in Maine in 2016 while continuing to serve as Commissioner for the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. His comments touched upon his pride in the Maine veterans and his warmth for the individuals who make up such an important part of our population. His sincerity and heartfelt words underscored his commitment not only to veterans but to the state of Maine. (You can view the contents of his speech HERE.)Gary Crocker, taking the podium in costume as a “Maine humorist,” left us in stitches with a couple of local stories, but then turned more serious when he thanked the veterans in the room, recalling his days in Vietnam onboard the USS Boston, a warship that prided itself on providing support in the most difficult of times. Gary had reunited with a shipmate, after 45 years, at our veteran’s luncheon last fall, and it made him all the prouder to be a small part in our day of celebration and tribute to over one-hundred thousand veterans within Maine.
Bill Nemitz of The Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram was our final and most extensive speaker. Bill, who has been a journalist in Maine since 1977 and has reported as an embedded journalist from both Iraq and Afghanistan, outlined the annual veteran section that will appear in the upcoming Maine Sunday Telegram. The series of articles, entitled “Soldiering On,” follows the lives of veterans as they settle into life in Maine after their return from service, often with the help of some of the organizations that were so proudly represented at our luncheon. Bill, who spoke with great pride and fondness for so many of the soldiers he watched in action overseas, brought a unique perspective to his remarks and, as is his nature, humanized the struggles and numerous successes of those who continue to call Maine home after sacrificing so much for their country.
In closing, Joan Kennedy once again sang a moving piece honoring those who have served so courageously and Betty Rines backed up the Color Guard with taps, as the flags (colors) were retired. The 300+ attendees headed out into the brisk late autumn air, but all hearts were warm with pride. Pride not only in the service of so many veteran Mainers, but pride in a job well done by all in providing a tribute to those brave men and women. Portland Rotary once again showed its colors in coming together for a truly worthy cause.
(More candid photos of the meeting in the Kodak Korner this issue.)