It was a time for honoring the veterans who have served the nation.
Concord Township honored its veterans during an annual ceremony at the Concord Township American Hero Memorial on Smithbridge Road on Nov. 9, while state Rep. Stephen Barrar honored veterans at the Chester County Adult Daycare Center the following day. Both were in honor of Veterans' day, Nov. 11.
In Concord, there was the changing of the flags that became weather beaten during the past year. There was also a brief speech from retired U.S. Air Force Capt. Bill Kunigonis.
Kunigonis spoke, not about his service as an F-4 fighter pilot or as a flight officer on KC-135 refueling aircraft, but of his trip to Normandy this past summer for the 70th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, D-Day.
He said the crowds were so heavy in early June that it was almost impossible to get the beaches were the invasion took place. Many, if not most of the people, wore vintage WWII uniforms, some with period rifles. They were all waving flags representing the allied nations.
While he was frustrated with the traffic, Kunigonis said he forgot all that when he finally did reach Omaha Beach, one of the two beaches were U.S. troops landed.
“I forgot about the traffic when I thought what brave men fought here 70 years ago,” he said.
He added that he also went to the U.S. cemetery above the beach and was reminded, “Freedom isn’t free. It comes at a high price.”
A day later, Barrar was at the adult daycare center on Old Forge Road outside of Kennett Square giving proclamations and pins to five veterans who are clients at the facility.
One of those vets, Floren Wayne “Mac” McNicholas, served with the Marine Corps during WWII, then went into the Air Force and service in both Korea and Vietnam.
While Barrar thanked all of them for their service, another WWII vet, Holbrook Bunting said, “We’re indebted to the ones who didn’t come back.”
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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