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Windsor Honors Service Members

Hartford Courant - 11/14/2019

The Town of Windsor honored service members past and present on Veterans Day, during an evening service at the town hall.

Diego Ruiz, a Windsor police officer and Air Force veteran, was the featured speaker.

William Crosson, the commander of American Legion Post #49, presided over the ceremony. The Windsor Junior ROTC presented the colors.

Mayor Don Trinks issued and read a proclamation that recognized veterans’ service and sacrifices to the nation.

“Across America, there are more than 25 million veterans. Their ranks include the generations of citizens who risk their lives while serving in military conflicts,” he said.

Trinks added, “They have fought for the security of our country and peace of the world. They’ve defended our founding ideals, protected the innocent and liberated the oppressed from tyranny and terror.”

Ruiz, who served as an Airman in the Air Force, said the military taught him many lessons, especially “not to quit.”

He got injured lugging an 80-pound rucksack for dozens of miles in a training exercise. Military doctors told Ruiz he would not fully recover and that his athletic days were over. He ignored the doctors’ prognosis and worked his way back into shape.

Ruiz recently completed his first triathlon and continues a strict exercise regimen. He abides by the “never quit” motto acquired in the Air Force.

“We forget a lot of things over time, including what veterans do for us,” he said.

He added that the military will always be there to “answer the call of duty.”

Crosson said though Memorial Day honors service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice, he honored veterans who passed. An honor guard conducted a 21-gun salute followed by a lone trumpeter playing Taps.

Crosson remembered the three women and six children slaughtered by a Mexican drug cartel in Sonora. The victims were members of a long-established Mormon community.

Rev. John Gerlach gave the invocation and benediction.

The Windsor High School band performed patriotic selections, including ‘America the Beautiful.’ Red, white, and blue bunting ringed the Town Council Chambers. Local veterans groups, wearing their campaign caps, filled the room.

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(c)2019 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)

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