Sign Dedication
Ceremony Speech
By
Brandon Perrone
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| Photo by Will Collette |
This
memorial is dedicated to the sixty-two men who trained at this airfield and
made the ultimate sacrifice, and it is also for all members of the military to
show them we appreciate what they do for our country every day.
Now,
I ask that you all take a look around. Imagine runways, hangars and control
towers.
Imagine
Hellcats and Avenger fighter planes roaring overhead, and the bravest, most
skilled airmen in all of New England training to defend freedom.
This
was Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Air Station, as it was known at the time, and
former President George H. W. Bush trained here before flying in the Pacific in
World War II.
This
area we are sitting in has some of the richest history in all of Rhode Island.
I
was fortunate enough to see some of this history when Mr. Larry Webster, a
local Aviation Archaeologist, invited me to his home to see some artifacts from
the time period.
Mr.
Webster is one of those exceptional people who does not want the memory of the
airfield to fade away, so he does a great deal of work to make sure all
artifacts from this area are found and preserved for future generations.
A
lot has happened here in the past seventy-three years.
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| The new memorial sign is surrounded by a collection of markers dedicated to the memory of flyers and of local first responders Photo by Will Collette |
In
September of that same year, the first aircraft arrived. The pilots trained in
all weather conditions, honing their skills in preparation for battle.
On
August 15th, 1945, World War II ended and six years later the Airfield was
reduced in status.
In
1951, the airfield made a return for use in the Korean War for practice drills.
The airfield was decommissioned in 1974.
Two
years later, the idea was pitched to use the abandoned airfield as the site for
Rhode Island’s first nuclear power plant but the idea was scrapped.
So,
in 1980, hangars were removed. Then, in 1990, the roadways and taxiways were
torn up.
But
through all this, people never forgot the mission of the airfield and wanted to
do something to memorialize the history of “Charlietown” forever.
“Charlietown”
is a nickname for this area commonly used by those who flew out of this
airfield and trained here, but also by people who remember it fondly and care
about it deeply.
I
know that two special people who cared about this airfield were Mrs. Mildred
Godden and Mrs. Genevieve Glista. These two extraordinary women are responsible
for this Memorial Garden and Monuments’ existence.
They
had a vision to create a permanent memorial for the men who served and were
lost while here at this Airfield.
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| Another one of those old markers now collected for display at the foot of the new sign. Photo by Will Collette |
Much
like I approached the Charlestown Parks and Recreation Board for approval on replacing
this sign, Mrs. Godden and Mrs. Glista approached the Charlestown Town Council
about dedicating this area we are in to those valiant men.
The
council agreed with them, and twenty-three years later this monument still stands,
and people still care as much as they did then about upholding the memories of
this airfield.
For
my Eagle Scout Service Project, I wanted to do something to honor the military.
I saw parallels between scouting and the military and thought it was important
that something be done to honor them in some way.
Thinking
back, I remembered that Charlestown was the site of a former naval landing
field, and my father and I made contact with Mr. [Frank] Glista.
It
was decided that since the sign was in a state of disrepair, it should be
replaced. The main goal was to preserve the original design characteristics
while at the same time giving it new life with modern materials.
This
new sign should last for many years to come. None of this would have been
possible without the help and guidance from some very special people.
I
would like to thank all of the individuals as well as the many organizations who
donated to the project. I am extremely appreciative and humbled by everyone’s
generosity.
Additionally,
I would like to thank Mr. Frank Glista, the project beneficiary and the person
with whom I collaborated the most with over the past year to help bring this
day to fruition.
Mr.
Glista is the volunteer caretaker of this area, and it is truly remarkable how
hard he works to continue what his mother and Mrs. Godden started.
Moreover,
I would like to thank Mr. Charlie Beck, who graciously allowed me to fundraise
at the Mini Super.
As
you may have noticed, the memorial garden has fresh mulch and everything looks wonderful.
This would not have been possible without the assistance from Mr. Dana Millar
of Dana Design Landscaping and my fellow troop members.
Whether
it was fundraising, planning or landscaping, my troop was always there to
fulfill the third point of the scout law, being helpful, and I could not ask
for a better team.
I
would not be standing in front of you today without the constant support and
encouragement from my parents, and brother, Aaron.
And
finally, I would like to dedicate this speech to the airmen who served here
having made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy today, and I ask
that we all keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
In
closing, I would like to share a quote from former President George H. W. Bush.
In his 2008 commencement speech at Bryant University, the President said,
"When I was a Navy pilot back there a thousand years ago, flying in the Pacific
in 1944, we had a saying that some pilots still use today called CAVU - C-A-V-U-
Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited.
“That
applies to my life today. I've been blessed with so many challenges, failed in
some, succeeded in others, but Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited, that's the way
I feel about life itself, and that's the way I want your lives to be”.
Thank
you all again for attending this ceremony, and God Bless the United States of
America.