Seymour war hero to have memorial dedicated

SEYMOUR - A permanent memorial will be dedicated to John Thomas DeBarber at a service at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 19 at St. Augustine's Cemetery.

DeBarber was the first casualty from Seymour during the Vietnam War. He was killed in action on Oct. 17, 1966.

This memorial service, with full military honors, will take place at the family plot in St. Augustine’s Cemetery on Cedar Street.

A town wide reception will follow at the Seymour Community Center, 20 Pine St.

This is a press release from Michael Kearney, Commander, Emil Senger Post 10, American Legion, Seymour. 

Seymour to remember fallen hero

Note: This is taken from Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller's Facebook page.

No Vet Left Behind to hold vigil

 2nd annual event slated Saturday at Shelton park

A Vietnam veteran portrays a prisoner of war at last year's vigil. Patricia Villers/Register

SHELTON - The public is invited to join No Vet Left Behind, Inc. and its supporters in unity Saturday to honor those who gave so valiantly during the times the country has been at war.
A second annual vigil will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Veteran's Memorial Park on Canal Street, adjacent to the Riverwalk. 
To participate in the vigil or to volunteer, contact Mary Porter, 203-906-0533.


The above information was provided by Mary Porter of Derby, President, No Vet Left Behind, Inc.  The nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping veterans reintegrate into the community, find employment, and navigate the bureaucracy of the Veterans' Administration.

O'Brien students get new perspective on war

Emmett O'Brien junior Michael Carroll looks over books on the Vietnam War. Vietnam veteran, and author, John DelVecchio, spoke to the students about his experiences. Melanie Stengel/Register


     ANSONIA - Ancient history.
    As I sat among about 120 students at Emmett O’Brien Technical High School last week listening to two Vietnam veterans talk about the war, I couldn't help but think the topic must seem like ancient history to the teenagers.   
    Having lived through that era I was quite interested in what the speakers - Assistant Prinicipal George Reichert and author John M. DelVecchio - had to say.
    Their stories about their experiences brought back memories of seeing images of the war on the evening news when I was growing up.
    Reichert and DelVecchio both served in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. They are both Newtown residents.
    DelVecchio, who worked as a combat correspondent, has written three historical fiction books based on his military service in southeast Asia.
   Their stories captivated students seated before them. The juniors have been studying the Vietnam War era in their social studies classes, and this program gave them a whole new perspective not found in history books.
    Teachers allowed the students to dress as hippies for the day, and one boy wore a U.S. Marine Corps camouflage uniform. He said he planned to join the Marines after he graduated.
    Giving teens a firsthand look at what life was like in their parents’ and grandparents’ lifetimes can only help them better understand their family members and today's global politics.
    Schools should routinely offer programs like this, if at all possible. These kinds of educational experiences are the ones that will stay with students for years to come.