By: Helen Mooradkanian – July 2013 On D-Day, June 6, 1944, Walter Hedlund, then a sergeant, U.S. Army, 29th Infantry Division, 3rd Battalion, 115th Regiment, Company I, stormed Omaha Beach in Normandy—part of the second assault wave. “The first assault wave, our own 116th Regiment, was slaughtered by the Germans. They never got beyond the […]
VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH By: Helen Mooradkanian – June, 2013 In that assault landing on Morotai, 45 LSTs (landing ship, tank) lined the shore. Offshore coral reefs and boulders caught landing craft. Troops, vehicles, and supplies were unloaded onto the beach—with no opposition from the 500 or more Japanese caught there by surprise. But […]
By: Senator Katie O’Connor Ives – June 2013 May was a busy month in the Senate. It was my first budget season and per tradition in the legislature, a new legislator has to give a first formal speech – a “maiden speech” before being able to engage in discussion and debate on the floor. Senators […]
By: Helen Mooradkanian – May 2013 In this Memorial Day issue, we honor a local WWII veteran who survived the brutality of the Japanese POW camps and the “Hell Ships.” Although he passed away February 3, 2013, shortly before his 93rd birthday, his story of courage and endurance lives on. *** Sergeant Victor Cote, […]
By Helen Mooradkanian – April 2013 The “island hopping” strategy in the Pacific had proved successful as the Marines secured one island after another in their advance toward the Japanese mainland: Roi and Namur in the Marshall Islands (February 1944), Los Negros (March 1944), Wake Island (May 1944), Saipan and Guam (July 1944), and Tinian […]
By: John Lenotte – American Legion – March, 2013 Recently I had the opportunity to travel as part of a group from Massachusetts to attend the annual American Legion Washington Conference. We were joined by other Legionnaires from across the country. There were a number of committee meetings and I attended the Legislative Commission meeting […]
By: Helen Mooradkanian – March 2013 Having arrived in France only in mid-November, they were somewhat inexperienced. Auffay, Luneville, Bining, and Rohrback did not really prepare them for the nightmare of Herrlisheim. Herrlisheim became their “baptism by fire.” It was there that they lived up to their name, the “Hellcats” Division. Snow 15 inches deep […]
ALL PHOTOS (C) COPYRIGHT RON MUSHOW PHOTOGRAPHY & THE VALLEY PATRIOT (PHOTO GALLERY) More than 400 people tuned out Friday night to attend the Valley Patriot 9th Anniversary BASH where the editors of the monthly newspaper (Tom Duggan, Dr. Charles Ormsby and Ralph Wilbur) honored police officers, firefighters, veterans, and those who […]
North Andover Police are conducting “active shooter” training all week during school vacation at the middle school. All officers are being trained, videoed and critiqued. Exact firearms replicas are being used so the officers are accustomed to their carried weapons.
By: Marilyn McCarthy Ralph – February 2013 Ronnie Ford’s family and friends are still reeling from the suddenness of his death. Laughing and telling stories one week, then buried the next. We are happy that Ron did not suffer, but the quickness of his death has left us shattered. We have heard on the radio and in […]
By: Helen Morradkanian – February 2013 TEWKSBURY – When 6,000 Marines were trapped at their base during the 77-day siege of Khe Sanh—a surprise attack by 40,000 heavily armored North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the infamous 1968 Tet Offensive —it was “the longest and deadliest battle” of the Vietnam War. West Point graduate Lieutenant […]
BOSTON -The Million Veteran Program (MVP) is a trailblazing VA effort to consolidate genetic, military exposure, health, and lifestyle information together in one single database. The database will be used by authorized researchers with VA, other federal health agencies, and academic institutions within the U.S., in a secure manner, to conduct health and wellness studies […]
The Lawrence Exchange Club held their annual Police, Firefighter and EMT of the Year awards last month honoring first responders in the valley. Police and Fire Chiefs from Lawrence, Andover and North Andover were allowed to present each honoree with a plaque and explain to the public why each officer was being honored. NORTH ANDOVER […]
Download The February, 2013 Edition of The Valley Patriot in PDF
By: John Lenotte – American Legion – January 2013 Here we are again, another year has passed. And for the short term, a fiscal crisis has been averted. At least depending upon which news analyst you read or listen to. Congress still has a lot of work to do and I hope you will […]