VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH By: Gary Mannion – September, 2010 LOWELL – Greg Page sat on his couch waiting to leave for Newark International Airport to catch his plane to San Francisco; he was about to embark on his senior year at Stanford University. Whatever it was that seemed important to him as […]
Hero In Our Midst: USAF, 439th Security Forces Squadron, Westover ARB By: Kate Cotnoir – May, 2010 LOWELL – Technical Sergeant Boulette was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was raised in the town of Billerica, Massachusetts, where he attended Billerica Memorial High School, graduating in 1995. Boulette entered the Marine Corps on 12 June […]
Kathleen Corey Rahme – April, 2010 Born in 1919 at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the little town of Granite Falls, Sara Payne Hayden would eventually be one of the 200 out of the 300 surviving WASP’s (Women’s Airforce Service Pilot) to travel to the Capitol to receive the Congressional Gold Medal […]
Hero In Our Midst By: Gary Manion – April, 2010 In August of 1942, Dominic Scarpignato did what most boys his age were doing; he enlisted in the Navy. Almost a year after Pearl Harbor, boys like Dominic flocked to serve their country without a second thought. At 19 years of age, Dominic left […]
GEORGETOWN TODAY By: Lonnie Brennan – March, 2010 Over the past years I’ve had the privilege to contribute a few words and reflect on a few thoughts regarding our fine communities; some positive observations, some less than desirable. Nothing has been more of an honor than meeting and listening to the many Valley Patriot Heroes […]
Hero in Our Midst By: Terry Crow Mercier – Fbruary, 2010 A hero is often considered to be someone in the forefront of a scenario and highly visible to a large audience. I want to tell you about a more behind the scenes kind of hero– the type of hero that so often goes […]
Hero in Our Midst, Sgt. Dan Cotnoir, U.S. Marines Ordnance Maintenance Company, 4th Maintenance Battalion, Devens, MA By: Tom Duggan In 2005, Sergeant Daniel Cotnoir of Lawrence was named Marine of the Year by the Marine Corps Times for his outstanding bravery and service to the United States. Sgt. Dan Cotnoir began his military […]
VALLEY PATRIOT OF THE MONTH – HERO IN OUR MIDST December 2009 – While attending the North Andover Veteran’s Day observances, I was privileged to listen to guest speaker Sgt. Major Eric Nelson. Nelson is a retired U.S. Army officer of 24 years. he spent his first career in the U.S. Army and is […]
From the Desk of Congressman Niki Tsongas By: Congressman Niki Tsongas – January 12, 2009 WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Niki Tsongas today reintroduced two bills to address and improve the quality and continuum of mental health care available to veterans. Recognizing the sharp increase in post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health wounds […]
VALLEY PATRIOT EDITORIAL December, 2008 Who could oppose a bill called the Fallen Hero Commemoration Act? We can. Under the current laws and regulations, when an American serviceman is killed in action his or her next of kin have the final say over whether or not the press is allowed to be present at the military base when the […]
Tech Sgt. James Moore, USAF It is now possible for us to remember a true patriot. Sworn to silence for a period of time, even to his own family, John Katsaros can finally reveal his story of perseverance, courage, and heroism to us. We hear stories about freedom fighters. However, an airman of this […]
Since the very first edition of The Valley Patriot in March of 2004, this space has been reserved for honoring local veterans who have either performed heroically in battle or made a significant difference in their community. This month we honor Spc. Alex Jimenez of Lawrence whose remains were found last month in Iraq after […]
By: Tech. Sgt. James Moore, USAF – May, 2008 LAWRENCE – A patriot, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “One who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests.” The word is sometimes overused or even misused, but not when we use it to describe Natasha Young, make that Staff Sergeant […]
By: Lonnie Brennan – April, 2008 METHUEN – Her statistics from 1970 are simple: female, 5 foot five inches, 125 pounds, age 19. As she entered her Junior year at the now-closed Catholic Trinity College in Burlington, Vermont, Agnes M. Bresnahan was surrounded daily by images of the Vietnam war: Images of war protests on […]
By: Tech Sgt. James Moore, USAF – February, 2008 SALEM, NH – Airman First Class Christopher Fantasia, home on Recruiting Assistance Duty at the Air Force Recruiting Office in Lawrence, Ma., is making a difference in the world. He is a patriot and has a genuine enthusiasm for his work. Airman First Class Fantasia joined […]