Belchertown Selectman George D. Archible said the community should honor those who return from military service in a war zone.
Belchertown Selectman George D. Archible, who is also commander of the town's Veterans' of Foreign Wars post, looks forward to honoring five residents who recently returned from Afghanistan, next week.BELCHERTOWN – Selectman George D. Archible looks forward to walking across the Town Common on Aug. 11 with five town residents who recently returned from a tour of duty with the Massachusetts Army National Guard in Afghanistan.
As a way for the town to show recognition for the military service of these five men, Archible said having them walk from Town Hall to the regular Thursday night music concert on the Town Common will provide the opportunity for home town residents to show support.
The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Sgt. Phillip Leab and Specialists Nathan LaValley, Tim Turbish, Ned Kenny and Anthony Hurtado have just returned from serving a year in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard Alpha 181 Infantry unit of the 26th Battalion, based in Agawam.
There have been other Belchertown residents who served in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years, but Archible said the town has never had five come back home at the same time before.
“They are back safe and sound,’’ Archible said. “They will be honored on the Town Common on Aug. 11. I am hoping people will come out to honor them.’’
Archible said there was a send-off in town for these five soldiers just before they headed overseas a year ago, and he has kept tabs on the unit and kept in touch with some of the families since then.
Because there is no official notification to the town of returning members of the military, Archbile extended an invitation to other Belchertown residents who may have recently returned from war zones to get in touch and to come to the Aug. 11 event.
Archible is a combat veteran who served in Vietnam and said the experiences faced when members of the military returned home from that war have been in his mind as he organized this event.
“Vietnam veterans did not have welcome home committees. They were very troubling times in the 1960s and 1970s,’’ Archible said. “Now it is time to honor our service men and women when they come back, and the sacrifices they went through.’’
Archible is the commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8424 in Belchertown, but he said the Aug. 11 event is a function of the Board of Selectmen, not of the veterans organization.