Fort William Henry Veterans Day ceremony honors those who served

A crowd gathered under overcast skies Monday morning on the Fort William Henry Hotel lawn for the Fort’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. The ceremony opened with Lake George High School Sophomore Libby Pape singing the National Anthem followed by introductory remarks about the history of Veterans Day given by Fort William Henry Museum Director of Historic Interpretation Andrew Menzie.

Behind the speakers’ podium, more than 10,000 American flags fluttered in the November breeze, each flag representing a specific veteran. Large panels alongside the display listed the names of these veterans organized by military branch and conflict. Throughout the ceremony, an Honor Guard of Fort William Henry reenactors stood at attention amidst the rows of flags.

Over the past decade, the field of flags has grown from the initial installation of 53 flags to the 10,153 flags placed on the lawn this year. Fort William Henry Corp. CEO Kathy Flacke Muncil conceived the idea for a Field of Flags in Lake George in 2014, and since then, the Fort William Henry Museum has asked visitors to enter the names of service members in their families into a logbook for inclusion in the display.

“On this day we take a moment to pause in our busy lives to recognize the sacrifices of those who served across generations from distant battlefields for the sole purpose of peace and aid,” said Fort William Henry President Sam Luciano. “These heroes carried out not just the weight of their military duties, but also the hopes and dreams of so many of us for a safer and freer world.”

Luciano stressed the importance of supporting veterans as they make the transition back to civilian life. “It is our responsibility to ensure that they receive care, respect and the opportunities that they deserve. Whether through educational opportunities, job placement initiatives, or mental health services, we must stand by our veterans just as they stood by us.”

Jeff Varmette, Executive Director of Adirondack Vets House, spoke of the Vets House’s mission to support those who served. “We represent the voices that aren’t heard, so it takes a great deal of time for us to help people in need of either housing food, clothing … it’s a building process.” Since its founding, Adirondack Vets House has helped more than 1,000 people across 10 counties reaching as far north as the Canadian Border and east to Vermont, Varmette said.

Vets House provides monetary assistance with rent, mortgage payments and utilities to veterans in Warren, Washington, Northern Saratoga and Hamilton Counties and offers food and clothing to veterans in other counties.

Warren County Sheriff Jim LaFarr, a US Army and Air National Guard veteran, also spoke saying, “We enjoy freedom, and liberty and peace … these things don’t happen by accident.” He encouraged those in attendance to recognize and honor the veterans in their lives on Veterans Day by “looking them in the eye” and saying thanks. “The values that are important to all of us around our dinner tables — we have those because of the men and women who choose to serve,” said LaFarr.

Following the speeches, flower carriers laid a wreath at the head of the Field of Flags and the Honor Guard fired a musket salute. Luciano invited those in attendance to enjoy a charity luncheon in the hotel’s Lakeside restaurant with proceeds to benefit Adirondack Vets House.