thedrifter
08-24-06, 07:28 AM
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Older veterans reach out to Marines over in Iraq
Korea, WWII vets in Northboro stuff gift bags
By Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
ethompson@telegram.com
NORTHBORO— Robert Rochette, a Worcester native, was proud to serve in the Marines during World War II, but he doesn’t agree with the war that is going on in Iraq.
“It’s just terrible. I don’t know how we get out of it, but it shouldn’t be what’s going on now,” Mr. Rochette, a resident of Whitney Place, said yesterday.
“The millions of dollars they’re spending over there, they should be spending in New Orleans.”
But Mr. Rochette was proud to join more than a dozen other Korean and World War II veterans who live at Whitney and Beaumont assisted living residences on West Main Street as they stuffed gift bags that will be shipped to local Marines deployed in Iraq with the Third Battalion Second Marine Division.
The event was coordinated by Tiffanie Idonato of Marlboro, whose boyfriend, Lance Cpl. Eric Gabrielle, is serving his second tour in Iraq with the Second Marine Division. Ms. Idonato is a receptionist at Whitney Place and a freelance writer.
“I wanted to do this event because I wanted to create an environment for those who served in the past to connect with those who serve now. I wanted to show them that not only do we stand beside them, but we also stand behind them as well, no matter what. … No matter the president, no matter the political red tape, we stand for our troops,” Ms. Idonato said.
The gift bags contained lotion, foot powder, coffee, notebooks, CDs, energy bars, sunflower seeds and Slim Jims. All the items were donated by local businesses.
The veterans and other Whitney residents assembling the gifts were treated to music, a cake decorated like a flag and a color guard from the Worcester Detachment Marine Corp League.
Veterans participating included Wes Williams, Bob Pryor, Jim Coffin, Sara Studley, Doris Lacombe, Eleanor Daly, Janet Crabbe, Ed Erickson, Lois Bemis, Tom Specht, Paul O’Connor, Don Hebert, Murray Alberts, Buddy Pigott, Muriel Harris, George O’Sullivan, Will Lambert, Louis Grosso, Bob Wade, Sam Martin, Ed Sullivan, Bill McCarthy, Henry O’Connor, Edwin Tulis, Henry Cyr, Douglas McKeon and Dorothy Whitney.
Ellie
Older veterans reach out to Marines over in Iraq
Korea, WWII vets in Northboro stuff gift bags
By Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
ethompson@telegram.com
NORTHBORO— Robert Rochette, a Worcester native, was proud to serve in the Marines during World War II, but he doesn’t agree with the war that is going on in Iraq.
“It’s just terrible. I don’t know how we get out of it, but it shouldn’t be what’s going on now,” Mr. Rochette, a resident of Whitney Place, said yesterday.
“The millions of dollars they’re spending over there, they should be spending in New Orleans.”
But Mr. Rochette was proud to join more than a dozen other Korean and World War II veterans who live at Whitney and Beaumont assisted living residences on West Main Street as they stuffed gift bags that will be shipped to local Marines deployed in Iraq with the Third Battalion Second Marine Division.
The event was coordinated by Tiffanie Idonato of Marlboro, whose boyfriend, Lance Cpl. Eric Gabrielle, is serving his second tour in Iraq with the Second Marine Division. Ms. Idonato is a receptionist at Whitney Place and a freelance writer.
“I wanted to do this event because I wanted to create an environment for those who served in the past to connect with those who serve now. I wanted to show them that not only do we stand beside them, but we also stand behind them as well, no matter what. … No matter the president, no matter the political red tape, we stand for our troops,” Ms. Idonato said.
The gift bags contained lotion, foot powder, coffee, notebooks, CDs, energy bars, sunflower seeds and Slim Jims. All the items were donated by local businesses.
The veterans and other Whitney residents assembling the gifts were treated to music, a cake decorated like a flag and a color guard from the Worcester Detachment Marine Corp League.
Veterans participating included Wes Williams, Bob Pryor, Jim Coffin, Sara Studley, Doris Lacombe, Eleanor Daly, Janet Crabbe, Ed Erickson, Lois Bemis, Tom Specht, Paul O’Connor, Don Hebert, Murray Alberts, Buddy Pigott, Muriel Harris, George O’Sullivan, Will Lambert, Louis Grosso, Bob Wade, Sam Martin, Ed Sullivan, Bill McCarthy, Henry O’Connor, Edwin Tulis, Henry Cyr, Douglas McKeon and Dorothy Whitney.
Ellie