The Lynn Daily Item: 'Cherish Your Freedom,' Urges Veteran

MARBLEHEAD — John Katsaros joined the U.S. Army Air Corps with his best friend on Dec. 9, 1941, two days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

He flew in a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a four-engine heavy bomber, and was shot down over Frankfurt, Germany as he attacked an aircraft factory. He parachuted from 27,000 feet and was held captive until members of the Resistance helped him escape.

“The most important thing is cherish your freedom,” said Katsaros, 93.

More than 200 people packed Abbot Hall on Veterans Day to hear Katsaros and other veterans share their stories about service to the nation.

“When I came home from the war, this community welcomed me back and had a lot of respect for the service I gave, even if they didn’t respect the war I was in, and like me, disagreed with our policy,” said U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.).

Moulton, a veteran who served four tours in Iraq as an infantry officer for the U.S. Marine Corps, led the town hall discussion that featured more than a dozen vets who spoke of their experiences. Launched a year ago, the event is a forum aimed to establish better understanding between vets and the friends and neighbors they served.

Kate Kranz Jordan, an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, was a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy on 9/11.

“We realized then that we were going to be entering active duty at a time of war,” she said. “Throughout my journey at the academy, I slowly began to understand what it meant to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

Andrea Goldstein, who served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy’s Global War on Terror until six months ago, experienced what she called a minor training accident.

“As I came to terms with the fact that I will hurt everyday for the rest of my life, I learned how much living with pain made me even more like the people with whom I served,” she said. “Even though some days I wake up unable to move, I feel more capable than I did before the training accident. In adapting to my new normal, I know what I’m made of.”

Moulton’s Veterans Day Town Hall was inspired by author Sebastian Junger, who has written about the importance of veterans of all wars sharing their experiences with their communities.

In Peabody, Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt Jr. hosted the city’s annual Veterans Day Breakfast at City Hall.

While all the city’s veterans were honored during the breakfast and ceremony, there was a special commemoration for Vietnam War vets.

“These brave men and women answered their country’s call to service during a particularly difficult period in our country’s history,” said Bettencourt. “It’s an honor to pay tribute to those who have shown such service, courage and patriotism.”

After Dana Sheridan sang the National Anthem and America the Beautiful, the Peabody High Air Force Junior ROTC honored MIA/POWs.

Lynnfield held its annual ceremony on the Common, with Veterans Agent Bruce Siegel among those honoring locals who have served.

“Today, we honor all the brave men and women who currently serve and have served our country,” he said. “They risk life and limb so we can be free. We should serve our veterans as they have served the nation. America’s veterans should never have to worry about food, shelter or clothing. Their duty was keeping us safe and our duty is to keep them safe when they come home.”

Selectmen Chairman Philip Crawford thanked the veterans for their courage, dedication and sacrifices.

“We owe so much to our veterans,” he said. “It is a debt that we can never truly repay.”

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