Southwick VFW Post 872 Chairman Troy Henke (right) poses with Diane DeMarco (center) of Spotlight Graphics and Southwick Regional School Principal Joe Turmel (left). (Photo by Troy Henke)
SOUTHWICK – A dedication ceremony will be taking place at the Southwick Regional School on November 9 at 9:30 a.m. in order to add one more veteran to the Veterans Memorial Foyer, which is located at the regional school.
Richard Power, who was killed in action on August 8, 1966 during the Vietnam War, will be added to the foyer.
This past May, a ceremony was held in the gymnasium of the Southwick Regional School to honor William Alamed Jr., Stephen Wentworth, and Travis Fuller.
At the ceremony in May, Power was mentioned but wasn’t on the plaque. The school district then made sure to include Power. It was determined that Power attended Southwick Regional School, but left early to join the military. Power is also the first Southwick native to be killed in action.
The ceremony for Power on November 9 will unveil his plaque with his family in attendance and town and local officials invited. This ceremony will be much smaller than the last one in May, and more personal for the Power family and friends.
“We feel that is the culmination of our Veterans Memorial Foyer,” said Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District Superintendent Jen Willard.
Since Power hasn’t been given a plaque yet, the plaques for Alamed Jr., Wentworth, and Travis Fuller haven’t been hung up in the Veterans Memorial Foyer yet. According to Willard, all four plaques will be hung up together in the near future.
In order to be recognized on a plaque in the Veterans Memorial Foyer, the service member had to be killed in action while serving their country and either lived or went to school in Southwick.
