DAVID FLAHERTY
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Ramon Diaz and all of the other military men and women who serve this county. Next week, while we’re all enjoying our beautiful New England weather and our school vacations, Ray is heading halfway around the world to serve our country. Ray, like many who serve, is a husband, father, son, friend, neighbor, employee, and an active participating citizen (Ray not only serves in a military role, but he also serves the city as a member of the Westfield School Committee). I can’t imagine what it will be like for Ray to say goodbye to his wife and sons before he jumps on that plane and does what it takes to serve our country. I do know that Ray, and I, and many others feel that it is both a duty and an honor to serve. I do know that there are millions of Americans like me who appreciate the sacrifices made by Ray, and his family, and the hundreds of thousands of other soldiers and their families who help make this world a better, safer, place.
Every Monday for the next six months, Ray is going to be halfway around the world in the middle of a desert, doing his job, serving our country, to make sure we enjoy the freedoms and security that he and his fellow soldiers risk everything for. My challenge to the readers is for you to wake up every Monday, be thankful for what you have, be thankful for the sacrifices made by Ray and his family, and ask yourself what you can do, even if just in a small way, to serve your faith, your neighbors, this city, this state, or this country. Please keep Ray and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Ray, thank you!
Dave Flaherty
City Councilor
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Westfield News.
