SOUTHWICK – At their meeting this week, the Select Board went through the second reading of the revised war memorial policy. After the second reading, the board voted in favor of accepting the policy and making it official.
“I think this captures the spirit of what we want to do,” said Select Board Clerk Doug Moglin.
The policy was revised in order to give the town their first even written policy that contains guidelines, requirements, and procedures.
“This is very good,” said Southwick VFW Post 872 Chairman Troy Henke. “It will give a very good guidance.”
Along with VFW Post 872, American Legion Post 338 was also a part of working on this project.
Southwick Veterans War Memorial as seen in November 2016 (WNG File Photo)
The Southwick Veterans Memorial policy started in 1947 when it began honoring veterans who served in the American Revolution, War of 1812, The American Civil War, The Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. In the early 1960’s, the Korean conflict was added to the memorial, followed by the Vietnam Conflict in the early 1980’s. The third and latest addition to the memorial came in 2016 when the Persian Gulf War and Global War on Terrorism Theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan were included in the memorial.
Moving forward, the revised policy has certain criteria for veterans to have their name on the Southwick War Memorial and is as follows:
1. Be a resident of the Town of Southwick at the time of their initial entry into the Armed Forces of the United States and have deployed to a recognized combat theater or be a resident of the Town of Southwick at the time of their deployment to a recognized combat theater as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States.
2. Provide documentation to the town establishing the Veteran’s residency, service, nature of discharge, and deployment details.
3. Less than Honorable and Dishonorable discharges will not be considered for inclusion on the Southwick War Memorial.
Besides the basic criteria of the revised policy, there are also requirements in order for a veteran to be on the post-resident service panel. This panel has been created for veterans who don’t meet the criteria of the above, but still have called Southwick their home for a remarkable amount of time. The regulations for the post-service resident panel are as follows:
1. Veterans to be included must have a connection to the Town of Southwick based upon actual domiciled residency in the town for a period not less than 40 years or established domiciled residency in the town within 1-5 years following discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States and lived in the town for the remainder of their lives and
2. Served as a member of the United States Armed Forces deployed in a recognized combat theater and
3. Provide documentation to the town establishing the Veteran’s residency, service, nature of discharge, and deployment details, and
4. Verifiably determine that the Veteran is not included on any other municipal service or war memorial in the municipality listed on their service documentation.
5. Any resident who was a Veteran of the town at the time of entry into the Armed Forces of the United States and died while on active duty will be eligible for inclusion on the post-service resident panel if otherwise unable to be listed under any other included theaters.
6. Less than honorable and dishonorable discharges will not be considered for inclusion on any post-service resident panel.
According to Henke, once VFW Post 872 Commander Ryan Dietert signs the revised policy, it will enter the process of going into effect.
