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    Whately resident and WWII Veteran Walter Harubin, 103, center, is presented the National Grange’s Patriots Award by Grange members James Martin, left, of Chesterfield and Ruth Leahey, of Whately, during the Whately Memorial Day parade on Sunday, May 26, 2024.
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    Members of the Whately Grange, the Whately Congregational Church and the Whately Recreation Commission march during the Whately Memorial Day parade on Sunday.
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    Ray Billiel, Post Commander of the Hale-Clapp VFW Post 3295, salutes during the Whately Memorial Day parade on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Photo by Christopher Evans
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    Whately resident and WWII Veteran Walter Harubin, 103, waves while participating during Whately Memorial Day parade on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Photo by Christopher Evans
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    Whately WWII veteran Walter Harubin, 103, center, is given the national Grange’s Patriots Award by Grange members James Martin and Ruth Leahey during the Whately Memorial Day parade Sunday.
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    Honor guard members from the Hale-Clapp VFW Post 3295 march during the Whately Memorial Day parade on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Photo by Christopher Evans
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    A member of the Hale-Clapp VFW Post 3295 honor guard salutes after placing a wreath at the Whately War Memorial during the Whately Memorial Day parade on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Photo by Christopher Evans
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    Whately resident Levi Schrader, 4, gets a should ride from his father, Jake Schrader, during the Whately Memorial Day parade on Sunday, May 26, 2024. Photo by Christopher Evans

I, as the coordinator of the event and the people who helped, am blown away with the expert Memorial Day weekend coverage and photography your newspaper did. Thank you!

In a brief conversation with local photographer Christopher Evans, I explained I had worked with Gordon Daniels (retired Daily Hampshire Gazette photographer). Chris, you are equally qualified.

Liesel Nygard, I know about deadlines, so I have been there, done that. You did an excellent job.

This Memorial Day wasn’t about the Grange, but about veterans such as Walter Harubin. Not often do we have a 103-year-old veteran to honor and other veterans as well. Without those who served or are serving, we wouldn’t have what we have. The Grange does a lot of community service activities so we combined this event with the veterans committee’s project.

I speak from family experience — relatives have served in the U.S. Army, Air Force , Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, for 60 years. Being a military wife during the Vietnam War was no walk in the park, and most recently my grandson-in-law completed his tour in Korea. His wife is the family’s fourth-generation military wife.

Ruth Leahey

Whately Grange