Every generation has a date it will never forget. For the World War II generation, it was Dec. 7, 1941, the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
For the Baby Boomers, it was Nov. 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
For the current generation, it’s Sept. 11, 2001, the day Islamic terrorists attacked U.S. soil in New York City and Washington D.C.
To commemorate this date marked by both tragedy and heroism, the Orion Veterans Memorial will once again host a ?9/11 Remembrance Day? ceremony honoring military, police, fire and EMS personnel at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11.
‘We changed that to the evening because during the work week very few people attended. They’re all working,? said Dr. Joe Mastromatteo, chair of the Orion Veterans Memorial.
Bob Smith, fire marshal for the Orion Township Fire Department, will deliver the main address on what’s now known as Patriot’s Day. Members of the Michigan Minuteman Platoon will serve as the Color Guard while the local Church Street Singers perform patriotic songs.
Prior to the event, everyone is invited to head over the Lake Orion High School auditorium for a 4 p.m. presentation by WWII veteran Robert Parenti, author of ‘A Story of Love and War? and former attorney for Oxford and Addison townships, plus the villages of Oxford and Lake Orion.
Published in 2007, the book gives a unique perspective on WWII derived from 100 or so letters from then-Army Private First Class Parenti, who served in the European Theater, to Laurie, his sweetheart (now his wife of 62 years) waiting and worrying back home.
From the humid, bug-and-mud-filled swamps of Louisiana, where Parenti trained with the 8th Armored Division, to the PFC’s experiences in England, France, Belgium, Holland and finally Germany, the book gives a riveting and vivid account of WWII, not from some retired general or university historian, but from a simple dogface who lived it.
‘It is to honor those forgotten heroes that this effort was completed and it is to them that this story is dedicated,? said Parenti, who now lives in Stuart, Florida.
You’ll laugh out loud when you read about Parenti’s reaction to a mother breast-feeding on a train (a rare sight in the 1940s) and you’ll feel your heart sink when he writes about his visit to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, where the Nazis murdered 50,000 inmates, including Anne Frank.
Parenti’s 45-minute Power Point presentation will highlight his experiences during WWII and the similarities between what soldiers went through back then and what they face today in Iraq and Afghanistan. His presentation will feature photos from his Army days and a look at his old uniform.
‘I think it will be an excellent presentation,? Mastromatteo said. ‘Students and community members will appreciate it.?
Proceeds from the book’s sale at this event will be used for improvements to the Orion Veterans Memorial. All books will be signed and personalized by the author.