The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Riverton Grange honors veterans
BARKHAMSTED — Riverton Grange #169 held its 13th monthly veterans salute on June 5 to an overflow crowd, when the American flag was retired in honor of the May Veteran of the Month, U.S. Navy World War II Veteran Edward A. Sweeney, and raised in honor of U.S. Navy Cold War veteran Danamarie Towers.
Riverton American Legion Post #159 Commander Timothy Sweeney, son of veteran Edward A. Sweeney and an Army veteran, presented the retired American flag to his father on behalf of the president of the United States and a grateful nation for his father's service, according to grange president Dave Roberts.
Roberts presented a shadow box, carrying bag, and framed certificate signed by National Grange President Betsy Huber to retired Edward Sweeney, who was accompanied to the event by his wife.
The June 2022 honoree is U.S. Navy Cold War Veteran Danamarie Towers, who served from February 1983 to February 2005. Towers is the first female veteran honored under this initiative. Her mother attended the ceremony from Maine, along with other friends and relatives.
“Her husband Adam Towers spoke eloquently and emotionally about how proud is he of his wife's service to our nation both while on active duty and in retirement when she continued to serve other veterans when she was an employee of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,” Roberts said. “Towers told one story about how his wife helped secure an emotional service dog for a veteran with PTSD. He also shared that his wife's service to veterans was one of the many attributes that attracted her to him when they met in Maine.”
To nominate a veteran, living or deceased, from the local region, contact Riverton Grange President Dave Roberts at 858-775-9241 or dave@daveroberts.org.