Senator Osten Awards Local Veterans Connecticut Wartime Service Medal at Ceremony

From the Connecticut General Assembly:

Norwich, CT – More than one-hundred Connecticut veterans from Eastern Connecticut who served in the armed forces during wars ranging from World War II to the Vietnam War and the post-9/11 conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq were presented the Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal Tuesday at an event hosted by Senator Cathy Osten at Norwich Free Academy’s Slater Auditorium. The event was organized to recognize Connecticut’s Norwich-area veterans for their service in the armed forces on Flag Day. Commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Sean Connolly was in attendance to present medals, along with Senator Osten and Representatives Emmett Riley and Kevin Ryan.

“It was truly an honor to present this medal to so many of our veterans from the 19th District today,” said Sen. Osten. “I take Flag Day very seriously, as do most veterans, and we planned today’s ceremony with that in mind. It is my sincere hope that the veterans and their family members who received their Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medals today know just how much we appreciate the time they have given to our country, and the time their families have given as well. For those who haven’t heard it enough: thank you very much for your service, and the State of Connecticut appreciates all that you have done.”

Senator Osten, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era, was surprised when her name was called by her legislative aide Stephen Palmer during the ceremony to receive her own Connecticut Wartime Service Medal.

“We had over one-hundred veterans honored today during this ceremony, including myself – which I did not know was going to happen,” said Sen. Osten. “I wasn’t prepared to receive the medal myself. But today was about honoring veterans in the 19th District, some of whom were being welcomed home for the first time after serving our country so honorably, and it is one of the best parts of what I do – we have been able to award more than 400 people medals in many towns throughout the 19th district. I am so pleased to be able to give people a small token of Connecticut’s thanks, and our country’s thanks, for doing what veterans always do: standing up for our freedoms and our rights.”

Photos of veterans who received a medal at the ceremony will be posted to Senator Osten’s website, accessible here. Veterans and their families are invited to download the photos for personal use.

Prior to the General Assembly establishing this award in 2005, the State of Connecticut had not honored its veterans with a wartime service medal since World War I. Anyone who served in the armed forces during a time of war and was a Connecticut resident at the time, or currently lives in Connecticut, is eligible for the award. Many veterans from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq received the medal as part of their discharge packets, but many veterans who served prior to 2005 are unaware of the medal’s existence. Any veteran who believes they may be eligible for the medal may contact Senator Osten at 860-240-8600.