Bristol Celebrates Safe Return Of Local Hero

By Brian M. Johnson, The Bristol Press

August 10, 2021

American Legion Post 209 celebrated the safe return of member Jimmie Smith this past Sunday after he returned from serving overseas.

The celebration was held at the home of Brian Avery, commander of American Legion Post 209. Marilyn's Pub Restaurant & Lounge provided a buffet for Smith, his friends and fellow legionnaires as they celebrated with him.

Avery said Smith left Bristol in Aug. 2020 to start his training. He was then officially deployed overseas that September with the 143rd Regional Support Group of the Connecticut National Guard. According to Avery, all involved in celebrating Smith’s return “had a blast.”

“Everyone from Post 209 was very grateful and happy to have him home safe,” said Avery. “Jimmie was very grateful and emotional – it was an all-around great day. We also had the pleasure of the Mayor and Peter Kelley stopping by. He was really excited when he saw them. He thought it was special that they would take time out of their day to welcome him home.”

Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said that the gesture on behalf of American Legion Post 209 was “really nice.”

“The way that Bristol supports its veterans is important and we wanted to continue that tradition,” she said.

Zoppo-Sassu recalled that Smith shared a lot of stories about his service in Jordan and some of the cultural differences that he experienced there over 11 months.

Jennifer Smith, Jimmie Smith’s wife, said that she couldn’t thank Avery and the rest of Post 209 enough. She said that she and her husband had a “wonderful time.”

“Brian and the rest of the folks at Post 209 have been so supportive since Jimmie left on his deployment,” she said. “Brian is an amazing guy who would do anything to help if you need a hand, especially for veterans. He told me that if there was anything I needed I could reach out to him. As much as I tried to do everything myself, there were a couple times I asked for a hand with things around the house and they were happy to give it. Yesterday was amazing – it was way more than we expected, especially with the mayor and the councilman coming. Jimmie and I had a fantastic time and the food was great.”

Smith, who is a big Raiders football fan, was also given several items related to the team including a jersey and soda cans from the new stadium.

“He was deployed last year and didn’t get to see much of his team playing at their new stadium,” said Avery. “We got him these small gifts because we knew that they meant something to him and we wanted to give him back something he missed.”

Additionally, Smith was presented with a “Quilt of Valor” by Cindy Guendert from the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

Smith was also presented with the Herbet L. Emanuelson Plaque which he was awarded this year by the American Legion Department of Connecticut. This award is presented annually to a Legionnaire who has rendered “the most outstanding contributions to community service.”

Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.