DEAR SUN SPOTS: Now that Veterans Day has passed, it’s a good idea to have your readers think about giving a special gift to the whole family for Christmas, which is fast-approaching. People can give a gift of remembrance to the members of their family or friends who have served in the military, or are serving now; either in the far reaches of the world or at home. They can be serving in the National Guard or any other branch of service and can be stationed in the States or overseas. Some families have had the names of all the service members in their families who served at the same time inscribed together on some of our monuments at the Veterans Memorial Park by the falls in Lewiston.

Having several family members in the military at the same time often happened during World War II. At that time, the Lewiston-Auburn area and surrounding towns had a lot of farms, and families tended to be large and were very patriotic. Sons and daughters joined the military to serve in defense of the country they loved. Some served in the Pacific and others in Africa or Europe. Many didn’t return at all or came back wounded. Having their names inscribed on one of our monuments gives them the recognition they so richly deserve. The same applies to Vietnam War veterans, who did not get the recognition they should have had. And, of course, the Korean War veterans who endured the bitter cold of the Chosin Reservoir Battle, as well as the Battle of Inchon in September of 1950.

We should also mention the great generation of young women and men now serving in the Middle East. They should be honored and remembered. They are our next “Greatest Generation.”

To have a service member’s name inscribed on a monument, you need to provide a copy of the veteran’s DD214 or Honorable Discharge or a photo in him/her in uniform or an obituary. They need to be from Maine or have family ties to Maine. For example, some families lived in Maine and retired or left to live in other parts of the country. They are still eligible to have their names inscribed on our monuments.

We are working on Monument No. 30, hopefully to be unveiled next Memorial Day. We need 216 names, 2 columns of 54 on each side. If you want to have the names of all the veterans in your family who served together or served at different times in our history all on the same monument, you must send the applications together along with the documents needed and a check for $35 per name. Sometimes it takes a lot of phone calls and emails to get all the information, but in the end, it’s worth it to see all your loved ones’ names together on the monument.

For more information you can call or email Normand Cote, vice chairman, L&A Veterans Council. Call 207-782-1725 or email nmcote@roadrunner.com. Applications can also be printed from http://www.ci.lewiston.me.us – just type “veteran” in the upper right corner.

—Normand, vice chairman L&A Veterans Council, Lewiston

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