‘A force to be reckoned with’: Veterans Day guest speaker speaks to contributions by women to the American military

ATHOL – Nearly 80 veterans and family members, Athol residents, and town officials attended Wednesday’s Veterans Day ceremonies in Memorial Hall at Athol Town Hall. Master of ceremonies Scott Hume, president of the Athol Veterans Council, welcomed the audience and read the poem “Remember the Veterans,” written by the late Athol native and World War II pilot Gordon Briggs. In an address titled “A Force to be Reckoned With,” guest speaker U.S. Army Sergeant (Ret.) Sheila Pelletier gave attendees a lesson on the contributions of women to the American military. “From the battlefields of the American Revolution to the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, women have been serving in the military in one form or another for more than 200 years,” Pelletier said.

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