Veterans Day observance to honor sacrifices of former Windham military members

From left, VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman, Jerry Black
of the VFW and Bob Christie American Legion Field-Allen Post 148
salute all those who served our nation during last year's Veterans Day
event in Windham. This year's Veterans Day observance starts at 11 a.m. 
Thursday, Nov. 11 at the Windham Veterans Center.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE    

By Ed Pierce

The willingness of men and women from all walks of life to make sacrifices to keep our nation free has earned America's veterans our respect and our gratitude. Here in Windham, the public is invited to a special event on Veterans Day to remember those who have worn the uniform of the United States of America and given of themselves in defense of liberty.

This year’s Veterans Day ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11 at the Windham Veterans Center and will feature guest speakers and student winners of this year’s local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10643 essay contest.

The event coincides with national celebrations of Veterans Day, which was originally known as “Armistice Day.”

The commemoration of a special day to pay tribute to military veterans was launched on Nov. 11, 1919, one year after the end of World War I. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared “Armistice Day” to take place annually in America on the “11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour” to remember the end of what was known as “The Great War,” now called World War I. 

“Reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations,” Wilson wrote in his original proclamation establishing “Armistice Day.”

In June 1954, the U.S. Congress officially changed the name of “Armistice Day” to Veterans Day to honor those Americans who perished in World War II and Korea since “Armistice Day” had first been observed. In 1975, U.S. President Gerald Ford designated Nov. 11 as the permanent Veterans Day holiday because of its historical significance for the nation.

Two prominent Windham veterans, Willie Goodman and David Tanguay, will attend this year’s local observance of Veterans Day and say that they are grateful to be able to honor the contributions of Windham’s veterans to our national security.

Goodman served in the U.S. Navy from 1963 to 1993 and ended his military career as an E-9, Command Master Chief.

He served on eight ships including three aircraft carriers and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Stockton and Oakland, California; Brunswick, Maine and served two tours overseas. He also spent three years in Spain and toward the end of his career was in the Philippines for three years.

“For me, Veterans Day is a special day of reflection, both remembering all those we have lost and thinking of, and being thankful for, all those who served who are still with us,” Goodman said. “Being the Commander of Windham's VFW Post 10643 for seven years now, I really appreciate all our members and comrades who come together on Veterans Day along with our supportive community for our program and throughout the year as well as we help out our local veterans.” 

According to Goodman, his best Veterans Day memory is from 1984 when his wife, Jan, and he were living in the Philippines.

“Lee Greenwood's song ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’ had been released earlier that year and when it was played on Veterans Day, both my wife and I, and many others, had tears streaming down our faces,” Goodman said. “There's nothing like wearing our nation's uniform while living overseas to truly appreciate our great country, in large part, due to our veterans.”

David Tanguay is now the Post Adjutant for American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 in Windham, but like Goodman, served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

“I entered the U.S. Navy in 1969 with winter in boot camp and Radar-man ‘A’ School at Great Lakes in Illinois. That was followed by ‘precom’ on a new line of LST’s or tank landing ships in San Diego, California,” Tanguay said. “I returned on the ship to Little Creek Virginia and remained in the Operations Department until making E-5.”

At that point, Tanguay applied for Officer Candidate School in 1972, and was accepted, earning a commission as a U.S. Navy Ensign in May 1973. His First Officer tour with no ship billets available was at the Naval Facility in Nantucket, Massachusetts, followed by his first commissioned sea tour as Electronic Warfare Officer on the USS Dewey DDG 45. He eventually did three Mediterranean floats with the USS Dewey before going on to the USS Blakely FF1065 as Operations Officer with a UNITAS multinational military exercise command with South American and West African tours.

Tanguay’s follow-up tours were on two LSTs as Deck Officer and Executive Officer. While serving as a Deck Officer on an LST, he took part in the Grenada evacuation and then was sent to Lebanon to extract U.S. Marines following the terrorist suicide bombing there in 1983.

“Following my XO tour I went to the Army War College graduating in 1988 as a Navy Commander,” Tanguay said. “My following tour was as the Chief Staff Officer in Sasebo, Japan for three years and then a three-year tour with Military Sealift Command as Operations Officer before retiring as a Commander in July 1993.”

After retiring, Tanguay joined the American Legion and has spent the last 25 years working on veteran’s issues here in Maine.

He cites his most significant Veteran Day memory being one from last year.

“The post was able to recognize a Korean War veteran from Windham, Edward ‘Ed’ Salmon with five different medals and two ribbons he never received,” Tanguay said. “Too many others over the years.”

The keynote speaker for this year’s Veterans Day observance in Windham will be Dennis Brown of Windham, the former chair of Easterseals Maine. Brown is a longtime veterans’ supporter who is involved in the Veterans Count initiative, which staged a successful rappelling fundraiser this past summer in Portland. Veterans Count raises funds that fill the gaps where the VA or other community supports may be unable to support or assist veterans. <