Veterans Day observance highlights vet who inspired new scholarship fund
November 13, 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Veterans Doug Perry (left) and Mike Preedom salute after laying a wreath at the U.S. Armed Services monuments. Photo by Mike Woodard
Waterbury U.S. service veterans, friends and family gathered Tuesday morning at 11:11 a.m. at Rusty Parker Memorial Park to commemorate Veterans Day in a ceremony led by the Waterbury American Legion Post #59.
The crowd of about two dozen assembled at the park’s service monuments along South Main Street during a light snow shower that added to a dusting that had fallen overnight.
“On this Veterans Day, we are commemorating the service of veterans of all wars, men and women who set aside their civilian pursuits to serve our nation,” Goulet began.
The day is meant to honor veterans who served both in peacetime and those who fought in wars, he noted. The holiday began in 1919 on the first anniversary of the end of World War I. A year earlier, the Allies and Germany signed an armistice in Compiègne, France, ending the war on November 11, 1918. The agreement went into effect at 11 a.m. that day. In the United States, the holiday was known as Armistice Day in honor of World War I veterans until 1954, when Congress renamed the day Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S.-involved wars.
“We celebrate our living veterans and remember those no longer with us,” Goulet said. “We thank them for their courage and patriotism, and proudly carry on their legacy of service and sacrifice.”
As part of the ceremony, a decorated wreath was placed at the park monuments by veterans Mike Preedom and Doug Perry. The crowd was silent as Chris Wood played Taps and the legion’s Honor Guard fired off a multi-gun salute. Members of the post’s Color Guard also stood at attention with flags.
Veterans come from many diverse backgrounds and have unique stories to share, Goulet said in his remarks. To the veterans in the crowd, he said, “tell the story of who and what inspired you to serve. Tell the story of the people you’ve met in the armed forces -- the missions you’ve performed and the difference you’ve made.”
American Legion Chaplain Alonzo Perry and Commander Wayne Goulet pause while Taps are played. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
Veteran Sgt. Virginia ‘Ginny’ Sweetser
Goulet then shared the story about one veteran whose experience continues to inspire people today. U.S. Army veteran Sgt. Virginia “Ginny” Sweetser, who grew up in Worcester and Essex. She enlisted following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and served in the Vermont Army National Guard.
Sgt. Virginia 'Ginny' Sweetser, 1981-2020. Courtesy photo
She was deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003-05, where she served with the 443rd Transportation Company, leading convoys through Iraq, Goulet said.
“Her service left an indelible mark on her, and despite her courageous efforts to help others, she fought a personal battle with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome) after returning home,” Goulet continued.
Sweetser was an advocate for veterans’ mental health and shared the phrase “IGY6;” -- military shorthand for “I’ve got your back.”
The semicolon symbol at the end signifies a pause, “a reminder to those struggling with PTSD to hold on, as the pain will eventually pass,” Goulet described.
Sweetser posted a video with this message on social media to share her story. “That message resonated with over 17,000 followers, spreading awareness about the invisible wounds of war,” Goulet said.
Sweetser died by suicide on December 11, 2020. “Her passing was a profound loss to her family, friends, and the countless individuals whose lives she touched,” he said.
A scholarship fund pays it forward
Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
In the Waterbury crowd on Tuesday was Sweetser’s father, Gene Sweetser, who lives in Worcester. He thanked Goulet for highlighting his daughter’s service and her work following her time on active duty.
Sweetser said since his daughter’s death, family and friends have worked to establish a fund that will begin in 2026 to award scholarships in Ginny’s honor. The scholarships will be designated for women veterans pursuing advanced degrees in mental health fields, he said.
Returning from Iraq, Ginny Sweetser continued her education, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Her father said she also attended UVM and Saint Michael’s College. She became a licensed clinical social worker in Missouri and Kansas, working with survivors of sexual assault and people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Now the scholarship fund is designed to help other women veterans pursue higher education to follow in Ginny’s footsteps to pursue careers in social work, psychology, or psychiatry, and to support those struggling with PTSD and mental health challenges.
After several years of fundraising, the fund now has collected approximately $124,000, Gene Sweetser said.
World War I U.S. soldier Clem Beckley of Plainfield, grandfather to Gov. Phil Scott. Photo courtesy of Gov. Scott's office
Details about the fund and the application process are online at ginnysscholarship.org. The program also has an online store with “IGY6;” themed merchandise; the proceeds support the scholarship fund.
From Gov. Phil Scott
On Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott shared a Veterans Day message that honored his grandfather, Clem Beckley:
“It was on this day in 1918 when the world celebrated the end of the Great War. Like many Vermonters, my grandfather, Clem Beckley of Plainfield, served in World War I.
He enlisted on June 11, 1917, at Fort Ethan Allen and arrived on European soil on October 3, where he served as a wagoner delivering ammunition to the front lines in France.
They called it the ‘war to end all wars,’ but we know that didn’t prove true. Yet, through all the conflicts that have followed, American servicemen and women have stepped up to protect us and our allies whenever we’ve been threatened. Today, on Veterans Day, I join all Vermonters in thanking our veterans for their service and their many contributions to our nation.”
Click to enlarge the photos above.