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Public invited to Naval training reunion

Brian Walker | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 11 months AGO
by Brian Walker
| August 5, 2013 9:00 PM

For anyone who wonders if the annual reunion honoring Navy veterans who trained at Farragut will stop after none of those vets attend, Janice Lauer can clear the air.

"We won't stop honoring these vets," said Lauer, who has helped organize the reunion for 17 of the event's 27 years.

This year's reunion, expected to attract about 25 of the vets who served at the training site from 1942 to 1946, will be held Saturday, Sept. 7, at Farragut State Park near Athol.

The opening ceremony is at 9 a.m., followed by speakers and a barbecue lunch. The public and all veterans and their families are invited. The lunch is $5.

More than 300 Farragut vets attended the reunion in the earlier years when it was three days long, but the number dwindles each year, Lauer said.

She said it's a time to celebrate the service and sacrifices of the vets.

"We're still very proud of them," Lauer said.

While the harsh winters may have been a surprise to some of the sailors who hopped off a train when they arrived at Farragut, Lauer said it was an enjoyable experience for most.

"Several of them said that, if they had to be in the military, there wasn't a better place to be," she said. "These guys trained with wooden guns because all of the metal at that time was used toward building airplanes."

The reunion also includes a flag-raising ceremony, release of doves in honor of the fallen vets and the unfurling of a large flag while a patriotic song is played.

"I guarantee the unfurling of the flag will bring tears to your eyes," Lauer said of the flag that is provided by Ron McIntire, owner of Super 1 Foods.

Lauer said the event is also intended to create awareness about the Museum at the Brig at Farragut, of which she said many folks are unaware.

"Farragut is off the beaten path, and I would like to see a sign on U.S. 95 directing people to the museum," she said.

Lauer said vet families who have memorabilia from any war can donate items to the museum.

Those who attend the reunion should stop by the park office at the entrance to receive a state park pass for $5. Reunion activities, with the exception of the lunch, are free.

For more information, call Lauer at 660-0660.

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