>>> DELFO BARABANI JR.
LEARNED FIRST-HAND FROM HIS FATHER ABO
THE IMPORTANCE OF HONORING THOS WHO SERVED.
GROWING UP, HE RECALLED THAT HIS FATHER, A
VETERAN OF WORLD WAR II, WOULD OCCASIONALLY PICK UP
HITCHHIKER HE BELIEVED WAS SERVING AT WESTOVER AIR BAS
BARABANI, JR., A VETERAN OF THE VIETNAM WAR, HAS CONTINUED THAT
TRADITION IN CHICOPEE WHERE HE IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH
EDUCATING SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE
HIS RECENT EFFORTS ARE TIED TO NEW MEMORIAL TO THE WAR ON
TERROR, AND HE SPOKE WITH ME ABOUT THE MAKINGS OF THAT
>> IN THE CITY OF CHICOPEE THERE IS A PLAZA IN
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THERE IS AN EXHIBIT THERE ON THE
CONFLICTS OF ALL THE WARS BACK TO CIVIL WAR.
AND WHEN CAPTAIN MALONEY WAS LOST IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2005,
WE BEGAN PUTTING A PSEUDO MONUMENT ASIDE THE WORLD WAR I
MONUMENT.
IT IS A CROSS MADE OF RED CARNATIONS AND THEN FOR
CAPTAIN MALONEY, WE INSERTED A WHITE CARNATION.
AND THEN WE LOST ISN'T NEWSOME AND SERGEANT WILSON AND KEVIN
DUPONT AND SO WE ADDED THEM.
EVERY TIME WE LOST SOMEBODY, WE ADDED THE WHITE CARNATION.
SO WHEN OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND ENDURING FREEDOM
WERE OVER, WE DECIDED TO MAKE IT AS AN EXHIBIT PERMANENTLY
ON THE WAR ON TERROR.
>> SO YOU MADE THE TEMPORARY ONE --
>> ABSOLUTELY, RIGHT, THE PSEUDO MONUMENT BECAME A
REGULAR MONUMENT.
AND THEN THE BOMBING IN 1983, THAT WAS AN ACT OF TERROR FROM
THE SAME BASIC SOURCE SO WE DECIDED ON THE FACE OF IT TO
HAVE IRAQI FREEDOM AND ENDURING FREEDOM AND ON THE
ONE SIDE, THE TWO CASUALTIES CHICOPEE HAD BEFORE 9-11 AND
THAT WOULD BE
CASUALTIES TO THE WAR ON TERROR AND IF YOU
LOOK AT THE MONUMENT, IT DOESN'T SAY GLOBAL WAR ON
TERROR, IT SAYS WAR ON TERROR.
>> THE MONUMENT ITSELF IS MADE OF GRANITE AND SANDSTONE BUT
SHOWS A PEOPLE TO MILITARY MEMBER KNEELING?
>> ACTUALLY, THE BOTTOM IS NOT SANDSTONE, IT IS ALL GRANITE.
WE GOT IT FROM ONE OF THE DAKOTAS, I THINK, AND IT HAS A
BROWN LOOK TO IT BUT IT IS GRANITE.
>> BUT THE FIGURE ITSELF IS A PEOPLE TO FIGURE IN FRONT OF
THE BATTLE CROSS -- >> YES.
>> SO WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON A PEOPLE TO FIGURE?
>> THIS IS A FAIRLY LARGE COMMITTEE AND SOME PEOPLE
RECOMMENDED THAT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO PUT THE PEOPLE TO
SOLDIER ON THERE.
AND WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THAT WOULD MAKE SOME
SENSE.
THERE IS A LITTLE CONTROVERSY AROUND THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE
SOME PEOPLE WHO CONTEND THERE ARE NOT ACTIVE COMBAT TEEMS
BUT THAT IS -- FEMALES BUT THAT IS TOTALLY TRUE.
WE HAVE FIGHTER PILOTS, BOMBING PILOT.
BUT THE IDEA WAS TO EXPAND IT AS WIDE AS WE COULD.
>> TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE.
>> YES, AND THEN WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO IT, THE MC ADDED HIS
OWN TAKE TO IT.
SAID IF YOU USE THE RIFLE AND THE HELMET AND THE BOOTS AS A
BATTLE CROSS, THE INDIVIDUAL KNEELING THERE IS REPRESENTING
NOT ONLY THE TROOPS BUT THE WIVES AND FAMILIES AND
EVERYBODY THAT SUSTAINED A LOSS.
>> AND CARE ABOUT THOSE WHO PASSED AWAY.
>> YEAH, EVERYBODY SUSTAINED THAT LOSS.
SO IT WORKED.
>> AND ON THE MONUMENT ITSELF, IT GETS INTO THE SPECIFICS OF
HOW THESE SERVICE MEMBERS DIED.
ROADSIDE BOMBS, ET CETERA.
DID THE COMMITTEE DISCUSS WHETHER IT WAS PROPER TO
INCLUDE SUCH GRAPHIC DETAILS?
>> WELL, WE DID.
WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE THAT --
>> WHY?
>> BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAIN IDEAS OF HAVING THE MONUMENT
IS THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THE SACRIFICE THAT THOSE
INDIVIDUALS MADE.
SOME PEOPLE THINK IT IS LIKE GLORIFIED WAR OR SOMETHING BUT
THAT IS NOT WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT IS THESE PEOPLE WENT AND STOOD AND WERE
LOST AND THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY WERE LOST WE FELT WAS
SIGNIFICANT THAT HISTORICALLY PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF
THAT.
THE OTHER MONUMENT DO HAVE ALL KINDS OF HISTORY, ABOUT THE
DIFFERENT WAYS THE CONFLICTS OCCURRED AND WHY THE MONUMENTS
ARE THERE AND THAT RECOGNITION.
SO WE JUST FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WERE LOST.
>> NOW, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DEFINES THE WAR ON TERROR
BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 11TH OR AS A RESULT OF SEPTEMBER 11TH BUT
AS YOU SAID, THERE WERE TWO NAMES INCLUDED ON THERE THAT
HAPPENED BEFORE THAT.
WHAT WAS THE DISCUSSION SURROUNDING THOSE TWO NAMES?
>> WELL, WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS THE REASON THAT -- NOT
NECESSARILY -- THE GOVERNMENT ISSUED A RIBBON, PRESIDENT
BUSH, FOR THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR THAT BEGINS ON 9/11 BUT
THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT THERE WERE ACTS OF TERROR
COMMITTED BEFORE THAT.
AND IT WASN'T MUCH OF A DISCUSSION, JUST SERGEANT
LARRIMER LOST IN BEIRUT AND SERGEANT FRADETTE LOST IN THE
PHILIPPINES AND INSTANTLY FELT THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
THERE IS A MONUMENT TO SERGEANT LARRIMER --
>> THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS NAMED AFTER SERGEANT DUPONT, TOO.
>> YES, AND SERGEANT FRADETTE A MONUMENT NEAR THE SWIMMING
POOL BECAUSE HE WAS A SWIMMER.
>> SO WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING ALL OF THOSE NAMES
TOGETHER ON ONE MONUMENT?
>> WELL, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THAT PLAZA.
ON MEMORIAL DAY, WE'RE IN THAT PLAZA SO THE INDIVIDUAL
AMERICAN LEGION POST WILL DECORATE THE MONUMENTS AS A
CITY BUT WITH THE MAYOR AND ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE
GATHER IN THAT PLAZA SO THE RECOGNITION IS IN THAT PLAZA.
>> IT IS ALSO NEAR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HOW DO YOU HOPE
PEOPLE WILL USE NOT ONLY THIS MONUMENT BUT OTHERS IN THAT
AREA?
>> WELL, THE MONUMENTS ARE THERE, I BELIEVE, FOR AN
HISTORICAL VALUE, TO REMEMBER THAT AS BAD AS THINGS ARE WHEN
YOU ARE IN A CONFLICT, IF YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE AND REMEMBER
WHAT HAPPENED, IT'S A REAL BAD SITUATION.
IF YOU EVER SAW THE MOVIE SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, IN THE
VERY BEGINNING, THE MAN IS IN THE CEMETERY AT NORMANDY AND
HE ASKS IF HE IS A GOOD MAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
HE LIVED HIS LIFE BECAUSE OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE, WHAT THESE
OTHER PEOPLE DID FOR HIM.
AND SO HE WAS HOPING THAT HE LIVED UP TO WHAT THEY DID FOR
HIM.
WELL, WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING.
THESE PEOPLE WERE LOST AND LET'S HOPE THAT WE CAN LIVE UP
TO THE HIGH STANDARDS THEY HAVE.
>> THE MONUMENT WAS DEDICATED RECENTLY.
>> YES.
>> HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY PUBLIC FEEDBACK ABOUT THE NEW
MONUMENT?
>> EVERYONE WHO HAS SEEN IT TELLS ME IT IS GREAT AND
WONDERFUL AND EVERYTHING.
AND I, FROM THE BEGINNING -- YOU KNOW WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING
LIKE THIS AND ARE LOOKING AT PICTURES, YOU DON'T REALLY GET
A SENSE OF WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
SO AS I SAID, SOMETIMES WHEN A COMMITTEE SETS OUT TO DESIGN A
HORSE, THEY END UP WITH A CAMEL AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF I
HAD A CAML OR NOT TILL THE FIRST DAY IT WAS INSTALLED BUT
WHEN I SAW IT, I KNEW IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT IT NEEDED TO BE.