(KK)
AMERICA PAUSED TODAY--
TO HONOR THE MEN AND WOMEN--
WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE U-S
MILITARY.
(MM)
MORE THAN TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND
PEOPLE--
INCLUDING VETERANS ----AND
ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL--
MARCHED ALONG FIFTH AVENUE IN
NEW YORK.
(KK)
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE FIRST
LADY PAID TRIBUTE TO VETERANS
=AT A SOLDIER'S MEMORIAL IN NEW
YORK'S MADISON SQUARE PARK.
THE PRESIDENT ADDRESSED THE
CROWD GATHERED FOR THE CITY'S
100TH VETERAN'S DAY PARADE.
HE'S THE FIRST COMMANDER IN
CHIEF TO KICK OFF THE ANNUAL
EVENT.
The glory of your deeds will
only grow greater with time.
This city is graced by your
presence, this nation is forever
in your debt and we thank you
all.
(MM)
PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO PRAISED
VETERANS FOR RISKING EVERYTHING
FOR US..
AND SAID---- NOW IT'S OUR DUTY
TO SERVE AND PROTECT THEM.
DURING HIS REMARKS---- THE
PRESIDENT MENTIONED THE
RECENT---- U-S. TAKE DOWN OF THE
LEADER OF ISIS--
SAYING AL BAGHDADI AND HIS
NUMBER TWO ARE DEAD--
AND ALL EYES ARE NOW ON THE
NUMBER THREE IN COMMAND.
(KK)
BACK HERE AT HOME--
GOVERNOR RAIMONDO HOSTED THE
STATE'S VETERANS DAY CEREMONY--
AT THE RHODE ISLAND VETERANS
HOME IN BRISTOL.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER STEVE
NIELSEN WAS AT TODAY'S EVENT--
AND SHOWS US HOW THOSE WHO
SERVED--
WERE HONORED TODAY.
STEVE?
AS WITH MANY VETERANS DAY
CEREMONIES...
IT WAS EMOTIONAL... POIGNANT...
AND IMPORTANT.
present.
THE COLORS ARE PRESENTED...
EVERY VETERAN SALUTES.
AND OUR SONG.
OUR ANTHEM... FROM THE HOPE HIGH
SCHOOL BAND... BRINGS THE ROOM
OF HUNDREDS TO SILENCE...
THIS IS THEIR DAY.
VETERANS.
THE ONES WHO SERVED.
lets come together unified buy
our debt of gratitue to our
veterans and our love of coutnry
and our admiration for your
patriotism.
AT THE RHODE ISLAND'S VETERANS
HOME IN BRISTOL... THE STATES
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SPOKE
WITH OTHER STATE LEADERS
PRAISING THE VETERANS.
youve defended our liberties.
youve given us a chance to make
a more perfect union and we have
to seize that chance as a
respect to you.
BEFORE SPEKING... SENATOR JACK
REED SHOOK CHARLES FOUTZ HAND...
A POWERFUL MOMENT OF TWO
VETERANS SHARING UNITED
APPRECIATION FOR THEIR SERVICE.
It tells you how great a nation
we are acutally. when yo uget
... he congressman.
U-S REP JIM LANGEVIN CAME BY TO
SHAKE THE HAND OF EVERY VETERAN
HE COULD.
we are grateful for your service
and sacrifice and no words can
adamantly relay our
appreciation.
THEN ... THE WREATH LAYING...
NATS
AND THE SALUTE.
NATS
THEN THE MOST POWERFUL SOUND OF
ALL...
A SINGLE TRUMPET ...
the freedosm we enjoy the
waulity of life we enjoy i nthis
country we get to celebrate
every day becasue we lvie in
america is a direct result of
the courage sacrifice and
determinatio nfo the men and
women that have served in
uniform.
(SN)
THE RHODE ISLAND VETERANS HOME
IS STATE OF THE ART. IT OPENED
AROUND 2 YEARS AGO AND COST 10S
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SEVERAL STATE LEADERS POITNED TO
IT AS A WAY THE STATE IS TRYING
TO TAKE CARE OF OUR VETERANS.
BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY
MEMBERS.
(MM)
TODAY--
TWO MEN FROM THE GREATEST
GENERATION..
WERE HONORED FOR THEIR
SERVICE---- DURING WORLD WAR
TWO.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER ANITA
BAFFONI WAS AT THE CEREMONY..
AND JOINS US IN STUDIO WITH
THEIR STORY..
NEW AT 5:30
MIKE,
THIS WAS A SPECIAL CEREMONY.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS FILLED THE
BALLOU HOME IN WOONSOCKET THIS
AFTERNOON TO HONOR 96 YEAR OLD
RUDY KROFT.
KROFT SERVED AS A SCOUT AND
DRIVER UNDER GENERAL GEORGE
PATTON.
HE WAS ONLY A TEENAGER WHEN HE
SERVED IN WORLD WAR TWO.
ALSO HONORED AT TODAY'S CEREMONY
WAS 97 YEAR OLD ARMAND
PONT-BRIANT FOR HIS SERVICE IN
THE MARINES AS AN AVIATOR
MACHINEST.
HE WAS SURROUNDED BY MEMBERS OF
HIS FAMILY AS WELL.
I SPOKE WITH BOTH MEN.
"I'm just having a good time."
"What are you gonna do without a
family, ya know? You gotta be
with your family, better than
someone you don't know right? "
(AB)
BOTH VETERANS WERE WELCOMED WITH
BAGPIPES AND RECEIVED GIFTS FROM
DIGNITARIES.
BOTH MEN, NOW ALMOST 100 YEARS
OLD, SPENT TIME REFLECTING ON
THEIR SERVICE.
THEY SAY THEY ARE SO THANKFUL TO
BE HONORED ON THIS VETERANS DAY.
I'M ANITA BAFFONI, EYEWITNESS
PRACTICES.
(KK)
AMONG THE VETERAN'S DAY
CEREMONIES ACROSS THE AREA
TODAY...THERE WAS A WREATH
LAYING AT VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK
IN NORTH KINGSTOWN.
(MM)
IT'S A PARTICULARLY POIGNANT
PARK SINCE -----TWO OF THE
CASUALTIES FROM OPERATION IRAQI
FREEDOM WERE FROM THIS TOWN.
AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES, TODAY'S
CEREMONY-- EVEN MORE SPECIAL...
AS THIS PARK JUST RECENTLY
ESCAPED BECOMING A PARKING LOT.
(KK)
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER ERICA
RICCI EXPLAINS.
"the one thing he wanted to do
was bring all his soldiers home"
U-S ARMY CAPTAIN MATTHEW AUGUST.
"he was an officer, he could
have stayed behind, nope he was
out there on that humvee with
them"
SECOND LIEUTENANT MATTHEW COUTU.
BOTH JUST KIDS FROM NORTH
KINGSTOWN-- NOT EVEN 30 YEARS
OLD-- WHEN THEY WERE KILLED IN
ACTION IN 2004 AND 2005
RESPECTIVELY.
"it was the ultimate sacrifice
and hopefully it wasn't in vain"
"as much as it hurts, I know he
died doing what he wanted to do"
"you're not really dead until
you're forgotten"
AND THIS PARK OPPOSITE TOWN HALL
ON ROUTE 1-A WHERE THIS CEREMONY
WAS HELD MONDAY MORNING...
SERVES TO KEEP THEM-- AND ALL
THE OTHERS WHO DIED FOR
FREEDOM-- ALIVE.
BUT JUST LAST WEEK, IT'S FATE
HUNG IN THE BALANCE.
A PROPOSED TOWN HALL EXPANSION
PROJECT WAS ONE OF THE BALLOT
QUESTIONS FOR THE SPECIAL
ELECTION.
VOTERS HAD TO DECIDE WHETHER TO
APPROPRIATE BOND MONEY TO MAKE
THE BUILDING LARGER TO HOUSE ALL
TOWN OFFICES.
DOING SO, HOWEVER, WOULD LIKELY
HAVE MOVED THE PARKING LOT TO
WHERE THE VETERANS MEMORIAL
CURRENTLY SITS...
ON LAND DEEDED TO THE TOWN FOR
STRICTLY THIS PURPOSE.
MORE THAN HALF OF VOTERS TURNED
DOWN THE MEASURE.
"when we make a promise, we have
to stand behind that promise and
thsi park represents a promise
made by the town to remember"
"it really doesn't matter where
they are, as long as people know
what they're there for and they
continue to honor the memory of
those who served"
SO FOR NOW, THIS PART WILL
CONTINUE TO BE DEDICATED TO
THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND
PROTECTED OUR COUNTRY. AS FOR
TOWN HALL ACROSS THE STREET,
THAT FATE NOW RESTS BACK IN THE
HANDS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL. IN
NORTH KINGSTOWN, ERICA RICCI,