Spring Break
Rain doesn't dampen Veterans' Day celebration
David Tsang
Issue date: 11/12/03 Section: News
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Observers at the event gathered in remembrance and recognition of military service men from past to present. The crowd joined people dressed in colonial clothing who represented the original 19th Connecticut Regiment with Army and Air Force ROTC cadets and military veterans who were also present at the event. After the military representatives of each major military branch marched to the center of the crowd and posted each of their respective flag colors, the crowd stood to a clarinet rendition of the National Anthem.
The first speaker at the event was current Army 1st Lt. Lorren Pogson, who had served in the recent conflict in Iraq. Pogson, a Farmington native who graduated from UConn in 2001 spoke about her military training in "Chemical Corps" before she was stationed in Kuwait. She jokingly confessed that she was more used to driving around Iraq in a convoy than to speaking in front of a big crowd.
Pogson told the crowd about her experiences being stationed in Kuwait and Iraq earlier in the year.
"We wore masks all day long during the first days of the war with scuds found around the nearby area," Pogson said.
Pogson also said it was an amazing sight as her unit drove up through Iraq because they had no idea what to expect. She said they expected the worst and always had their weapons ready.
"We had combat teams in front of us during a few ambushes and were shot at a few times, but the sign of Iraqis waving at us and telling us they loved us for being there to help them ranged from people who were from age 2 to 70," Pogson said. "Day-to-day life was all right. I worked as a battle captain and tracked all our missions and missions of other units to relay information to plan properly for the missions. It was hot as hell, I slept during the day and did a lot of my work at night."
Pogson who is still stationed in Germany, said she came back specifically to speak to at the Veterans Day event and to talk to ROTC cadets about life in the army.
"My unit is still stationed in parts of Iraq and I have to go back to Germany after this event," Pogson said.