Harvey Lafleur’s family cuts a ribbon to officially unveil and debut the Harvey Lafleur Veterans’ Hallway at the RiverMills Senior Center.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — Memorial Day is a time to remember those who lost their lives fighting for our country’s freedom. Chicopee observed that concept on May 23 with the Harvey Lafleur Veteran’s Hallway dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony inside the RiverMills Senior Center.
Lafleur’s family members, elected officials, veterans and residents gathered at the RiverMills Senior Center to learn about the project and see the unveiling.
The hallway was created as part of the Council on Aging’s collaboration with the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project.
The collaboration also included the Senior Center, Chicopee Veteran Services Department, ChicopeeTV and many community volunteers who helped record around 100 veterans and their stories. The recorded stories are housed at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and available online.
The 101st and final videotaping was just arranged. Council on Aging Assistant Director Holly Angelo highlighted stories that veterans shared including fighting in Normandy, fighting on D-Day, or the Korean War.
A message on the wall reads, “The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service.”
Angelo said this project was 22 years in the making after the first video was taped in 2003.
Although some of the veterans who shared their stories have since passed away, Angelo said, “their stories live on.”
On the veterans’ wall are men and women who served in the Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army, U.S. Coast Guard, USO and National Guard.
They served in various conflicts including World War ll, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War and Desert Storm.
“Some saw battle, some stayed stateside, but they have stories to tell of their service and all of their military jobs mattered. Many of them were just teenagers when they enlisted or were drafted having no idea what was in store for them,” Angelo said.
There have been many people involved with the project for the past two decades, but Angelo said Lafleur was involved from the beginning and stayed committed until its completion.
Lafleur was the first veteran videotaped for the project telling his story of his time as a combat medic in the U.S. during World War 2. He earned a bronze star for his heroic actions during World War II and the Battle of the Bulge.
Lafleur learned how to work the video camera and was a project video technician when needed and photographed and made individual frames for each veteran that was interviewed. The veterans’ photographs lined the hallway prior to its recent renovation.
He would take monthly trips to the RiverMills Senior Center and place black ribbons on the photo of the veteran who had passed away.
During Lafleur’s 100th birthday celebration in August 2023, he was surprised with a plaque that announced the Harvey Lafleur Veteran’s Hallway. Angelo said he was thrilled.
Unfortunately, Lafleur passed away a few weeks ago, three months shy of this 102nd birthday but Angelo said Lafleur was able to see pictures and video of the completed project and “he loved it.”
Angelo stated, “The Chicopee Council on Aging is blessed to have had him all these years. The veterans video project was just one of many projects he undertook here at the COA. Years from now, if someone asks me who was Harvey Lafleur, I’ll tell them he was a brave man who devoted himself to his family, his community and his country.”
Along with his late wife, Marjory (Ramsay) Lafleur, he helped raise funds for the construction of the Senior Center.
COA Executive Director Sherry Manyak, Veterans Services Director Stephanie Shaw, Mayor John Vieau, state Rep. Shirley Arriaga (D-Chicopee), state Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) and state Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) all shared some words about Lafleur, and the work Chicopee has done to remember its veterans.
The ceremony ended with a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil the veterans’ hallway and guests were invited to stay for cake and light refreshments.
