St John’s invites veterans to a special service of remembrance
Veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces have been invited to attend a service of remembrance at St John’s at 9am on Sunday 8th November. As always, Veterans Day itself is on 11th November.
The invitation is accompanied by a personal message from St John’s Junior Warden Chris Cooper. Chris is a retired commander in the US Navy and will preach at the service.
He said, “It would mean a great deal to have you here. As a fellow veteran and submariner, I would be grateful to share this time with you, your family, and your friends, as we honor those who have served our nation and remember those we have lost.”
Another veteran, Frank Jenks, a member of St John’s vestry and retired Army officer, said, “Veterans, military personnel and retirees are invited to wear their authorized medals, awards, and decorations.”
Remembering those we’ve lost: the memorial to those from Niantic killed in war, and the annual Memorial Day parading of the colors on Niantic Green.
The hymns will include Eternal Father, Strong to Save, and the Battle Hymn of the Republic, and will be accompanied by a brass quartet.
Eternal Father, Strong to Save, written in 1860 by an English clergyman, William Whiting, was inspired by his own survival of a violent storm at sea. With its emotionally engaging lyrics and tune, and every stanza ending with the line “O hear us when we cry to Thee, for those in peril on the sea!,” it has long served as a traditional hymn for the US Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps.
The original lyrics of the Battle Hymn of the Republic were written by Julia Ward Howe in 1861. She was brought up in a family who were strictly observant members of what was then called the Protestant Episcopal Church, although she later joined a Unitarian church.
With a melody adapted from a traditional Methodist hymn, later to become a marching song as “John Brown’s Body” for Union troops during the Civil War, the hymns lyrics draw from apocalyptic passages from the Old Testament of the Bible. It has been sung on numerous historic occasions, such as the New Year’s Day service at Christ Episcopal Church in Virginia in 1942 attended by President Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, and a service of remembrance attended by the Queen and the American Ambassador William Farish at St Paul’s Cathedral in London three days after the attacks of 9/11, 2001.
The Stars and Stripes fly on the Niantic Boardwalk
The service will be reflective as well as stirring. Chris Cooper said, “I believe you will find among us a warm welcome, the comfort of fellowship, and a quiet place for remembrance and peace.”