Today is Veterans Day November 11, 2016 and the US flags are out on the Avenue of Flags in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Winchendon, as they were out one other day of the year, Memorial Day, every year since this cemetery was dedicated in the spring of 2005, with Governor Mitt Romney, The Grout Family, and other dignitaries present. The flags were at half staff on Veterans Day, until 11 am, when they were raised to full staff.

At each committal service at MVMC Winchendon from 2005 to 2014, retired Cemetery Manager James Brehio welcomed the family and friends of the deceased in attendance with the following, "Welcome to the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery Winchendon where every day is Veterans Day". Current Cemetery Manager, Claude Poirier, continues this tradition by concluding his welcoming introduction with "...where we strive to make every day Veterans Day."

Charles E. Grout (World War II US Army Air Corps Veteran in the South Pacific), Veterans Agent for the Town of Winchendon for many years and 3 other area towns, saw the immediate need for increased burial space for our Veterans, first for America's Greatest Generation, our World War II Veterans, and then for our country's subsequent wars and conflicts, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., and for those who served in our US military during peacetime. Charlie found out about Commonwealth of Massachusetts Veterans Department plans and US Veterans Administration plans to increase cemetery space for US Veterans. Massachusetts only had the National Cemetery at Otis Air Force Base/Camp Edwards on Cape Cod at the time, The Massachusetts National Cemetery, (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Cemetery), located in Bourne, on Cape Cod.

It was determined that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts needed at a minimum, one state veterans cemetery for Central Massachusetts and one for Western Massachusetts, and that the National Cemetery at Bourne would serve Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands.

The first state veterans cemetery in Western Massachusetts became The Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, in Agawam, which opened in May 2001.

Charlie went to work to apply for the Central Massachusetts state veterans cemetery. Charlie was well connected with local elected officials as his office was in Town Hall. He had been the elected Town Moderator for many years. Charlie knew our local state representative, state senator, and US Congressman at the time, personally. Charlie served in every office, at least once and several many times, at the local American Legion - Eugene M. Connor Post 193 and also in the Worcester County American Legion organization, including County Commander.

Why did Charlie do this?

While serving in the South Pacific, during WWII, he prayed to a Supreme Being, "that if he ever got out of that hell hole alive, he would serve the veterans until the day he died". And that he did.

How did Charlie secure the location in Winchendon of the state's veterans cemetery for Central Massachusetts?

Charlie submitted an article to the Town Warrant for an Annual Town Meeting, that the Town of Winchendon donate land from the Town Forest to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for the purposes of a State Veteran's Cemetery. With that accomplished, Winchendon was selected as the site for the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Winchendon.

Charlie's health was on the decline at the time of the official groundbreaking ceremony. Unfortunately, he passed away September 20, 2003 before MVMC - Winchendon was completed late in the fall of 2004.

Charles E. Grout was temporarily interred in his parish cemetery, Calvary Cemetery in Winchendon, until November 2004 when in a private event, Charlie was removed from Calvary Cemetery to be the first inground burial at Section 3 Row C Site 86, closest to the flag poll.

Charlie was a veteran's Veteran.

to be continued

Today is Veterans Day November 11, 2016 and the US flags are out on the Avenue of Flags in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Winchendon, as they were out one other day of the year, Memorial Day, every year since this cemetery was dedicated in the spring of 2005, with Governor Mitt Romney, The Grout Family, and other dignitaries present. The flags were at half staff on Veterans Day, until 11 am, when they were raised to full staff.

At each committal service at MVMC Winchendon from 2005 to 2014, retired Cemetery Manager James Brehio welcomed the family and friends of the deceased in attendance with the following, "Welcome to the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery Winchendon where every day is Veterans Day". Current Cemetery Manager, Claude Poirier, continues this tradition by concluding his welcoming introduction with "...where we strive to make every day Veterans Day."

Charles E. Grout (World War II US Army Air Corps Veteran in the South Pacific), Veterans Agent for the Town of Winchendon for many years and 3 other area towns, saw the immediate need for increased burial space for our Veterans, first for America's Greatest Generation, our World War II Veterans, and then for our country's subsequent wars and conflicts, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., and for those who served in our US military during peacetime. Charlie found out about Commonwealth of Massachusetts Veterans Department plans and US Veterans Administration plans to increase cemetery space for US Veterans. Massachusetts only had the National Cemetery at Otis Air Force Base/Camp Edwards on Cape Cod at the time, The Massachusetts National Cemetery, (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Cemetery), located in Bourne, on Cape Cod.

It was determined that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts needed at a minimum, one state veterans cemetery for Central Massachusetts and one for Western Massachusetts, and that the National Cemetery at Bourne would serve Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands.

The first state veterans cemetery in Western Massachusetts became The Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, in Agawam, which opened in May 2001.

Charlie went to work to apply for the Central Massachusetts state veterans cemetery. Charlie was well connected with local elected officials as his office was in Town Hall. He had been the elected Town Moderator for many years. Charlie knew our local state representative, state senator, and US Congressman at the time, personally. Charlie served in every office, at least once and several many times, at the local American Legion - Eugene M. Connor Post 193 and also in the Worcester County American Legion organization, including County Commander.

Why did Charlie do this?

While serving in the South Pacific, during WWII, he prayed to a Supreme Being, "that if he ever got out of that hell hole alive, he would serve the veterans until the day he died". And that he did.

How did Charlie secure the location in Winchendon of the state's veterans cemetery for Central Massachusetts?

Charlie submitted an article to the Town Warrant for an Annual Town Meeting, that the Town of Winchendon donate land from the Town Forest to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for the purposes of a State Veteran's Cemetery. With that accomplished, Winchendon was selected as the site for the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Winchendon.

Charlie's health was on the decline at the time of the official groundbreaking ceremony. Unfortunately, he passed away September 20, 2003 before MVMC - Winchendon was completed late in the fall of 2004.

Charles E. Grout was temporarily interred in his parish cemetery, Calvary Cemetery in Winchendon, until November 2004 when in a private event, Charlie was removed from Calvary Cemetery to be the first inground burial at Section 3 Row C Site 86, closest to the flag poll.

Charlie was a veteran's Veteran.

to be continued