Veterans Day is “a day to honor all who served in wartime or peacetime,” Stoughton’s Veterans Agent Mike Pazyra told a crowd of spectators at Town Hall during Friday’s Veterans Day Parade. “It’s largely a day to honor living veterans.”

And on Friday, Stoughton honored its quintessential veteran—Charlie Large.

“Every community has a veteran who’s the well-known veteran in the community,” Pazyra told the crowd.

In Stoughton, “Charlie is that guy,” Pazyra said, noting the World War II veteran is “Stoughton’s face of the greatest generation.”

Large, who has been battling health problems as of late, was present for Friday’s parade to announce the roll call of Stoughton’s fallen soldiers.

Large was also honored at the Town Hall ceremony, receiving citations or proclamations from the Massachusetts State Senate, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, and from the Town of Stoughton.

These citations and proclamations recognized Large for his “extraordinary service” to both the country and the town, and for his “duty, bravery and sense of sacrifice.”

A veteran of the Navy in WWII, Large was also a longtime employee of the Stoughton Fire Department, a longtime town meeting representative, and a longtime supporter of veterans in the town.

“I’d like to thank every single one of you for coming out to thank your veterans,” Large told the crowd at Town Hall on Friday. Prior to announcing the roll call of fallen servicemen, Large said, “[We’re] not only honoring a man or woman who has given their all for the town, but you’re [also] honoring a family.”

The parade, which started Friday morning at the VFW Post on Washington St. and ended at the same spot about 90 minutes later, went through the downtown and included stops at Town Hall and Faxon Park for two ceremonies.  

The Stoughton High Marching Band and Color Guard performed and marched in the parade.

The Stoughton Police and Fire Departments were well represented, as were various veterans groups in towns. Selectmen John Stagnone, John Anderson, John Anzivino and Cynthia Walsh were present as were Town Manager Francis T. Crimmins, Jr., Town Moderator Howard Hansen and Stoughton’s two representatives in the Massachusetts House of Representatives—William C. Galvin (D-Canton) and Louis L. Kafka (D-Stoughton).

Rep. Galvin told the crowd at Town Hall that it was important to take care of the veterans returning home from war.

“We—the Federal Government, the state and local government have to be prepared to take care of new veterans coming home.”

Galvin said to “remember the men and women still over there [in the Middle East] and hope they come home safe.”

Take a look at the media gallery (above) for pictures from Friday’s Veterans’ Day Parade.

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