The Goffstown Edge

American Legion Post 16 Baseball News

The American Legion Post 16 Baseball Team will hold a short Parents Meeting on Saturday, 28 January, 3pm at the Masonic Hall in Goffstown. All current and future parents interested in learning more are invited. Post 16’s American Legion Baseball program is looking forward to a great 2012 season. Parents will have a chance to meet with your coaches and Post 16’s Baseball Committee for organizing in our upcoming season. For more information, please call Mike Pelletier at 660-3440 or by email mikpel@hotmail.com
 
Thanks,
Alex MacNeil
Post 16 Adjutant

CharteFamilyThe Corporal Philip G.E. Charte Memorial Dedication

The Corporal Philip G.E. Charte Memorial Dedication took place on Saturday in Goffstown in front of a somber crowd of family and friends.  “We are very proud and we miss him,” Charte’s father, Philip Vincent Charte, said quietly before the service.  “He was doing what he wanted to do, protecting his country.  But it’s hard.”  Charte’s uncle, Bill Charte, went on to comment about the memorial, “We are very touched that they are honoring Philip in this manner.  It’s been a long time since the U.S. has honored their soldiers.”
The crowded dedication included members of the American Legion Post 16, the Goffstown Lions Club, the Catholic War Veterans of NH, active duty Marines, the Patriot Guard, and Goffstown Selectmen Scott Gross, Dave Pierce, Steve Fournier and Nick Campasano.  Also among the guests was Corporal Charte’s closest friend, Goffstown native Josh Rouille, who said, “It’s really great to see such a small knit community come together in such an important way.”
The Charte Memorial consists of a flagpole within the traffic circle at the intersection of Mast and Wallace Roads near Goffstown High School where Phil graduated in 2007.  An American Flag flies 24/7/365 and is maintained by members of the American Legion Family of Post 16, Goffstown.  The Colors are illuminated at night according to the US Flag code by low voltage ground lighting.  The Garden Club of Goffstown will maintain the shrubbery and decorative plantings within the circle.  Along the sidewalk adjacent to the circle (southeast side nearest Goffstown High School) is a bronze plaque with Phil’s name and the details of his accomplishments as a State Champion Wrestler as well as his service to our nation as a United States Marine. The plaque is mounted along the walkway that many GHS students take to school each day.  GHS Principal Frank McBride was pleased with the location of the memorial plaque.  “It is a nice way to remember Phil and keep him in our memory.”
Also in tribute to Corporal Charte is an annual scholarship at GHS which is awarded through a competitive process overseen by 4 members of American Legion Post 16 and 2 members of the GHS staff.  Because of Phil’s competitive nature and his success as a student-athlete, this $1000 annual award is now presented each year to one graduating male and one graduating female student-athlete who have distinguished themselves athletically, and are continuing on to post secondary education. The winners are announced on Awards Night by an American Legion member who served on the selection committee.
The “Corporal Philip Charte, USMC Memorial Fund” was established with an initial donation from Kent H. Nolan, Commander of American Legion Post 16 of Goffstown and his wife Lisa, Historian of the Post 16 Legion Auxiliary, in September of 2010 shortly after Phil was killed during combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.  Nolan offered a testament to Corporal Charte, “Philip was a fine young man who left a lasting impression on everyone he met while he was with us in Goffstown. We will remember Philip as the leader, the teammate, the champion and the friend.”

Top Photo: Charte Family
From left Chris Charte, Uncle; Karen Charte, Aunt; Amber Charte, cousin; Jaret Charte, cousin; Bill Charte, Uncle; Phil Charte, Father, and wife, Barbara; Maternal Grandmother Pat Charte; Josh Rouille, best friend; Joyce Dupont, step mother; Kelsey Charte, cousin

Goffstown Veterans Tree

Thanks to Dave Suitor for sharing these lovely pictures of the Goffstown Veterans Tree, on the lawn in front of the Town Hall. Please continue to add your Gold, Blue and Black stars through the holidays.

Goffstown Veterans Tree

American Legion Holiday Open House in Goffstown

American Legion Post #16 and the Ladies Auxiliary of Goffstown invite you to come to an Open House on Saturday, December 3, from 11am until 3pm at 15 Mountain Road in Goffstown.  There will be craft tables set up with make-it and take-it items.  All are welcome.

Goffstown Salutes Service Members and Their Families

Military families, there is a new way to honor your loved ones this holiday season, the Gold Star Tree at Goffstown’s Town Hall.  The Gold Star Mothers, in conjunction with the Pinardville and Goffstown Lions clubs, are lighting a special tree at Town Hall.  The tree will be decorated with red, white, and blue lights, plus with special stars to name those in the area who have served, been injured, or who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  Blue stars will represent those who are deployed or who have served in the military.  Red stars represent those wounded while on active duty.  Gold stars are for those who died as a result of combat.  Stars are available at Goffstown Town Hall, Goffstown Public Library, and King Bowling Lanes, and anyone may fill one out in honor of a loved one.  The stars will be placed on the tree throughout the month of December.

The tree will be lit on Friday, December 2, at 6:15 p.m. as part of the Goffstown Main Street Program’s Friday Night Under the Lights holiday event.  Also during the event, the Wesley Wyman American Legion Post #16 will hold a Wreaths of Remembrance Ceremony at 5:45 p.m. on the Town Common.  All are invited to attend both ceremonies.

For more information about the Gold Star Tree, please contact Jill at 384-1263.  For details on Friday Night Under the Lights, please visit goffstownmainstreet.org, email info@goffstownmainstreet.org, or call 497-9933.

Goffstown American Legion Open House

The American Legion Post 16 and Ladies Auxiliary of Goffstown invite you to come to our Open House on Saturday, December 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are located at 15 Mountain Road in Goffstown. 
    We will be having fun craft tables set up with “Make It and Take It” items.  Feel free to bring the whole family.
    Come on down and see what the American Legion does for our community.  We look forward to meeting you.

American Legion Auxiliary To Hold Fall Festival

The Goffstown American Legion Women’s Auxiliary will present its first Fall Festival and Yard Sale on Saturday, September 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine.  It will take place behind the Masonic Lodge on Mountain Road in Goffstown.

Along with the yard sale, there will be raffles, a puppet show, a bake sale and face painting.  Also there will be story telling for the kids at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy the first event of the fall. 

Come and help support the American Legion Auxiliary, whose members are supporting our troops – past, present and future.

Contact:  Marie Boyle, 7 Carr Court, Goffstown, NH 03045
         spirook@comcast.net        497-2135

100 Nights of Remembrance at NH State Veterans Cemetery

At the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen, a large crowd gathered on Sunday, September 11, for the closing ceremony of the 100 Nights of Remembrance, a special program that has run since Memorial Day.  The patriotic idea originated with Noel Taylor, a member of the Catholic War Veterans of NH and the Muchachos Drum and Bugle Corp.

Taylor’s plan was simple.  Find a bugler willing to visit the cemetery and play taps.  But to find 100 buglers who would travel all the way to Boscawen, 100 nights in a row, and then accompany that bugler with another bugler who would send back the echo, that looked to be insurmountable.

Enter NH Union Leader Columnist John Clayton, who took up Taylor’s call and published a story mentioning the 100 Nights of Remembrance project.  According to Taylor, “Suddenly the phone is ringing off the hook!  People from all over NH who wanted to participate, all volunteering to play Taps.”  Suddenly the 100 Nights of Remembrance took on a life of it’s own, stretching throughout the four corners of the state, from the mountains to the beaches.

“The 100 Nights of remembrance is an organization made up of volunteers from all walks of life.  Players range from business professionals to laborers, young and old, male or female, students to retirees, former military to active duty and many more.  All have come together with a common goal which is to show respect and honor for all Americans who have sacrificed and served our country honorably in any branch of the United States Armed Forces.”

Taylor mentioned one of those players in his talk to the assembled guests on Sunday.  A young girl who had been denied the opportunity to play taps for her Grandfather at his funeral approached the organization with the hope that she could fulfill her wish at the NH Veterans Cemetery.  Arriving with her whole family, she played a flawless Taps, to which Taylor says, “I had the extreme honor to be her echo.”

The 100 Nights of Remembrance opened on Memorial Day, and held it’s Closing Ceremony on Sunday, September 11, 2011.  Among the many participants were the Patriot Guard Riders, United States Joint Services Color Guard, Bravo Co. U.S. Marine Corps, N.H. State Police Color Guard, N.H. Fire Departments Color Guards, The Catholic War Veteran Color Guard, American Legion Color Guards, Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard, The Marine Corps League Honor Guard, The 5th New Hampshire Volunteers, NH Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, NH Division Civil Air Patrol Honor Guards, NH Navy Sea Cadets Corps, Boy Scouts of America D. W. Council, Girl Scouts of America, The Muchachos “A Line” and the 2011 Knights.

Entertaining the guests prior to the opening remarks were sisters Kacia and Morgan King, who presented a Patriotic Medley recognizable to the assembled audience.

The ceremony opened with a 21 Gun Salute offered by the US Army and US Air Force Firing Details and the 5th NH Volunteers.  The procession was led by the Patriotic Guard Riders who arrived on their motorcycles with flags flying.  It was a sight to see, each Color Guard marching in lock step, row after row stretching back throughout the cemetery, uniforms pressed and shoes shining, all white gloves and shining brass.  There was barely a dry eye wherever you looked, as the crowd rose to it’s feet in honor.

  Master of Ceremony Gary D. Cloutier, Chaplin at the Wesley Wyman American Legion Post 16 in Goffstown, did a remarkable job of keeping the program moving and making sure each Guard was mentioned by name as they marched into the circle.

The Invocation was led by Raymond LaPointe, Chaplain of the American Legion Department of NH.  Opening Remarks were offered by Mike Horne, the Director of the NH State Veterans Cemetery.  The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts led the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Muchachos led the National Anthem.

General Carolyn Protzmann, the NH Deputy Adjutant General, was the Honored Guest Speaker.  “9/11 was a life changing event, but we did not surrender,” she said, going on to speak directly to the gathered families, explaining that, “On every headstone there’s a number, then a dash, then a number.  It is in the ‘dash’ where lives are lived.”

The final Taps was offered by the 100 Knights, and the Benediction by Raymond LaPointe, Post 1755 Commander of the Catholic War Veterans of NH.

Goffstown Wyman Post #16 BBQ Chix Dinner