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From breakfasts and ceremonies to live music and fund-raisers, Marblehead will mark Veterans Day 2025 with a full week of events honoring local veterans and their families.
Veterans Agent Roseann Trionfi-Mazzuchelli said this year’s schedule reflects both tradition and community spirit.
“It’s about connection,” she said in her announcement. “Hopefully, we’ll see each other at one of these events.”
Friday, Nov. 7 — Veterans breakfast at the Council on Aging
The Council on Aging will host its annual veterans breakfast at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St. The event is open to all veterans and family members and serves as a warm kickoff to the week’s commemorations. Veterans Services staff and community leaders will greet guests, and light refreshments will be provided.
Saturday, Nov. 8 — Fund-raiser for the New England Home for Veterans
The Marblehead VFW Post 2005, 321 West Shore Drive, will host a fund-raiser for the New England Home for Veterans on Saturday, Nov. 8. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the event is open to the public. Proceeds will support programs for veterans facing homelessness and hardship. The evening will include music, raffles and refreshments.
Monday, Nov. 10 — Congressman Moulton’s veterans town talk
Marine Corps veteran and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton will host his next veterans town talk on Monday, Nov. 10, at 6:30 p.m. in Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St. Moulton revived the tradition he began in 2015 to provide a space where veterans can share their stories of pride, service and sacrifice while nonveterans listen and learn.
“The forum gives veterans an opportunity to speak and be heard,” Moulton wrote in his letter to the Select Board. “It’s about building understanding between veterans and the communities they served.”
Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Veterans Day ceremony at Abbot Hall
Marblehead’s official Veterans Day ceremony will take place Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. in Abbot Hall. The program will include opening remarks by Trionfi-Mazzuchelli, prayers from VFW Chaplain James Full and a musical program by the Marblehead Chorus, directed by Colleen Inglis. The chorus will perform “America the Beautiful,” “The National Anthem” and “Marblehead Forever.”
Select Board Chair Moses Grader will read the governor’s Veterans Day proclamation, followed by the introduction of keynote speaker Thomas Mathers, a Marblehead resident and Gulf War veteran. A graduate of West Point and a former Apache helicopter platoon leader, Mathers served as a U.S. Army captain during Operation Desert Storm and now serves on the Department of Veterans Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses.
“I think a town like Marblehead does best when it remembers who its veterans are,” Mathers said. “Banners, names, faces — those reminders breed respect in the next generation.”
The ceremony will also include a presentation of the Medal of Fidelity by Dave Rodgers, the reading of the honor roll and a moment of silence. John Collins will perform “Taps.” Shuttle service for attendees will be provided by the Council on Aging.
Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Wreaths Across America event at The Beacon
Later that day, The Beacon Restaurant & Bar, 123 Pleasant St., will host its annual Veterans Day event to benefit Wreaths Across America. Dinner reservations begin at 4 p.m., with live music, a silent auction and raffle at 7:30 p.m. and remarks by guest speaker Capt. Peter Merry (U.S. Marine Corps, 1967–1971).
Veterans dining at The Beacon will receive a free appetizer with their entrée, and wreath donations can be made on site or via QR code. Each $17 wreath sponsorship includes one raffle ticket. Proceeds will help fund the placement of holiday wreaths on the graves of every veteran buried in Marblehead cemeteries this December. Reservations can be made at thebeaconmarblehead.com.
“This is our third year doing this,” said resident Emily DeJoy. “It’s another way to honor veterans while raising funds to make sure no grave goes without a wreath.”
Wednesday, Nov. 12 — “Burgers for Marblehead Vets” in Reading
Rounding out the week, Fuddruckers in Reading, located inside Jordan’s Furniture off Route 128 (Exit 39), will host “Burgers for Marblehead Vets” from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The restaurant will donate 20% of total meal sales to the Marblehead Veterans Donation Fund for customers who present the event flier. The fund provides local veterans and families with necessities, gift cards and financial assistance. Fliers are available through the Veterans Services Office at 781-631-0990 or RoseannM@MarbleheadMA.gov.
Community efforts continue
Trionfi-Mazzuchelli said that these events, large and small, form part of a larger fabric of remembrance. In addition to formal ceremonies, Marblehead’s Wreaths Across America team, coordinated by Kim and Emily DeJoy, is partnering with local schools on a wreath-sponsorship challenge. Each $17 donation covers one wreath, with the goal of funding more than 2,500 wreaths — enough to honor every veteran resting in Waterside Cemetery, Old Burial Hill and other town burial grounds.
For information about any event, or to obtain the Fuddruckers flier, contact the Marblehead Veterans Services Office at 781-631-0990 or visit Abbot Hall, 188 Washington St.
