Danbury is holding a ceremony this morning in commemoration of the 71st anniversary of the end of WWII.  It's at 10am at the Rose Garden on Memorial Drive, sponsored by the Danbury Council of Veterans and hosted by Catholic War Veterans Post 1042.

City Council Minority Leader Tom Saadi, an Army Reserve Captain, says these ceremonies about memorializing the dead are also about never forgetting those still with us today. 

As part of the ceremony the names of those Danbury WWII Veterans who have passed away during the previous year will be read. Also at the ceremony all WWII Veterans in attendance will be recognized by name.  More than 80 living WWII veterans were honored in Danbury last year with certificates of recognition from federal, state and local governments.

Saadi says with each passing year, as the Veterans are near or greater than 90 years of age, it is all the more important to also recognize the living Veterans of the Greatest Generation.  He says it is they who triumphed over Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan ensuring the freedom of this Nation and hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Saadi says what they found last year is that there is still a large number of WWII veterans in the Greater Danbury area.  He says that's a testament to how many seniors served during WWII.  Well over 12 million Americans served during that time, when the population was significantly smaller than it is today.  He says veteran posts in this area are also very active.

Saadi works with the Commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs, who war and peace time veterans serve their communities in civic and charitable organization or boards and commissions at a higher percentage than the general population.  Saadi says many come back and serve in a civilian capacity and are active members of the community.