On Tuesday, Aaron Stone, who served in the Marine Corps, wore his own dog tag along with his grandfather’s. He served in the same branch as both his grandfather and his cousin.

So on Veterans Day, it was natural for him to bring his son Wesley to the Swampscott Senior Center for breakfast to share in the history and commemoration of the day. 

“It’s important to set a good foundation of these are the people who fought and died for our country,” Stone said. “It’s a proud moment I want to share with him.”

The Swampscott Senior Center hosted a breakfast to honor those who served the country on Veterans Day. The Swampscott Rotary funded the breakfast, and Grab and Bagel donated some food as well. Members of the ElderAct Club volunteered to set up, serve, and clean up the event.

“We try to do services for all. We turned the group around and said we want to do something for others…We try to do projects for people in need,” said President Linda Maffeo. “It’s rewarding to see.”

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day in 1919 to commemorate the end of World War I and became a federal holiday in 1938. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were more than 15.8 million veterans in 2023, most of whom were over the age of 50. This accounts for about 6.1% of the country’s population.

A Missing in Action (MIA) table stood at the entrance of the event.

“It’s symbolic that we never forget our fellow veterans missing in action,” said Jeffrey Blonder.

Cadets from the JROTC at Lynn English High School performed the Color Guard and gave a short presentation. Students from the Discovery Point Program made cards for the veterans, and American flag pins were handed out by the Military Friends Foundation.

“This is always such a wonderful event to come to each year,” said Sarah Sweeney, the executive director of the Military Friends Foundation.

Town Administrator Nick Connors and Select Board Member David Grishman made appearances. Grishman thanked the veterans for their service and shared how much they mean to Swampscott.

Raymond Harris attends the event each year to honor his daughter, Jennifer, who died in service. Jennifer, a Swampscott High School graduate, was the first female helicopter pilot from Massachusetts, Harris said. She had decided at just 7 years old that she wanted to fly.

“I wanted to be here,” Harris said. “I miss them all. The people here keep doing things for me. The town keeps helping out.”

Gino Spelta, who served in the Navy, said it’s “great to see my fellow veterans” during the breakfast.

He sat next to David Gustavsen, who served for 32 years in the Army Corps of Engineers, including a yearlong deployment to Vietnam.

“Being a veteran, it’s about showing appreciation to other veterans still serving and who have served,”  Gustavsen said.