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Jamie Lee Thurston to play at scholarship fundraiser
The Jesse Strong Patriots Day Benefit will return to Irasburg on Saturday, September 27, bringing the community together to honor the memory of two fallen service members and pay tribute to all local first responders.
The event will remember Marine Sgt. Jesse Strong of East Albany, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agent David “Chris” Maland, who was killed while on duty in Coventry earlier this year. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Sgt. Strong’s death.
First held in 2019, the benefit was established to celebrate Strong’s life and legacy. Strong, the son of Rev. Nathan and former Rep. Vicki Strong, was killed trying to deter militants from disrupting Iraq’s first post-Sadaam democratic election.
This year’s gathering will also honor Maland, as well as area police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and Customs and Border Patrol personnel.
Country music singer Thurston was raised in Waterbury and performed with his father starting at age 15. After moving to Los Angeles, California, he moved again to Nashville, Tennessee in 1999, where he now lives as a full-time touring and recording artist.
Organizers describe the event as a day of remembrance, unity, pride, and community spirit. It will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. at the Creek Hill Barn, 2527 Creek Road in Irasburg.
The six-hour program will feature live music, including Thurston and local favorites Raized On Radio as the opening act. Food vendors, a gun raffle, 50/50 drawing, silent auction, and free onsite camping will also be offered.
Proceeds will benefit the Jesse Strong Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides grants to college students. Tickets are available for a $20 donation online at http://www.JesseStrong.com or at the door.
For more information, contact organizer Ryan Dufresne at 802-262-5307 or ryanjdufresne@gmail.com.
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Categories: Community Events
“Strong, the son of Rev. Nathan and former Rep. Vicki Strong, was killed trying to deter militants from disrupting Iraq’s first post-Saddam democratic election.”
I wrote this poem (published in the Newport Daily Express) in honor of Jesse. Let’s preserve his legacy by holding free and fair elections in our own country, with PAPER BALLOTS, VOTER ID, and NO CHEATING (or floods of advertising money from dubious sources). Let’s honor David Maland by acknowledging that living in America is a privilege, not a right.
ON MEMORIAL DAY
By Ellin Anderson
Among the flowers where he lay,
In soil where fallen tears abide,
I pondered those who would betray
The things for which he died:
A banner bright with stars and bands;
The day when — as our sacred choice —
We hail the Chief, with all our hands,
And choose him with one voice.
The lonely western chaparral
Whose knights own all that they can see,
From castled grassland to corral,
Is granted full equality
With citadels where folks know ease,
Or toil in streets where power sits:
A rainbow of diversities
Whose many-threaded glory knits
The strength that calls us out to fight,
And when that struggle ends in pain,
Who brays, and from what lofty height,
That countless heroes died in vain?
you should be Vermont Poet Laureate, Ellin
Guy, thank you for your kind words.
Jesse was a hero. His death crushed the NEK community at the time. It is a wonderful tribute to him, to the Strong family, and to all of our military and police that he is still remembered and honored! God bless Vicki Strong and her family.
Amen, John!
God bless you, Vicki, and your family! Thank you, Vicki, for your years of courageous and selfless service in the midst of such hostile territory. God honors all the sacrifices you and your family have made, and none of it is wasted or forgotten.