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On Monday of this week, military families wearing yellow roses and blazers in honor of loved ones who died protecting their country found consolation this holiday season from state lawmakers and officials who expressed poignant appreciation and ongoing support for veterans.
Standing near a Christmas tree decorated with photographs of fallen service members, Massachusetts Gold Star families -- including spouses, parents and young children -- recited the names of their departed relatives.
The father of U.S. Air Force member Jacob Galliher, the 24-year-old Pittsfield native who died in an aircraft crash off Japan on Nov. 29, read his son's name during the annual ceremony as Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Veterans' Services Secretary Jon Santiago, Senate President Karen Spilka and other elected officials listened to the lengthy list of remembrances.
Healey said she had met with the Galliher family alongside her partner Joanna Lydgate, Driscoll and Santiago. She described the family as "folks who did not wish to join this club, but did indeed receive that knock on the door letting them know that their son, their brother, Jake Galliher was killed."
"To the members of the family of Air Force Staff Sgt. Galliher, we welcome you with love and open arms to the State House," Healey said. She added that Galliher served "so admirably."
"He represents the very best, not only of Massachusetts, but of this nation, and we honor his memory and their memories today and always," the governor said.
Galliher's father, Jon, stood teary-eyed in Memorial Hall as the ceremony concluded. He said he was joined by about eight family members and close friends of his son.
"I have to face the fact that he's gone, and that's like the first time I've ever done that so far. And it's really hard," Jon Galliher told the News Service. "Just hopefully people don't forget him."
Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, said he was in the awe of the ceremony. The Gold Star community underscores the meaning of sacrifice, Keefe said, as he reflected on Americans who forget the cost of defending the Constitution and the United States.
"And those that we lost, it's important that folks see the gold sweaters and the gold roses, and they see the names and faces on this tree because that is what is important -- it is the fact that the sacrifice your family members have made have allowed this country to be the greatest nation in the world," Keefe said. "God bless you, and I hope your holidays are filled with nothing but great memories of your loved ones."
Driscoll, the daughter of a Navy veteran, said that "nothing can compare to what our Gold Star families experience."
"This holiday season, we honor you," Driscoll said. "We recognize the sacrifices that you have made, your families have undertaken. And everyday, we listen and we support you in whatever way we can. That's something that Governor Healey, Secretary Santiago and our entire administration is committed to as a priority."
Spilka recalled how her father, a World War II veteran who liberated a concentration camp, sustained psychological trauma that went untreated. Spilka said her father's so-called shell shock, which today would be known as post-traumatic stress disorder, led to "devastating" long-term consequences for her family.
"I know I can't take away the pain of some of the service members that we lost to mental health struggles and their families, and I can say I share that pain with you," Spilka said. "But I am determined, along with the veteran senators that are here, Sen. Velis, Sen. Rush, Sen. Cronin, the veterans of the House, the administration, I am determined to do everything we can as a commonwealth to support both the mental and physical health of our active military members, veterans and their families who are still with us."
