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Annual PAV Communion Breakfast set for Sunday, Feb. 6th |
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Colonel Henry J. Cyr, Jr. USAF (ret.) is featured speaker |
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January 31, 2005 – Col. Henry L. Cyr, Jr. (USAF-ret.), the Senior Aerospace Science Instructor at Worcester’s Burncoat High and 26 year veteran of the Air Force will be the principal speaker at the Webster-Dudley Polish American Veterans Communion Breakfast on Sunday, February 6th. In addition to his remarks, a detachment of the Colonel’s Burncoat High Air Force Junior Reserve Cadets will present the colors and conduct a very moving ceremony to honor POW-MIA’s from the five branches of the armed forces. The breakfast will be held at the PAV headquarters on Ray Street, opposite the former Massachusetts National Guard Armory beginning at approximately 9:30 AM. Before the breakfast members of the PAV and Auxiliary will attend 8:15AM Mass at St. Andrew Bobola Church in Dudley. Tickets may be obtained at the Post or from members of the PAV and Auxiliary prior to the event. During his 26 years of active duty, Colonel Cyr’s assignments included Combat Operations Staff in the Pentagon during the Gulf War, Director of Cadet Personnel at the U. S. Air Force Academy in Colorado and Chief of Military Personnel for Turkey during the Iran hostage crisis. He also served in command three times, with all three organizations earning the Air Force Unit Award. Col. Cyr, who retired from active duty in 1994, is the founding officer of the Junior ROTC program at Burncoat High School. In 1996 and again in 1998, Col. Cyr was recognized by the Air Force as one of the Outstanding JROTC Instructors in the United States. In 1997, he was presented the Silver Citizenship Medal by the Col. William Henshaw Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. In May 2000, Col. Cyr received the Award of Merit, the highest award presented by the Armed Forces Committee of Worcester County. In November 2001, Col. Cyr was honored by the Education Association of Worcester and WTAG Radio as Worcester’s “Teacher of the Month.” In May 2003, he was chosen “Citizen of the Year” by the Vernon Hill American Legion Post of Worcester. Col. Cyr is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and earned a Master’s Degree from Assumption College and a second Master’s Degree from the State University of New York. He is also a graduate of Squadron Officer’s School, the Air Command and Staff College and was an “Outstanding Graduate” of the Air War College. He and his wife, the former Geraldine Francis, are residents of Grafton. They have three children and six grandchildren. Both Col. Cyr and his wife attended Hopedale High School with Senator Moore who arranged for the Colonel’s appearance at this year’s breakfast and who will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Air Force JROTC’s overall objectives are to develop an appreciation for the basic elements and requirements for national security; to respect and understand the need for constituted authority in a democratic society; to develop a sense of patriotism and an understand of each citizen’s personal obligation to contribute toward national security; to acquire a broad based knowledge of the aerospace age and the fundamentals of aerospace doctrine; to instill an interest in completing high school and pursuing higher educational goals, and to develop an interest in the Air Force as a possible career option. AFJROTC is a program which helps today’s high school student become tomorrow’s aerospace-age citizen. The curriculum integrates social sciences and physical sciences through their application to aerospace. This year’s course will explore the heritage of flight, development of airpower, and military aerospace. Leadership concepts include elements of good followership, personal development skills, and health awareness. The PAV Communion Breakfast has featured a number of outstanding speakers throughout its history. Previous speakers include: Bishops Timothy J. Harrington and George Rueger; Congressman Richard Neal; State Rep. Kenneth M. Lemanski (D-Chicopee); Col. Richard Kattar, Commandant of Ft. Devens; Col. Frank Baran of the Massachusetts National Guard; Thomas Cullen, Executive Director of the Governor's Alliance Against Drugs; State Rep. Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge); former Nichols President Lowell Smith; current Nichols College President Debra Murphy; former Assumption Basketball Coach Joe O'Brien, Executive Director of the Basketball Hall of Fame; Massachusetts Adjutant General Wayne Wagner; Worcester State College Basketball Coach Tom Moore; Al Gammal, Region I Mitigation Director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency; State Rep. Paul Kujawski; Viet Nam Vet and Author Frank Grzyb; State Public Safety Secretary James Jajuga, and Major Wayne Seelig (USAF-ret.) who heads the JROTC program at Bartlett High School. |
