It’s an honor to know your name will live in the permanent record of this celebration”

Dick Devault

Dick Devault does not expect many surprises during his tour as 2025 Bristol Fourth of July chief marshal. When it comes to the Fourth in Bristol, the retired Navy captain has pretty much seen it all.

Since he joined the Bristol Fourth of July Committee more than 20 years ago, Devault has poured his time and energy into the nation’s oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration. He was the committee’s general chairman in 2012 and 2013. He was the celebration’s Patriotic Speaker in 2018. He was the Hattie Brown Award winner, recognized for his philanthropy and contributions to the community, in 2021. And whether he was in the spotlight or not, he has been a regular at most Fourth events, celebrations and milestones for more than two decades.

Still, though he has pretty much seen it all before, he wasn’t expecting the chief marshal invitation when current Fourth of July Committee General Chairwoman Camille Teixeira approached him after a meeting back in December. Devault had shown up very late and missed most of the meeting, held at the Bristol Recreation Center.

Afterward, Teixeira approached and asked to speak with him. “I thought she was going to ask why I was late,” Devault said.

Instead, she asked if he would serve as 2025 chief marshal, a role commonly recognized as “Bristol’s highest honor.”

“I was very pleased,” Devault said. He checked with his wife, Lydia, before formally accepting the honor, and with approval given, Devault gratefully accepted the invitation. The secret held for four months, until Devault was introduced at a Fourth of July Committee meeting a week ago. Since then, he has received congratulations everywhere he goes.

“I was at the post office today, and they congratulated me. When people see me, they always extend congratulations,” Devault said.

It’s not surprising that he gets recognized as he moves throughout town. “I’ve been in this community long enough to be known by a good many people. I’ve also been active in the Elks for a long time, and a lot of people know me through the Elks,” he said.

Devault has been an active member of the Bristol County Elks for nearly 30 years, having served in several officer and committee chairman positions, including Exalted Ruler (president), member of the board of directors and chairman of the lodge scholarship committee. He also served as chairman of the Rhode Island State Elks Association scholarship committee for 10 years, where he facilitated delivery of more than $800,000 in scholarships to Rhode Island graduating seniors. 

Devault’s Naval career began in 1966, when he reported to active duty as a seaman. It ended 32 years later, when he retired at the grade of Captain, having earned several awards, including Legion of Merit.

The Devaults have had two stints as Bristol residents. When they were young, Dick and Lydia lived here for a couple of years while he was stationed at the Navy base in Newport. When they had a chance to settle down more permanently, they chose Bristol as the place to drop anchor and raise their children.

He likes to say, “I’m not a Bristolian, but I got here as soon as I could.”

Devault is looking forward to the next two and a half months. He’ll be attending most of the events he usually attends, he’ll just be a little more in the spotlight than usual, delivering remarks to the crowd at many of them.

“This really is a great honor, to say the least,” Devault said on Tuesday, a week after the big announcement. “I’m now one of only 240 people who have been given this honor. It’s an honor to know your name will live in the permanent record of this celebration.”

Despite his (in his words) “advanced age,” Devault is extremely active and walks frequently. For the last couple of years, he has walked 14 miles for an Elks charity event. So he’s pretty confident he can handle the two-and-a-half-mile Bristol Fourth of July parade route. Expect to see him walking, waving and smiling at the head of the procession this year.