To the editor:

Thank you to the Town of Barrington -- and specifically to the producers, participants and the veteran volunteers, for an awesome Veterans Day ceremony this week. Brilliant, all the way around. It was heart-warming to see so many people from our small community come together to mark the occasion, to tell a few of their stories, and to share the moment.

Also, I would like to give great thanks to the anonymous local folks who provided wonderful Veterans Day gifts and well-wishes to me, and to many of the veterans in our town. On Monday, people left small gift baskets, handmade cards, and a beautiful flowering rose plant, on my doorstep, all in appreciation for my U.S. Navy service. So humbling, so very thoughtful.

Everybody's military service is different - At times, it can be challenging, it can be uncomfortable, it can be dangerous, it can be boring, it can be exciting. One thing that all service shares is that it is selfless. Military people serve in order to benefit our country. Our community. Yet, appreciation for this selflessness can be surprisingly rare.

Such Veterans Day gifts and gestures show that our home community understands. They get it. As such -- The presents mean the world to my service brothers and sisters, and I. For me, they are a reminder of why my service was worth doing. My service mattered to the people in my own hometown, and hopefully, it helped make some positive difference in their lives.

Overall -- These gifts really show the character, and the values, of our community. Barrington gets it. We are all very lucky to live here.

Chris Isleib

Barrington