This Monday, Atria Bay Spring Village in Barrington will host a special event honoring veterans, including five Atria residents who served in World War II. 

The event — set for Nov. 11 Veterans Day at 2:30 p.m. — will include special recognition for all the veterans residing at Atria Bay Spring Village, including World II veterans Chuck Riotto, Wilfred Barbeau, Ben Chelo, Dennis Hill and Margaret “Peg” Weymouth. Each of the World War II residents is either 99 or 100 years old.

There will also be musical performances, poetry readings, a moment of silence, a presentation of certificates and more. 

Nearly two dozen veterans call Atria Bay Spring Village home. 

Charles “Chuck” Riotto, 99, served as a Jeep driver for Eisenhower’s headquarters (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) where he helped transport officers. Riotto was a participant in The Battle of the Bulge.

Wilfred Barbeau, 99, served as an aircraft instruments mechanic and trained other soldiers how to operate torpedo bombers. Barbeau was stationed in Hawaii and played a key role in helping free soldiers trapped in sunken battleships following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. 

Ben Chelo, 102, was trained as a worker on dock landing ships and saw active combat in the South Pacific, specifically Papua New Guinea.

Dennis Hill, 99, served in Britain’s Royal Air Force where he was stationed in Burma and Calcutta, and remembers flying through monsoons and heavy rains. 

Margaret “Peg” Weymouth, 99, served in the Nurse’s Cadet Corps which was a program designed to avert the United States’ shortage of nurses.

“Atria Bay Spring has become a hub for veterans - helping them build community and giving them a safe space to share stories during their monthly Veteran’s Group, which is now attended by members of the greater Barrington community, not just Atria residents,” stated a press release from Atria.

Atria Bay Spring Village is inviting the community to participate in Monday’s special event.