People around western Massachusetts attended events to celebrate Veterans Day.
At a small parade in the Florence section of Northampton, several spectators made a point of separating military service from politics.
Suzann Bouchard wanted to honor her husband, a Vietnam War vet, and other veterans in her family.
"My dad and all my uncles served in World War two. And I have a brother that also served in Vietnam," she said. "And my stepson was injured in Afghanistan."
But Bouchard said this year feels fraught. She’s "very worried" about what the Trump administration might do.
"We want to protect veterans rights, veterans benefits. And we're hoping that stays," she said.
Nearby, Lexi Major was watching the parade with her children. She wanted to thank veterans even if she doesn’t always agree with the reasons they are deployed.
"I think people enter into military service for a variety of different reasons. Some of them do it to be able to elevate themselves, like socioeconomically," she said. "And we shouldn't discredit veterans for the work that they've done just because we don't personally believe in war as an answer."
Other communities holding Veterans day events included Springfield, Amherst, Holyoke and Agawam.
