Today, Monday, Nov. 10, is the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, and tomorrow, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day.

On Monday, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz distributed Public Service Awards to 85 Orange World War II Veterans in a ceremony at High Plains Community Center. Bysiewicz said she was visiting each Connecticut municipality to thank the veterans for their courage to make the United States a better place to live.
Pictured is Don Jewell, with Bysiewicz to the right. Jewell spent a few minutes talking about what it was like fighting in the European theater. Also attending were U.S. Rep, Rosa DeLauro, D-3, state Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, and state Reps. Themis Klarides, R-Derby and Paul Davis, D-Orange.

Photo and text by Bridget Albert