Politics & Government
VIDEO: National Guard Troops, Veterans Honored at Muster
Salem celebrates 374th anniversary of the First Muster.
On Saturday at noon, Salem marked the historic occasion of the First Muster on , an event that led to the creation of the National Guard.
The ceremony celebrated the 1st Battalion 101st Field Artillery's return from deployment in Afghanistan and honored the sacrifice of fallen soldiers.
During the ceremonies, the Department of the Army presented a medal and the Commanders Award for Public Service to Sgt. First Class (Ret.) Leo J. Vallencourt, for his dedication to disabled veterans.
Find out what's happening in Salemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Officials who inspected the Guard units included Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, Congressman John Tierney and Major General Joseph C. Carter, who is the Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard.
The occasion was marked with a 21-gun firing of field artillery units and a flyover by a U.S. Air Force jet.
Find out what's happening in Salemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Watch our video for scene from the muster and an interview with Danvers resident and retired Air Force veteran Steven Godzik, who served in Vietnam as a rescue pilot.
