To the Editor:

Jared Christopher Monti (Sept. 20, 1975 - June 21, 2006) was a soldier in the United States Army who received the United States military’s highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan.

Monti was deployed with his unit when they were attacked by a group of enemy insurgents. When another soldier was wounded, Monit attempted to rescue him three times and was killed in action. The President signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor and the medal was presented to his family in a ceremony at the White House in 2009. It was the first Medal of Honor presentation during Obama’s presidency. Monti was the sixth person from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Through extra effort on the part of the Wareham-New Bedford Elks Lodge #73 Trustee Jim Callan and labor contributed by several members, we were an active part in the placing of some of the 57,000 flags for the Memorial Day 2016 at the National Cemetery, Bourne. Again, this shows the commitment of our order in never forgetting a veteran. We thank Jim and all those who helped with this project. The Lodge made a financial contribution towards the purchase of the flags in the amount of $150.

Respectfully submitted,

Ted Hatch, Veterans Chair