American Legion Seicheprey Post 2 held a ceremony to honor those 19 lost from Connecticut on the Dec. 7 attack, along with remembering Maj. Edward Riccio Jr., a Pearl Harbor survivor, and all the World War II veterans on Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. with a small outdoor ceremony. Due to COVID-19 restrictions the ceremony had to be held outside under the flagpoles facing the post’s parking lot, thus allowing members to view the ceremony from the safety of their car. The Bristol police chief and a few of the Bristol officers attended. Members of the Bristol Veterans Council along with members of the Korean Veterans Association were on hand. Three World War II veterans were on hand also.
The American Legion, with help from the Gold Star Family Memorial Monument Committee of Connecticut and the Iwo Jima/World War II Traveling Military Museum, conducted the event.
The ceremony began with the ringing of the USS Kidd ship’s bell three times in Honor of Riccio, who after Pearl Harbor went on to earn the Distinguished Flying Cross, along with honoring Kidd's crew. Post 2 is filling a promise made when the bell was donated. The post was asked to ring the bell each year in memory of the crew, which it has. After a monument of silence the names of the 19 from Connecticut who died during the attack at Pearl Harbor were read by a member of the Gold Star Family Monument, followed by a ring from the Kidd bell for each individual. A prayer was said, followed by a 21-bell salute to honor all World War II veterans.