Windham remembers military sacrifices on behalf of freedom on Veterans Day

By Ed Pierce

A packed house paid tribute to the sacrifices Windham’s military heroes continue to make during a moving Veterans Day observance on Wednesday.

Windham High junior Nate Plati, left, and Windham Veterans
Center president Tom Theriault, were honored during the
annual Windham Veterans Day observance for their
contributions to the Windham Veterans Center before
a standing room only audience in Windham on Nov. 11.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10643Commander Jeff Cook welcomed visitors of all ages to the Windham Veterans Center and served as Master of Ceremonies for the event, which was standing room only and featured live patriotic music performed by the Windham Chamber Singers.

Cook introduced Ryan Murray, the new director of choral activities at Windham High School and the Chamber Singers conductor. Murray led the singers in performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the official songs of each branch of the armed forces as veterans in the audience stood as their song was played.

After an invocation by VFW Chaplain Roger Timmons, Cook said Veterans Day honors every American who has worn our nation’s uniform, in war and in peace, at home and abroad, with gratitude, respect and humble thanks.

“Veterans Day is a sacred opportunity to pause and honor the extraordinary service, selfless sacrifice and unyielding commitment of generation after generation of veterans,” Cook said. “Men and women from every corner of our nation, every background and every walk of life have answered the call, united by the same oath. Their vigilance has preserved the freedoms we cherish and the country we love.”

According to Cook, the debt our nation owes extends far beyond those who have worn the uniform.

“Military spouses, children and families serve alongside their loved ones, carrying the weight of long deployments, frequent moves and missed milestones with remarkable strength and deserve our thanks too,” he said.

Cook knows all too well about the contributions of military veterans to America’s freedom. He is a retired U.S. Navy Seabee who deployed with the Navy SEALS to Afghanistan as a support Team platoon commander.

He was part of a group sent to build Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan which was the center of the war against the Tailban and al-Queda terrorists for 20 years.

“During this time, many military service young men and women tasked with this job died,” he said. “It is important that we remember them for their sacrifice.”

During the Veterans Day observance, Cook called Windham Veterans Center President Tom Theriault, who also serves as American Legion Post Field-Allen 148 commander, to the podium. Theriault was recognized for his unselfish dedication to Windham veterans and their families and for spearheading the initiative this past year to raise $35,000 to install solar panels on the Veterans Center building, helping to reduce the facility’s utility bills. The panels were installed during the summer and will keep the building affordable for rentals well into the future.

Cook then asked Windham High School junior Nate Plati to come forward where he was presented with a certificate of recognition for organizing the “Ultimate Murph Challenge” in May at the school on Memorial Dav.

The “Murph Challenge” honors the late U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient who lost his life protecting his team in Afghanistan in 2005. Cook knew Murphy and said he was humbled that Plati chose to do this to raise money for the Windham Veterans Center.

The “Ultimate Murph Challenge” consists of a 20-mile run, 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 pushups and 3,000 squats done in one day. 

Through his completion of the “Ultimate Murph Challenge” Plati collected $6,000 in pledges and ended up with the second-largest donation to the Windham Veterans Center Solar Project.

Two local students were revealed as winners of VFW Post 10643’s annual Patriot’s Pen essay contest and Voice of Democracy competition.

Annaelle Kawaya, won $200 and a backpack as the winner of the VFW post’s Patriot’s Pen contest for her essay about “What A Veteran Taught Me About America.” Kawaya is an eighth-grade student at Windham Middle School. Her essay will advance to VFW district competition in Maine in January.

Windham Christian Academy seventh-grader Willima Kindred won VFW Post 10643’s annual Voice of Democracy contest for his speech about “What A Veteran Taught Me About America.” For his winning entry, Kindred won $250 and a backpack and he also advances to VFW district competition in Maine in January.

Also attending the observance were State Representatives Barbara Bagshaw and Mark Cooper and former State Rep. Gary Plummer. Windham Boy Scout Troop 805 presented the colors and helped set up the room for a luncheon after the event.

Spouses of Windham veterans joined Cook in the garden to place a wreath in memory of fallen veterans from the community. <   

WHS sophomore to undertake grueling ‘Ultimate Murph Challenge’ to honor sacrifices of military veterans

By Ed Pierce

Lt. Michael Murphy was a U.S. Navy SEAL officer who tragically lost his life while taking intense Taliban fire to radio for help for his pinned-down squad after his team was compromised and surrounded by enemy forces near Asadabad, Afghanistan in 2005. His story has inspired Nate Plati, a Windham High School sophomore, to undertake The Ultimate "Murph" Challenge, an intense CrossFit workout and fundraising event conducted every year on Memorial Day.

Nate Plati, a Windham High School
sophomore, will undertake the 'Ultimate
Murph Challenge,' an intense CrossFit
workout to raise money for the Windham
Veterans Center on Memorial Day. The
event honors the late U.S. Navy SEAL
Lt. Michael Murphy, a Medal of Honor
recipient who lost his life protecting his
team in Afghanistan in 2005.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Plati plays varsity and club soccer, serves as a class officer and student council member, is a member of the WHS leadership team of Best Buddies, and assists with Unified athletics. He’s also a member of the National Honor Society with a 4.0 GPA, is a devout Catholic attending Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church and is passionate about fitness and ultra-endurance challenges.

His future plans are joining the U.S. Army Reserves, participating in ROTC throughout college, and serving America in the military following graduation.

“I first thought of the idea of creating the Ultimate Murph after hearing about the Original Murph Challenge, which is a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats followed by one more one-mile run,” Plati said. “I then made the decision to create the Ultimate Murph as a challenge to push myself to my limits and promote the importance of doing hard things. With the Ultimate, I’ll be doing the Original Murph 10 times so a total of a 20-mile run, 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 pushups and 3,000 squats.”

The Original Murph Challenge was designed to be a grueling test of both physical endurance and mental grit and is usually performed while wearing a 20-pound weight vest.

Jeff Cook of Windham, a retired US Navy, SEABEE and the Commander of VFW Post 10643, says that Plati reached out to him a few months ago and wanted to help veterans in Windham.

“He is committed to excellence and making Windham a better place. As a young man with aspirations of attending West Point, I feel we need to help Nate the best we can,” Cook said. “Very seldom do you find a young person with this kind of drive. He has already raised thousands of dollars on his own that he will be donating to the veterans’ organizations in Windham.

Cook says that Plati taking on the Ultimate Murph Challenge holds special significance to him.

“This hit home with me as I was attached to Navy S.O.COM and worked for the SEALS teams and was listening to the radio commands as Lt. Murphy’s mission took a bad turn and everyone died accept Marcus Luttrell only a few miles away from my Forward Operating Base,” he said.

According to Cook, having Plati perform the Ultimate Murph Challenge is something he created on his own and working with school athletics and WHS administration, to date he has raised just over $3,200 toward his $5,000 goal.

“I am a true believer that to succeed in life you must be able to do hard things and push yourself beyond your limits,” Plati said. “If you can overcome physical adversity, challenges you face later in your life become much more manageable. I believe no group accomplishes this better than the United States military and I am a huge supporter of the people who serve our country.”

Plati will break the challenge up into 11 parts. Each part will consist of a 1-mile run, 20 sets of 5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, and 15 squats, and each set has a minute of rest. After doing this part 10 different times, the final 11th part will consist of a 10-mile run.

He will be doing the event on the Windham High School Track on Memorial Day, Monday May 25 starting at 6 a.m. and running until about 4 p.m. with spectators and supporters welcome and greatly appreciated.

“I believe the hardest part will be after the first 10 parts,” Plati said. “Mentally it is going to be difficult knowing I have done 1,000 pull-ups, 2,000 pushups, 3,000 squats, and run for 10 miles, and still have another 10 miles to run. I am going to overcome this by remembering that I am doing this challenge for something greater than myself.”

Passionate about the U.S. Army and hoping to attend West Point after high school to become a combat engineer officer in the Army, Plati says that he would love to serve a full 20-year military career. 

“I enjoy the thought of an intense physical job with structure that will allow me to push myself, as well as open up many opportunities for me,” he said. “At the same time helping people and serving my country is a true passion of mine.”

He’s been training for this challenge six to seven days a week since the middle of January while still focusing on his high school studies.

“My favorite subjects are math and history,” Plati said. “I like problem solving in math and I love to learn about how the world works around me in history.”


As far as the Ultimate Murph Challenge goes, Plati says the key takeaway he wants people to remember is the importance in doing things greater than yourself especially to help those around you.

“Two quotes that have gotten me this far are ‘Do it for those who can’t, and to honor those who did’ and ‘1 Peter 4:1 Therefore since Christ died in the flesh for us, for you arm yourself with the same thought and purpose. For whoever has suffered in the flesh is through with sin,’ he said.

Plati believes the public should support and donate to his Ultimate Murph Challenge as a measure of respect for those Americans who have worn the uniform of the United States in the defense of freedom.

“This is about giving back to our veteran community who served our country and put their lives on the line so we may be free,” he said.

To learn more about Nate Plati and donate to his Ultimate Murph Challenge, visit https://givebutter.com/plati-murph-challenge. <

Surprise parade, celebration honor Windham veteran on his 90th birthday

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Walter Braley, Jr. turned 90 on
Sunday, Oct. 10 and was treated to a surprise parade outside
his home in Windham and several presentations for his 
birthday. Joining Braley following a VFW presentation are
VFW Commander Willie Goodman, right, and Jeff Cook,
VFW Post 10643 Adjutant. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE   

By Ed Pierce

The late American tennis star Arthur Ashe once described true heroism as the urge to serve others at whatever the cost. U.S. Marine Corps veteran Walter Braley, Jr. of Windham can be considered as one such individual.

On his 90^th birthday on Sunday, Oct. 10, Braley’s many friends, family, and neighbors in the Cornerbook subdivision turned out in force to show their love and admiration for the Korean War veteran who admitted being surprised that others would give up their Sunday afternoon to throw him a parade and spend time with him on his special day.

“Honestly, I was shocked they did this,” Braley said. “I was told to sit down here by the road, and I did and then all of a sudden people drive by honking and there are fire trucks with sirens going off. I think it’s great to get to be 90 years old, that’s for sure.”

He was born in Somesville, Maine as the only child of the late Walter Braley Sr., and Eva (Cirard) Braley. When he was 10, his family moved to Scarborough so his parents could work in the shipyard there.

In 1947, Braley, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17. He completed basic training at Camp Lejune in North Carolina and then was commissioned for active duty by Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith.

During his time as a Marine, Brayley was stationed at bases in Cuba, California and in Korea. While in Korea he patrolled the DMZ, the no man’s land separating South Korea from its hostile North Korea neighbor.

“I walked across the DMZ before Donald Trump ever did a few years ago when he did so with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,” Braley said. “I did it first.”

While stationed at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California, Braley was asked to pick up a fellow Marine, future county music superstar George Jones, who was just about to launch his recording career.

According to Braley, Jones would go out with his friends when they were on weekend leave and perform songs in exchange for drinks and Braley was among the group Jones came to know.

Years later when Jones was in Maine to perform a concert, he introduced the audience to Braley and asked him where he had been since he last saw him in the 1950s.

“Right here,” Braley said.

Because of an injury he sustained in Korea, Braley eventually was discharged from the Marines at the rank of Sergeant and returned to Maine.

He worked for a veterinarian in Saco and spent most of his adult life working for the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook. Since his retirement, he’s been an active participant in the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion in Windham, and he also volunteers extensively.

Windham VFW Post 10643 Commander Willie Goodman said that Braley’s work on behalf of the VFW is inspiring.

“He’s known as our unofficial recruiter and is constantly bringing new members to our organization,” Goodman said.

When Goodman suggested that the post honor him on his 90^th birthday with a surprise drive-by celebration and a photo album recalling his time with the VFW post, the response was overwhelming. 

“We had no shortage of people wanting to do something nice for Walter’s birthday,” Goodman said. “Everyone loves this man.”

Among the special visitors who turned out for the birthday celebration were Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce and Cindy Beaulieu of the Quilts of Honor group.

Joyce presented Brayley with special “Challenge Coins” given to those held in special esteem for free coffee or breakfast at a local restaurant while Beaulieu presented him with a special quilt honoring his military service.

“First we honor you for your service,” Beaulieu told Braley. “Second, freedom is not free, and we thank you for your service. We hope this quilt brings comfort to you as you are forever in our thoughts and in our hearts.”

She said to date Quilts of Honor has made and presented 280,855 quilts to American veterans, including the one given to Braley.

“I just want to say thanks to everyone for coming out here today and recognizing me in this way,” Braley said. “You’ve made me feel appreciated and you can’t ask for more than that in this life. I’m deeply grateful and to all my fellow Marines, I say Semper Fi.”  <