Fall River honors veterans with parade, awards and key to the city for grand marshal
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Summary
Fall River’s Veterans Day parade and post‑parade ceremony on Nov. 11 featured Brig. Gen. Lisa Hasey as grand marshal, presentations of awards and scholarships, student reporting on a veterans group’s move to a larger facility, and reminders about veteran mental‑health resources including the 988 hotline.
Fall River held its annual Veterans Day parade on Nov. 11, followed by a speaking program in the Government Center atrium that honored service members, volunteers and community partners.
Brigadier General Lisa Hasey served as grand marshal and received a ceremonial key to the city. In remarks she thanked the parade organizers and those who serve in the community, saying the experiences veterans carry "are filled with pain" for some and "filled with hope, pride, readiness, and purpose" for others, but that "each one serves a clear purpose, shaping who they are and what they bring back to their families, their communities, and our nation." Pamela Martin of Fall River Government Television conducted a broadcast interview with Hasey before the parade.
The program included a mix of personal testimony, public‑service reminders and civic recognitions. Retired Fall River building inspector and Vietnam veteran Joe Bisco described how Army service taught him self‑reliance and teamwork; he also recounted meeting World War II veterans and collecting autographs from those who served. Student reporter McKenna Borges aired a Fred TV package about the Veterans Association of Bristol County’s plans to move to a new Globe Street building and expand services.
Mayoral citations and awards recognized public‑safety personnel and volunteers. Stephanie A. Roberts (Verizon) received a citation for leading flagging efforts; the Fall River Lodge of Elks No. 118 was honored as a community partner for food and youth support; and multiple individual awards recognized work on veteran counseling, peer support and resiliency. Lieutenant Victor Farrios, the city’s flags and graves officer and a member of emergency management, was surprised with the 2025 Veteran of the Year award and accepted the honor with thanks to fellow veterans and family.
Organizers also used the platform to remind viewers about mental‑health resources. The broadcast urged use of the nationwide 988 crisis hotline and relayed guidance that veterans who dial 911 may press 1 to reach veteran‑specific assistance. The host cited a Department of Veterans Affairs figure, stating "approximately 17 U.S. veterans" die by suicide each day; that figure was presented to underline the availability of crisis support.
Student journalism and local arts were highlighted: a Fred TV segment described expanded counseling rooms and a larger food‑storage system at the Veterans Association’s new building, and artist Brian Fox was given a Veterans Voice Award for a series of portraits memorializing Vietnam veterans.
The ceremony closed with prayers from Father Rob, a recitation titled "I Am a Veteran," scholarship announcements (including a Future Leaders scholarship and a Paul Pacheco scholarship, each reported as $1,000 awards), and an invitation for veteran organizations to take a leading role in future annual recognition events.
What’s next: the Veterans Association of Bristol County expects to open its Globe Street location in the spring; the Fall River War Veterans Council plans an annual December recognition for behind‑the‑scenes veteran supporters.