The Methuen Exchange Club honored Gil Rodrigues as their 2025 Veteran of the Year during last month’s celebration at The Irish Cottage.
Gil was nominated by Veteran Services Officer Paul Jensen, who read a brief bio: “Gil served proudly in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, loading bombs onto B-52s in Thailand. Gil may not have flown the missions, but he made sure they were worth flying. His dedication and quiet professionalism helped power America’s air campaign, and his service reminds us that heroes don’t always wear wings, sometimes they wear hearing protection!”
The “Proudly We Hail” award is presented to a Methuen business owner and a Methuen resident, each who proudly displays the American flag with honor and pride.
New England Die Cutting was presented with the business award, which was accepted by owner Kimberly Abare and her son David. NEDC is a global provider of gaskets, preforms, absorbers and thermal pads, working with the military and aerospace industries among others, according to its website.
“We fly our flag high above our facility on Milk Street,” David said. “We are very proud to fly the flag and we’re proud to protect our county with what we do at our facility. We will continue to honor the flag and continue to proudly fly our flag.”
Jim and Jean Lannon were presented with the resident award, and she spoke on behalf of her husband: “We display a 10-foot American flag on a 25-foot flagpole that is illuminated with a 1,000-watt light. We are honored to accept the ‘Proudly We Hail’ award from the Exchange Club.
“The simple answer as to why we fly the flag is because we are United States citizens whose birthright it is to live in what is truly the land of opportunity. The American flag represents honor. We honor all those past and present who served in the United States military. Both of our dads served in World War II.
