WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — On Friday, May 23, Earl T. Bonett, a representative from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), visited Eastern States Exposition (ESE) to recognize ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy and Johnny Ramirez, ESE’s Captain of Public Safety, with the Patriot Award.

The mission of the ESGR is to gain support for the National Guard and Reserve. Patriot Awards commend employers for supporting and accommodating citizen warriors in their employ by providing flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment and caring for their families. Employees serving in the National Guard or Reserve, or their spouse, may nominate employers for a Patriot Award.

Christopher Thompson serves as ESE’s Sargeant of Safety and Security. Outside of ESE, he has been a part of the military for more than 28 years, both through the Navy and now the Airforce at Westover Air Reserve Base. It was Thompson that nominated Cassidy and Ramirez for their well-earned honors. Bonett, a volunteer with the ESGR and representative from the United States Department of Defense, presented the two gentlemen with certificates during a brief reception.

Paraphrasing Rudyard Kipling’s “A Time for Prayer,” Bonett said, “’God and the soldier all men adore, in time of war and not before. When war is over and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted.’ My goal in life is to not let either of those things happen. Thank you for what you have done to support the men and women in the military.”

“I want to thank you for putting my name in for nomination,” Cassidy said to Thompson. “Eastern States Exposition does not conscientiously think about these things. We do it by nature. In my office, I have a trophy that was once presented to our founder, Joshua Loring Brooks, in 1919 because of what he did to support the war efforts during the First World War. So, the history of Eastern States Exposition is not lost on me now.”

Following the presentation of certificates, Cassidy signed a statement of support and pledged continued commitment to supporting those that actively serve as well as veterans. This statement will be displayed on the ESE grounds in the Brooks Building, which is fittingly named for the organization’s founder.

In addition to employing active military personnel and veterans, ESE also offers Military Appreciation Day on the first day of The Big E each year, which grants free admission to retired and active-duty military personnel, their dependents and veterans (no dependents). Throughout the day, numerous stations offer resources for easy access to counseling, benefits information, medical treatment and more. This year, Military Appreciation Day will take place on September 12.

In 2024, the Fair also debuted The Bunker, a military-themed beer garden open throughout the entirety of The Big E. The Bunker offers cool craft beers and merchandise from our neighbors at Easy Company Brewing, as well as first class coffee by HANX For Our Troops, a veteran give-back brand dreamed up by Tom Hanks. Be sure to visit The Big E and join us in our salute to the military, September 12-28!

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