By Elizabeth Barhydt
Michael Aaron Hayden stood at Greenwich Town Hall on July 4, watching almost four hundred neighbors gather for the Independence Day ceremony. A Marine Corps veteran who flew jets off carriers in the Mediterranean during the Cold War, Hayden told the Greenwich Sentinel the day was especially meaningful to him.
“It is very special. I’m happy to still be here and to celebrate,” he said in an interview. “With the strife that we have, the discord we have in this country right now, it’s important that we recognize our roots and where we are going.”
His reflections captured the deeper purpose behind Greenwich’s celebration—a ceremony that was more than bunting and brass bands. It marked the official kickoff of America 250 | Greenwich, a yearlong commemoration of the nation’s 250th birthday, with plans for historical exhibitions, community gatherings, and educational programs running through July 4, 2026.
Established by First Selectman Fred Camillo in partnership with the Greenwich Historical Society, the America 250 | Greenwich Commission is an affiliate of the America 250 Connecticut Commission. Together, they aimed to inspire Greenwich to remember its own frontier history while imagining a collective future.
That sense of connection was everywhere at the celebration behind Town Hall. Neighbors in red, white, and blue fanned themselves in the July sun, waving flags provided by the Malcolm S. Pray Foundation. Volunteers scrambled for enough plates to serve birthday cake in the gazebo afterward—a happy testament to local turnout.
The morning began with the Sound Beach Community Band’s trumpet call, a bright, brassy summons that seemed to wake the whole green. The Byram Veterans Association delivered a ceremonial rifle salute and, later, a solemn 21-gun salute after a moment of silence.
Edward Dadakis Remarks
Master of Ceremonies Edward Dadakis welcomed the crowd on behalf of the Independence Day Association of Greenwich. “We gather not to just mark a date but a profound moment in history,” he said. “This is a day of pride, reflection, and gratitude for the bold vision that birthed our nation 249 years ago. It’s a day to honor the courage, sacrifice and enduring spirit that continues to define who we are as a nation.”
He also reminded the audience of the responsibility behind the pageantry. “It’s nice to have cookouts and fireworks and parades,” Dadakis said. “But let’s not forget the sacrifice it took to give us these freedoms. Let’s teach our children what it means to be citizens, to serve, to stand up for what is right.” Maggie Wein, Co-Chair of the Independence Day Association, introduced local dignitaries before First Selectman Fred Camillo delivered his remarks.
Fred Camillo Remarks
“Most towns in the United States do have a story to tell, but I believe few as compelling as Greenwich,” Camillo said. He described the Revolution-era town as truly split: Patriots to the north, Loyalists to the south in Westchester and across the Sound.
“Greenwich was evenly split 50/50, neighbor against neighbor,” he said. “It was a battleground. There was a lot of bloodshed here in Greenwich that lasted for a long time. We always hear about those brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence, but it was also a lot of people that we don’t hear about who sacrificed everything—their house, their homes, their family, and in many cases their lives. They truly did meet the moment.
“So when we go to our cookouts and barbecues and parties today, it’s nice to reflect on what they did. But let’s do a little bit more than that. Let’s endeavor in our daily lives to meet the moment, whether it’s small or big, no matter what the issue is. Let’s all try and meet the moment in everlasting memory of all those who gave us what we have today, which is freedom. Happy Birthday America.”
Christina Kampler led the crowd in “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” asking everyone to stand and wave their flags. Children and parents sang with equal enthusiasm.
Young People Take Center Stage
Local Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the GEMS Honor Guard added ceremonial weight with the presentation of 13 colonial flags.
Davi Moreira and Chris Crooks of the Arch Street Teen Center delivered “Ragged Old Flag” with earnest gravity.
Army and Marine Corps veterans from American Legion Post 29 served as Color Guard for the ceremonial flag-raising, honoring America’s two oldest military services during their own 250th year.
Bea Crumbine, founder of the Independence Day Association, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Students from Greenwich schools brought Thomas Jefferson’s words to life. Steele Barhydt, Emma Johnson, Campbell Medhurst, Fuller Medhurst, Annetta Solari, and Max Quigley stood proudly to read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be selfevident…”
Mary Ellen LeBien offered reflections on Greenwich’s earliest settlers and descendants, reminding everyone that the town’s history isn’t just in textbooks but in family names and local soil.
Good Citizen Awards
Good Citizen Awards were presented by Natalie Pray and Maggie Wein to students chosen by their schools: Zara Haque (Greenwich High School), Matias Hood (Greenwich Country Day), Ainsley Clogh (Sacred Heart), Cosimo Giovine (Brunswick School), and Alice Grace (Greenwich Academy).
Greenwich’s Fallen
Frederick Floyd Nagle, Chairman Emeritus of the Yale Veterans Association and a Vietnam War combat veteran, read the names of Greenwich’s Revolutionary War fallen: Joseph Banks, Daniel Carter, Samuel Close, Daniel Darrow, Thomas Hitchcock Sr., Nathaniel Jessup, Samuel Knapp, Stephan Knapp, Timothy Lockwood Jr., Ebson Mead, Solomon Mead, Sylvanus Mead, Zabid Palmer, Benjamin Reynolds, Jonathan Reynolds, and John Rundle.
Afterward, people lingered over cake in the gazebo as the Sentinel chatted with Hayden and fellow veteran Peter LeBeau.
LeBeau reflected on the meaning of the day: “As usual, it was a very nice ceremony. Everybody spoke well. The weather cooperated. And in terms of our country, only a country as great as ours with the freedoms and liberties that we have could survive for 250 years. And I’m grateful to be an American.”
Neighbors chatted, veterans swapped stories, kids wiped frosting from their faces. It felt, for a moment, like a town perfectly in tune with its history—and determined to carry it forward.
