WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Frank LaSorsa of Stratham, Larry Larkin of Dover, Junious and Bette Owens of Stratham, and other members of the Pease Greeters as Octobers Granite Staters of the Month. Since 2005, the Pease Greeters have ensured that service members passing through Portsmouth International Airport see a friendly face.
For more than 20 years, volunteers for the Pease Greeters have shown up night and day to greet service members passing through New Hampshire on their way to and from military deployments. They have greeted more than 2,600 flights from all branches of the military, providing a smile and a kind word for every service member. The Pease Greeters have been powered by many volunteers over the years, including Frank LaSorsa, the current chairman who has been greeting since 2009, as well as Larry Larkin and Junious and Bette Owens, who have all been greeting for 20 years. All of the Pease Greeters emphasize that greeting is a team effort and that it would not be possible without each volunteer’s help.
Frank, Larry, Junious, Bette and the rest of the Pease Greeters’ dedication to our service members is a true example of the Granite State spirit of honoring those who serve. Their commitment to greeting service members at any time or day or night is why I am honored to name them October’s Granite Staters of the Month.
Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.
To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.
I am honored to recognize Frank LaSorsa of Stratham, Larry Larkin of Dover, Junious and Bette Owens of Stratham, and members of the Pease Greeters as October’s Granite Staters of the Month. As part of the Pease Greeters, Frank, Larry, Junious, and Bette have made sure that service members traveling through Portsmouth International Airport see a friendly face when they’re in New Hampshire.
Since 2005, the Pease Greeters have shown up day and night to greet service members both leaving and reentering the United States on military deployments, welcoming and seeing off more than 2,600 flights from all branches of the military. Portsmouth International Airport is often the last airport in the United States for soldiers who are deploying and the first stop back in the country on their way home. The Pease Greeters ensure that these service members are met with a smile and a kind word during their journey.
The Pease Greeters have been powered by many volunteers over the years, and some of their longest-serving volunteers have helped make the organization the mainstay that it is today for service members. Frank LaSorsa, a Vietnam-era veteran, has been a member of the Pease Greeters since 2009, when he was invited to join the group at a funeral for a soldier. He has been with the Greeters ever since, and says that the most rewarding part of greeting is seeing the smile on a returning service member’s face. Larry Larkin and Junious and Bette Owens have all been with the Pease Greeters for twenty years. All of the Pease Greeters emphasize that greeting is a team effort and that it would not be possible without each volunteer’s help.
Frank, Larry, Junious, Bette, and the rest of the Pease Greeters’ dedication to our service members is a true example of the Granite State spirit of honoring those who serve. Their commitment to greeting service members at any time of day or night is why I am honored to name them October’s Granite Staters of the Month.
###