Section 111C. Any employee of a city or town who is a veteran, as defined in section one of chapter thirty-one, may, when authorized by the mayor or selectmen, attend, without loss of pay, the funeral or memorial services of a veteran, as so defined, or of any person dying under other than dishonorable circumstances while serving in the army, navy, coast guard, marine corps or air force of the United States in time of war or insurrection.