Four Post 64 Members Meet High School Band

Four members of Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 were invited to speak on Monday, November 4, 2013 before Middleboro High School band members. Participating in the event were Paul Provencher, adjutant; Sherwin Grannum, executive board member; Bob Lessard, post historian and member Walter D. Campbell, Jr.
Approximately 70 students attended the hour long session hosted by High School Band Director Justin Pittsley. The Post members were invited by Mr. Pittsley to speak to the band members about their military service and to encourage the students in their music education.
Paul Provencher introduced the veterans to the students. He highlighted Sherwin Grannum in his introduction as having been honored several years ago by the band members. Sherwin, a WW2 veteran, was at D-Day with his unit and later participated in the first band to provide entertainment to the American troops in France.
Sherwin, who played a trumpet, spoke to the students about his military band member experiences. He also thanked the band members for their efforts in participating in the local parades. And, he encouraged them to keep playing their music.
Walter Campbell, a career United States Navy veteran, also spoke about his military history, which involved actions in Korea and Vietnam. He told the students about his musical background, which started with the gift of a trumpet at age seven from his uncle Dominic Lepre. Dominic had been a horse cavalry soldier prior to WW1.
Walter told the students about joining the Sons of the Legion drum corps in 1938. He also related how his high school assistant principal Ernest Thomas would release him to play Taps at the funerals of local WW1 veterans. He concluded with comments of how proud he was of watching the band parade and playing at football games.
Bob Lessard spoke to the group about Middleboro’s two Medal of Honor recipients: Army 2nd Lieutenant Patrick J. Regan of WW1 and Navy corpsman Wayne M. Caron, who was Killed In Action in the Viet Nam War.
Lessard highlighted the career and heroics of both Medal of Honor recipients.
He also detailed the history of the Medal of Honor for the students. He made reference to the High School auditorium which is dedicated to Wayne Caron had been also been a band member. He reminded the students that there were two spruce trees in Middleboro Veterans Memorial Park dedicated as living memorials for the two heroes.
( By Bob Lessard, Post 64 Historian)