Cemetery Flag Replacements & Car Show Announcement, May 21

April 20, 2017…. Cemetery Flag Placements and Car Show Announcement

……….MIDDLEBOROUGH:-It was a very busy Saturday, April 8, 2017, according to a Letter to the Editor of the Middleboro Gazette, which informed residents about the replacement of veterans’ flags at Middleborough’s cemeteries. Penned by Jason Cox, Middleboro’s Director of Veterans’ Services, the letter thanked all who participated in the event. The letter appeared in the April 20th edition of the paper.
………..His letter reads in part: “To The Editor, The weather was sunny but a bit cool on Saturday morning April 8, 2017 for the nearly 100 volunteers who replaced the flags on graves of local veterans here in Middleborough.
………..The volunteers represented members and some of their family members of John F. Glass, Jr., Post 2188 VFW, Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion, and their Auxiliaries, Cpl. William F. Reardon, Mass Chapter 57 of the Disabled American Veterans, Oak Point Veterans Association and the Middleborough Veterans Honor Guard.
…………Additionally, there were Cub and Boys Scouts from pack & troop 64, which are sponsored by American Legion Post 64. Also boy scouts of troops 20 and 96 and members of a local girl scout troop. The VFW Little League team and their family members were also on hand. In addition, many residents participated along with workers from Blue Cross and Blue Shield and members of the Friends of Middleborough Cemeteries.
………….The morning started out with a breakfast of eggs, bacon and has browns paid for by the member organizations of the Middleborough Veterans’ Council, which is comprised by Post 64 American Legion, Post 2188 VFW, Chapter 57 of the DAV and the Oak Point Veterans Association.
…………..This outstanding breakfast was prepared by members of the Auxiliary of the John F. Glass, Jr., VFW headed up by Robin Desmaris. We also had donuts, muffins and pastries donated by the Centre Street Honey Dew. Thirty dozen eggs were donated by Bill Rogers from his organic egg business in North Middleborough.
…………..After being sufficiently nourished, all the volunteers set on a busy morning of replacing flags at the St. Mary’s, Central, Titicut and the Purchade Cemeteries.
…………..Other cemeteries around town had their flags replaced by volunteers such as Jon Capistron, the Derby family and Mary Standish. Still others had cemeteries reflagged by their caretakers or association members at Nemasket Hill, Cemetery at the Green, South Middleborough and the cemetery at the United Methodist Church.
……………Local veteran and military historian Bob Lessard will be working alongside former Veterans’ Agent Paul Provencher and myself during the month of May to replace flags on all the bridges, monuments and memorials around town. They are dedicated to local veterans killed in line of duty.
…………..We will even place a flag on the grave of a Revolutionary War soldier buried on the front yard of a local resident in North Middleborough.
…………….As the new Director of Veterans’ Services for the town, I would like to thank all the people, who took time out of their busy schedules to honor our deceased veterans by putting out these flags. I would also like to thank businesses that donated the food items for the breakfast.
……………………………………Signed, JASON COX, Director of Veterans’ Services
……………(Two photos were published in the Gazette’s April 20 edition in association with the letter. One photo depicted four girl scout Brownies of Troop 69068 at the Purchade Cemetery. The other picture showed the large group of flag replacement volunteers as they posed after breakfast at the VFW.)
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…………………………..........POST 64 AMERICAN LEGION ANNUAL CAR SHOW SUNDAY, MAY 21
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……………..The same Gazette April 20 publication also contained the announcement of Post 64 American Legion’s sixth annual Car Show to be held at the Hannah B.G. Shaw Home, which is co-sponsoring the event with the Downshifters Car Club of New England on Sunday, May 21, which begins at 9:00 a.m. and runs until 3: p.m.
……………… A $10.00 charge for each car to enter the judging and will be payable the day of the show. Peer judging will be used to award the Top 25 Trophies. There will be two Best of Show Trophies, the first being awarded by the Hannah B. G. Shaw Home and the second by Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion.
………………DJ Johnny Angel will be providing the entertainment. There will be free coffee and donuts in the morning and hot dogs, burgers, chips and soft drinks for a minimal donation from mid-morning until closing. (Posted by Bob Lessard Historian Post 64)