Memorial Day Parade Cancelled, Ceremony to Town Hall Auditorium

……………MIDDLEBORO PARADE CANCELLED:-…..Rain caused the cancellation of Middleboro’s Memorial Day Parade, but failed to dampen the interest of over 350 residents, who attended the Memorial ceremony in Town Hall auditorium. The theme of the ceremony was the observance of the 100th anniversary of World War 1. The United States entered the war on April 6, 1917.
……………Prior to the parade being cancelled, members of the Veterans community and Middleboro Veterans Honor Guard visited Middleboro cemeteries at sunrise to render honors for our war casualties. The group stopped at St. Mary’s, Church of the Green, Nemasket Hill and the Central cemeteries. Later, they participated in a ceremony at the bridge over the Nemasket River.
……………The ceremony program highlighted four World War 1 men from Middleboro as Grand Marshalls, and represented all those from town who served in the “War to End All Wars.” Four Boy Scouts, garbed in WW1 uniforms, re-enacted the four men for the Memorial Day activities.
…………..Impersonating Medal of Honor recipient 2nd Lieutenant Patrick J. Regan was Jack Gerrior of Troop 64; Cameron Ahokas of Troop 96 held the place for Fletcher Clark, Jr.; Sgt. Simeon L. Nickerson was re-enacted by Trevor Peterson of Troop 64, while Thomas Grant of Troop 64 represented Private John F. Glass, Jr.
…………Later during the program, biographical sketches of the four men were read to the audience, while scouts held up large individual photos of the Grand Marshalls. The enlarged photos were donated by Mike Palmer, official photographer of Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 American Legion.
………….Welcoming remarks at the ceremony were offered by Bob Lessard, Commander of the Middleboro Veterans Council, who served as the program master of ceremonies. He also read biographical sketches of the four WW1 men represented as Grand Marshalls, who were honoring all Middleboro WW1 servicemen.
………….An invocation for the ceremony was given by the Reverend Jude Thaddeus Osukwa, parochial vicar, assigned to Middleboro’s Sacred Heart church.
…………Massachusetts Governor Charles D. Baker issued a Memorial Day Proclamation, which was read by Amanda Bukunt and eighth grader from Middleboro’s Nichol’s School.
…………The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts was instrumental in providing four singers for the program. They were: Miss Massachusetts’ Outstanding Teen, Carly Fisher; Molly Caron, reigning Miss Middleboro; Samantha McGraw, Miss Collegiate Area; and, Sara Achom, Miss Plymouth County.
………..Middleboro’s High School Band, led by director Justin Pittsley, made a musical impact with various renditions. The band with drum majors Katie Cunningham and Parker Ward, played individual service songs for the various branches: Army, Marine, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.
………….Wreaths were placed by the Grand Marshalls for Middleboro’s Veterans Memorial Park for the center section and the War Dead Memorial Central stone. Other wreaths were presented for placement by the DAV, A.L., V.F.W. Korean War and Women’s Monument.
………….Mrs. Margery Tower of the Post 64 Auxiliary read the WW1 poem Flanders Field.
…………Jason Cox, Middleboro’s Veterans Service Officer, read the names of the 15 town residents, who lost their lives during WW1, while serving their country. As each name was read, the bell from the USS Caron was struck by Joseph Kersanske, official keeper of the bell.
………….Flags of each service were turned towards the audience by members of Middleboro’s Veterans Honor Guard. Mr. Kersanske is credited with improving the service flag stands. The Honor Guard fired a 21 volley salute followed by taps and echo played by Liam Bingham-Maas and David LeGendre of the High School band.
………….A special historical donation was received from Peg Perkins Allum of Pembroke of a WW1 booklet printed after the war by local shoe manufacturer The George E. Keith Company. The booklet contains photographs and biographical sketches of company employees who served in World War 1. Ms. Allum’s father, Jesse, had been an employee of the company and had saved the booklet.
…………The company had a shoe factory in Middleboro. It is interesting to note that over 410 Middleboro men and boys served during that war. Keith Company’s booklet lists over 50 of those servicemen as employees….nearly a quarter of those who served!
…………Pastor Brian Souza of the Central United Methodist Church led the Benediction.
…………In charge of the sound system was Paul Kreitzberg assisted by Tom Dexter. Paul Provencher, recently retired Veterans Service Officer and Senior Vice Commander of Simeon L. Nickerson Post 6, co-ordinated the ceremony program.
………..Veterans involved with the planning the Memorial Day ceremony and events were Walter Campbell, Jr., Wayne Packard, Paul Kreitberg, Bob Lessard, Bob Jordan, Mike Palmer, Joe Kersanske, Mary Standish and Bob Burke. A special thanks to Bill Strojny for preparing a breakfast at Post 64 for the early morning participants of the cemetery ceremonies.
………..Due to the parade cancellation, the public were deprived of seeing the appearance of the Patriot Riders motorcycle contingent, older vehicles and the four military Humvees and a dozen members from Delta Company of the Middleboro Armory, the Middleboro Police and Fire Department Honor Guards, the Young Marines. (Posted By Bob Lessard, Historian Post 64)