100th Anniversary of Three WW1 heroes

Published in the Middleboro Gazette, July 26, 2018: Leaders of Middleboro's veterans community meet with the Board of Selectmen on Monday, July 23rd to inform them of several historical happenings and observations.

Commander Bob Lessard, American Legion Simeon L. Nickerson Post 64 told the Board that July 23rd was the exact date  100 years ago that Sgt Nickerson was killed in action in France under heroic circumstances. Lessard then informed the Board about an August 1927 meeting of Post 64. "It was voted to have member Fuller, who was attending the ninth annual meeting of the American Legion in Paris to bring a box of Middleboro soil to be spread on the graves of Simeon L. Nickerson and John Glass." See the timeline dated January 3, 1927 for the story.

"Mr Fuller accomplished that task" Lessard told the selectmen.

Commander Lessard, who is also the historian of Post 64, then read the original language of Nickerson's Distinguihed Service Cross citation, written by 2nd Lt David Hunter.

"Sergeant Simeon L. Nickerson, Company D is (Posthumously) recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross by 2nd Lt David Hunter, 101st Infantry, for extraordinary heroism on July 23, 1918, near Epieds. Sergeant Nickerson volunteered togeher with Corporal O'Connell and Private Ryan to cross an open field in front of Company D, 101st Infantry in order to draw the fire of an enemy machine gun to locate its position, thereby saving the lives of a great many others. The courage of Sergeant Nickerson and his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the live (sic) of his men gave an example of the highest order of heroism and comradeship."

Lessard told the selectmen that Lt. Hunter's words.."An EXAMPLE OF THE HIGHEST ORDER"..were deleted from his recommendation. He the remarked "Isn't the highest order the Medal of Honor?" Lessard claimed a fued between General Pershing, head of US Forces and General Clarence Edwards of the 26th Yankee Division may have caused Nickerson and his two comrades to be deprived of the Medal of Honor.

Following that discourse, Lessard introduced Mary Standish who holds many positions within the American Legion. "She is an Air Force veteran, the Chaplain of District 10, Finance Officer of Post 64 and is Secretary/Treasurer of Unit 64 of the Auxiliary."

Legionaire Standish then told the Board about her recent vacation to France where she visited many of the battlefields, including the area in Epieds where Sgt. Nickerson and his two comrades, Cpl O'Connell and Pvt Ryan were killed. She also reported that she visited the graves of Nickerson and Ryan at the Oise-Aisne American Cemetary managed by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

"At the suggestion of Bob Lessard, I had taken some dirt from Middleboro's Veterans Memorial Park to spread on Nickerson's grave as the Legion had done in 1927. She accomplished that task with the pemission of Cemetary Superintendent Hubert O. Caloud. Mr Caloud then gathered dirt from Sgt Nickerson's grave to be returned to the Veterans Memorial Park in Middleboro.. "While in France, I also gathered sand from Utah and Omaha beaches to spread here in honor of our WW2 veterans. Lessard  said he would inform the Board of the date when the dirt and sand would be spread. "Later, as some of the Veterans Council members are on vacation."

Commander Lessard then introduced Gerard Milch, Commander of Middleboro's John F. Glass, Jr Post 2188 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who distributed a flyer about Wayne M. Caron and his Medal of Honor citation. It was noted that HM3 Caron was killed in Vietnam 50 years ago, on July 28, 1968.

The VFW Commander then mentioned he would like to help research the Medal of Honor question, "I would meet with Jason Cox, our Veterans Service Officier to seek his help in this matter." A person in the audience asked the selectmen if they would help in the quest fot a Medal of Honor for Nickerson. All members readily supported that request.