tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80905934550618781812024-03-19T07:13:16.618-04:00Walking WorcesterDavid O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-22778650875389941812013-01-15T07:24:00.000-05:002013-01-15T07:24:36.156-05:00David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-73915732116148604382011-09-15T11:24:00.000-04:002011-09-15T11:24:33.015-04:00Banis Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqX77Z0lMpvFVU6QdQBmlxl6Ms0nl6kqn-GBvKVqEMX_ZzcgGeNTp8hoKlBGkGT3CO8UwsSThQ1ARHeS7vdaWAf9MasoZjb1lv-Spa_ExsIx9xvgwvOP2rsjB3n-r02kO1JibbxNalHLM/s1600/Benis.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqX77Z0lMpvFVU6QdQBmlxl6Ms0nl6kqn-GBvKVqEMX_ZzcgGeNTp8hoKlBGkGT3CO8UwsSThQ1ARHeS7vdaWAf9MasoZjb1lv-Spa_ExsIx9xvgwvOP2rsjB3n-r02kO1JibbxNalHLM/s1600/Benis.bmp" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">in Memory of<br />
S/Sgt. Joseph J. Banis <br />
Born: August 9, 1908 <br />
Died in France <br />
July 7, 1944 </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uAhl1bObC5zEjYZVKT3cgFOgTp51S0mAHtWfF4ymskBJhCaVVY-1j0h99dXak2BvA8Gq-0V574MrSLnTMniOC4tRyl_UNn4MyGnvR4b4awISBjfH6E5TflgFseLF-A-FCTgXy6Gd3rs/s1600/Banis+park.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uAhl1bObC5zEjYZVKT3cgFOgTp51S0mAHtWfF4ymskBJhCaVVY-1j0h99dXak2BvA8Gq-0V574MrSLnTMniOC4tRyl_UNn4MyGnvR4b4awISBjfH6E5TflgFseLF-A-FCTgXy6Gd3rs/s1600/Banis+park.bmp" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">T/Sgt. Paul P. Banis</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Born: July 31, 1921</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Missing in Action</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">December 17, 1944</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Banis Square is the intersection of Dorchester and Houghton Streets. A street-sign-style marker stands on the corner, as usual, but the stone and plaque have been moved into the corner lot which is now Banis Park. The dedicatory plaque is shared by Joseph and Paul, presumably brothers or cousins, though I have yet to confirm that.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joseph served with the 329th Infantry, 83rd Division. We met them before, at Kirminas Square. They fought their way across Normandy, through the Battle of the Bulge, and deep into Germany. Joseph, unfortunately, did not make it beyond Normandy.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Paul served aboard a B-24 Liberator bomber piloted by Theodore King.Although he is listed as Missing in Action, we do know what happened to him:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial;">"I, Staff Sargeant Kenje Ogata, 16037445, was ball turret gunner on an airplane in the same flight as First Lieutenant Theodore C. King, flying aircraft number 42-51941. On 17 December 1944, Lieutenant King was flying number two position, deputy flight leader, on a mission over the Odertal oil plant in Germany. Shortly after passing over the target the lead airplane seemed to be pulling out of the formation and Lieutenant King, in the deputy lead position, moved to take over the lead. As Lieutenant King let down his tail hit the number one propeller of the lead ship as it was coming back into its former position. I saw Lieutenant King’s airplane spiral down and go in a flat spin. The tail of Lieutenants King’s aircraft was sheared off. The weather was clear and just before the plane hit and burst into flame I saw one parachute open. This was at about 1255 hours at approximately 50 28N 18 04E, in Germany."<br />
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The single parachute belonged to S/Sgt. Joseph Weisler, the only man to make it out of the plane. He spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. Since the rest of the crew was never recovered, they remain listed as missing.</span>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-31470748672539759112011-09-11T12:50:00.001-04:002011-09-11T13:01:01.314-04:00Kelley Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPAKR7KYuLObjn-yIcUMxEjoTCjn8rqLd8GIix1PF1W3KomJaFWPBY3lAB2Bl9ThKebT4bQqdiXmdeMP0qTqgnEil-D-syH7sKt3_3G35fWfb1Zs935bzBI4CoPYLIYUCPSd3OaeUCqo/s1600/Kelley.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212px" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPAKR7KYuLObjn-yIcUMxEjoTCjn8rqLd8GIix1PF1W3KomJaFWPBY3lAB2Bl9ThKebT4bQqdiXmdeMP0qTqgnEil-D-syH7sKt3_3G35fWfb1Zs935bzBI4CoPYLIYUCPSd3OaeUCqo/s320/Kelley.bmp" width="320px" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">in Memory of<br />
Sgt. Cornelius F. Kelley<br />
Born: December 18, 1887<br />
Died of wounds received in battle<br />
Verdun, France<br />
October 13, 1918</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sgt. Kelley was a man of unquestioned bravery, which is just as well given that his memorial overlooks Kelley Square. This nightmare of an intersection needed some sort of name, so it became one of the few (if not only) memorial squares with a name that people regularly know and use. The WPL site describes Kelley Square as the intersection of Green and Harding streets, but in common parlance, the name is applied to the entire mess which is the confluence of Vernon, Water, Harding, Green, Madison, Harding again (the only street that runs through the square instead of terminating there), and Millbury streets. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">As evidence of his unquestioned bravery, I submit his citation for the Silver Star (France threw in a Croix de Guerre to go with it.):</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: small;">Awarded for actions during the Wolrd War I</span></em><span style="font-size: small;">By direction of the President, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918 (Bul. No. 43, W.D., 1918), Corporal Cornelius F. Kelley, United States Army, is cited by the Commanding General, American Expeditionary Forces, for gallantry in action and a silver star may be placed upon the ribbon of the Victory Medals awarded him. Corporal Kelley distinguished himself by gallantry in action while serving with the 102d Field Artillery Regiment, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, in action in the Chemin des Dames Sector, France, 28 February 1918, while repairing telephone lines under artillery fire.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>General Orders: </strong>GHQ, 26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, Citation Orders No. 8 (March 1, 1920)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Action Date:</strong> February 28, 1918<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Service: </strong>Army</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Rank: </strong>Corporal</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Regiment:</strong> 102 Field Artillery Regiment</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Division: </strong>26th Division, American Expeditionary Forces</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">After surviving the offensives of Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne, Sgt. Kelley died as a result of a mustard gas attack less than a month before the end of the war. </span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(I apologize for reverting to the low quality pics from my cell phone. As Chris’s schedule permits, this will be improved.)</span></span></span>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-66338594683119115272011-09-01T10:36:00.000-04:002011-09-01T10:36:51.779-04:00Tovisio Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMWVTTmIEe-W_ZTwGsPW037zgg05gvxbtLLaV_bktYee4lCjK91zXwkHHxPi4C8npBjPyaFywbYdvNsZp4Dfmv2ZjL6HbMb4HjZhVl8rF7VqKSBeJALHx2ulncdFHriezpEmUYMMuLhA/s1600/Torvisio_4868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMWVTTmIEe-W_ZTwGsPW037zgg05gvxbtLLaV_bktYee4lCjK91zXwkHHxPi4C8npBjPyaFywbYdvNsZp4Dfmv2ZjL6HbMb4HjZhVl8rF7VqKSBeJALHx2ulncdFHriezpEmUYMMuLhA/s320/Torvisio_4868.JPG" width="213" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">in Memory of<br />
Vincent Tovisio, Private<br />
Co. I 308th Infantry<br />
Born: April 8, 1894<br />
Killed in action at Oise-Aisne, France<br />
September 16, 1918</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The memorial to Vincent Tovisio stands at the intersection of Franklin and Suffolk streets. It is among the minority of memorials that tells us what unit he served with, which made his story comparatively easy to track down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Private Tovisio's war was hardcore trench warfare: alternately going over the top into no-man's-land in the face of machine gun fire, or watching the enemy come over their top and coming at you with flamethrowers, and under constant shelling, whether coming, going, or just hunkering down. The 308th fought in a number of battles, but they were all the same. Hold this spot, take that one, see whether you can tell them apart... About a month after his death, part of the 308th (though not Co I) would gain fame as the Lost Battalion, when they were cut off from their own lines and took heavy causualties. But heavy casualties were the order of the day; even before that incident, the unit had more replacements than surviving original troops. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The history of the 308th is sufficiently well documented that I can say what they were doing the day Private Tovisio died. They had recently been through one major battle; they were shortly to go into another. But shades of <strong>All Quiet on the Western Front</strong>, on September 16th, they were taking a break. An Italian regiment was moving in to take over their position, and the 308th had the day off - from everything but the shelling. They counted it as an easy, non-combat day, and at the end of it they moved out, but without Vincent Tovisio.</span><br />
</div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-69246678567593222452011-08-26T10:19:00.000-04:002011-08-26T10:19:32.562-04:00Stone Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXtBqrSbS0ZNA9oiWWgP-CXNgOIdx2fL865YqF6deCGETxQKV2WXxrB3HBZdw4LObKU5qIDu-NlsevNtYZAuPoNjVDRPW-wFnZlxa7fhOb21gpcrL7wGb850Kw5CzOzvgV8u_sFmSSgA/s1600/Stone_4874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXtBqrSbS0ZNA9oiWWgP-CXNgOIdx2fL865YqF6deCGETxQKV2WXxrB3HBZdw4LObKU5qIDu-NlsevNtYZAuPoNjVDRPW-wFnZlxa7fhOb21gpcrL7wGb850Kw5CzOzvgV8u_sFmSSgA/s320/Stone_4874.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">in Memory of<br />
S 1/C George L. Stone<br />
Born: March 16, 1919<br />
Killed in action aboard USS Quincy, Sayo Island<br />
August 9, 1942</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The beginning of World War II found the heavy cruiser USS Quincy</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in the Atlantic on convoy duty. In 1942 whe was transfered to the Pacific fleet to take part in the ivasion of Guadalcanal. The Japanese had taken the Philipines from the US, Malaysia from the British, and the East Indies from the Dutch, and were gobbling up the rest of the Pacific. They had taken Guadalcanal, the largest of the Solomon Islands, in May. US Marines landed in August, and the ground fighting would continue for six months before the final Japanese evacuation.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The invasion began August 7th. The Quincy shelled Japanese positions before the landings, and provided anti-aircraft fire and artillery support for the troops once ashore. By the end of the 8th, she was stationed to the north of the beachhead. Before sunrise on the 9th the Japanese fleet attacked, and the Quincy's battle turned into an old fashioned ship-to-ship artillery duel.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The USS Quincy was the first ship to sink in an area that became known as Ironbottom Sound. She has been reported to still be sitting, upright, though missing her bow forward of the gun turrets, in 3000 feet of water. Nearly half her crew, including her captain and Seaman Stone, went down with her.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">George Stone's memorial stands at the intersection of Hamilton and Almont streets.</span></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-41248463281058067242011-08-24T09:06:00.001-04:002011-08-24T09:10:50.576-04:00Migauckas Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWFOBm4QDC0BpiLJVStqmcFSZiOXQ_nAqCtTpJnRQjU9Y17wYfszMdyS2bytQGtAIze4rIYWhRYMRujxcw3Cnt5L5wh45Y7HkYqt9gXlQW0YyMlVLNhVfqYqaun09-oLtAhaH9G1YwoA/s1600/Migaukas_4845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWFOBm4QDC0BpiLJVStqmcFSZiOXQ_nAqCtTpJnRQjU9Y17wYfszMdyS2bytQGtAIze4rIYWhRYMRujxcw3Cnt5L5wh45Y7HkYqt9gXlQW0YyMlVLNhVfqYqaun09-oLtAhaH9G1YwoA/s320/Migaukas_4845.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">in Memory of<br />
Sergt Thomas J. Migauckas<br />
Company C 101st Engineers<br />
Born: May 5, 1891<br />
Killed in action at St. Mihiel<br />
September 12, 1918</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The memorial for Sgt. Migauckas stands at the intersection of Providence and Harrison streets. He was a graduate of Holy Cross '14, and apparently a lawyer, so I'm a bit surprised to find him in the ranks rather than commissioned.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial;">This entry is quoted from <em>Holy Cross College Service Record, War of 1917,</em> published by the college:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">"<em>Lawyer</em>. Worcester, Mass. He enlisted with the 101st Regiment of U.S. engineers in May, 1917, at Boston, Mass. Here he received the usual training in the Boston Armory and was made a corporal. He sailed for France, September 24th, 1917 and was there assigned to an officer's training school. With the rank of Sargeant he was in the engagements at Chateau Thierry, Marne River and St. Mihiel, and was killed by a machine gun bullet through the heart at St. Mihiel, September 12, 1918."</span></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-13556961523246667032011-08-20T11:48:00.002-04:002011-08-27T09:49:25.303-04:00Beinar Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzoEGZr6VkW89MrCeWJz_6cDHUOJ5ym9huRjkj8Uj3kUcG5T46GfvrADQRkSG8obdBeKeE65Qsm9y7eMsxm8CIRUTsAaenrmyOo-c0LVtsDM-O3v3xsEbdgcJeuTNjwuMSrXxonStpHw/s1600/Beinar_4834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzoEGZr6VkW89MrCeWJz_6cDHUOJ5ym9huRjkj8Uj3kUcG5T46GfvrADQRkSG8obdBeKeE65Qsm9y7eMsxm8CIRUTsAaenrmyOo-c0LVtsDM-O3v3xsEbdgcJeuTNjwuMSrXxonStpHw/s320/Beinar_4834.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">in Memory of <br />
Lt. Theopilus E. Beinar, USAF<br />
Born: November 28, 1919<br />
Killed in plane flight at Elmshausen Bergstrasse, Erback, Germany<br />
April, 13, 1944</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Theopilus Beinar signed up in February of 1942, a couple of months after Pearl Harbor. Whatever he was before the war, he must have brought something into the service, because though enlisted as a Private, it was apparently already intended that he be made a warrant officer. As it turned out, he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron, in the 384th Bomb Group.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">He served as a navigator on B-17 Flying Fortresses on at least nine missions, one of which ended with a bad landing that destroyed the plane, though the crew was not injured. His last flight was aboard the 42-31048 - if the plane had a nickname, or nose art <em>a la</em> Big Chief Cockeye</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial;">I found no record.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The April 13th mission targeted a ball bearing plant in Schweinfurt, Germany. Ball bearings were used in planes, trains, tanks, and the entirety of German industry, so the bombing would certainly have made sense. And, of course, it made sense for the Germans to try to stop it. Of 23 Flying Fortresses on the mission, six were lost. Some of the crewmen made it to earth, to become POWs, but this only included one person from Beinar's plane.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lieutenant Beinar's memorial stands at Vernon and Harlem Streets.</span></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-88641429799959518472011-08-18T10:30:00.001-04:002011-08-18T10:33:37.892-04:00Kirminas Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAcpWy8fJh-WUuscS-8VzN2RvGUHDwykm7bOy0O2o-tGZOeVooIK0AQX9V-J5EazikULdTDWhqilQo7Mik-xU-BSUewjkFF6wJv_0cdUd3EX2Xjly1Eh_rcy4tlq-yy0sDwfhsENZszE/s1600/Kirminas_4847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilAcpWy8fJh-WUuscS-8VzN2RvGUHDwykm7bOy0O2o-tGZOeVooIK0AQX9V-J5EazikULdTDWhqilQo7Mik-xU-BSUewjkFF6wJv_0cdUd3EX2Xjly1Eh_rcy4tlq-yy0sDwfhsENZszE/s320/Kirminas_4847.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">in Memory of<br />
T/Sgt. Daniel V. Kirminas<br />
Born: August 12, 1920<br />
Killed in action – Neuss, Germany<br />
March 1, 1945</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This memorial stands on the corner of Providence and Aetna streets, by Worcester Academy. Sgt. Kirminas joined the army in November of 1942, and served in the 329th infantry, 83rd Division. He fought in Normandy, and in the Battle of the Bulge; the boots-on-the-ground, which-way-to-Berlin part of the war. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Having survived the Bulge, he was killed in one of a series of comparatively minor clashes as his unit moved east. The 83rd rolled on, taking town after town, capturing Neuss on March 1st. Unfortunately, "comparatively minor" battles still carried real risk.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">From Neuss, the 83rd would go on to liberate Langenstein, a subcamp of Buchenwald. When the war in Europe ended, the 329th would be the American unit closest to Berlin. Even before Neuss, Kirminas saw plenty of war. He couldn't be blamed if he approved of letting the Russians do as much of the fighting as possible. But he was Lithuanian, so I can't help wondering whether he wouldn't have prefered to see his buddies keep going east, until they marched beyond Berlin into Moscow...</span></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-49064045379360799132011-08-13T09:50:00.002-04:002011-08-13T16:39:39.178-04:00Keating Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmnLIxBj6XHkO2rS_LhWhL2OzOnM2eegDSKe2hOP4rfhFhYEztRNLjlNLMLQ_XvGA-MaBTAa_RhtEM4DT_BX-pV5Y9FuQOYGC7y83WIHH0OkHf7Q9rsZMTWMQBbUoPQwieIMLrIATfDY/s1600/Keating_4861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmnLIxBj6XHkO2rS_LhWhL2OzOnM2eegDSKe2hOP4rfhFhYEztRNLjlNLMLQ_XvGA-MaBTAa_RhtEM4DT_BX-pV5Y9FuQOYGC7y83WIHH0OkHf7Q9rsZMTWMQBbUoPQwieIMLrIATfDY/s320/Keating_4861.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in Memory of<br />
Pvt. Thomas F. Keating<br />
Born: August 23, 1906<br />
Killed in action – Brouvelieurs, France<br />
October 20, 1944</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At the intersection of Green, Franklin and Foster streets there are three memorial markers. To judge by the listing at the WPL site, two of them must have been relocated from nearby spots, and this memorial to Thomas Keating was apparently the first one here. It is the only memorial I've seen so far with a second plaque affixed to it, on the front of the stone. (This is also the first one photographed properly, by my wife. Thanks, Christina.) So I shall let this one speak for itself:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Second Purple Heart Awarded</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">April 10, 1992</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For wounds received in action October 20, 1944</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Official record corrected after grandson of Private Thomas F. Keating uncovered proof that, although thought to be missing in action, Private Keating had been wounded in August of 1944, which represented the missing record that should have resulted in the first Purple Heart. Private Keating wrote to his son describing his injuries as: "a slight wound in the head and thigh...will be better soon."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> After recovering he was driven back to the front by a friend in his ambulance. He was assigned to the 179th Infantry Division, where he was involved in a battle surrounding Brouvelieurs, France as mentioned on the original memorial.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> His son, Thomas F. Keating, wrote while kneeling at the grave site in Epial, France 48 years later:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> "A feeling of peaceful tranquility comes over you at this beautiful place. Heroes close to God."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">M.I. Keating 2004</span></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-73137401784423914402011-08-10T11:26:00.005-04:002011-08-13T09:53:24.104-04:00Kosciuszek Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopZjMptCOh44wESibZ0Am4GtsBWC_E8l7sBlUWH2sHBQkR3rxj-6RExWnnS1Rsagq1yrmoyhpAf9GcBG_6Kf_34A38EpsPzd2ClUArokd8NR0ch4bABPJKHzDRWrke28n4FMSBKkTdGE/s1600/cockeye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopZjMptCOh44wESibZ0Am4GtsBWC_E8l7sBlUWH2sHBQkR3rxj-6RExWnnS1Rsagq1yrmoyhpAf9GcBG_6Kf_34A38EpsPzd2ClUArokd8NR0ch4bABPJKHzDRWrke28n4FMSBKkTdGE/s320/cockeye.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in Memory of</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">S/Sgt. Peter P. Kosciuszek</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Born August 5, 1919</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Killed in Japan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">July 4, 1944</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first read this plaque at the intersection of Providence and Upsala Streets , I wondered how this man came to be in Japan in the first place. The usual practice for the Japanese was to hold their prisoners near the areas in which they were captured. They wouldn't normally transport them to Japan. I wondered if he were perhaps shot down over Japan.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I found was that Peter Kosciuszek was assistant engineer (& gunner; apparently everyone was "& gunner" when the time came) of a B-24 Liberator nicknamed the Big Chief Cockeye. (I think this image of the nose art is in the public domain; if anyone knows otherwise, please let me know.) Unfortunately, I'm not at all sure that the memorial plaque is correct.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a fair amount of material available on the Big Chief, which crashed into a mountain on the Indonesian island of Ceram on July 5, 1944. Originally the entire crew was considered KFA - killed in a flying accident. Some sources available on line still list them all that way. It is, after all, what you would expect from a crash like that.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found one source that states there was one survivor, the weather observer, who was captured and died in a POW camp before VJ day. That sounds all too plausible, and the story could have come from camp records or surviving prisoners. But on a website dedicated to Liberators I also found a claim that three crew members were captured and executed by the Japanese. The three were unnamed, and no source was given for the information. This doesn't strike me as likely. Taking them to Japan for execution is implausible, and if they were shot where they were found, who would know?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few years after the war, Sgt. Kosciuszek was laid to rest at Honolulu Cemetary, but whether his remains were brought from Indonesia or somewhere else, I don't know. In the absence of any other information, I'm inclined to think he was killed in the crash, or just possibly, shot on Ceram. If anyone out there does have more information, please, let me know.</span></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-31147088557114379142011-08-07T15:40:00.000-04:002011-08-07T15:40:46.840-04:00A brief administrative post<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least a couple of people tried to leave comments and were unable to. I apologize, because I definitely want everyone to be able to contribute. (I especially want to hear from anyone with information about anyone commemorated in the Memorial Squares.) </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I have corrected the problem; please let me know if there is any further difficulty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The photographs I've been using were taken by me, on my cell phone. I am pleased to announce that my wife, a real photographer, has volunteered to get me decent photographs to work with. As her schedule permits, the quality of the pictures will be upgraded. Thanks, Christina!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally, If you are justs discovering this blog, I recommend beginning with the original post. After that, there is no particular sequence.</span>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-30772195867163695312011-08-06T06:55:00.001-04:002011-08-14T12:24:44.463-04:00Sullivan Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ0sQae4WSxWRYab1BIRCpen7Kf6-AfIvHbcggg0GWWulvZHebcxK6WdkYpjluPjH6FO_gmwf3S84CnU6v5ZxKWbYMhyq7ARTrkPUpBxpXPFMo2tBip6AcZr68eN9ckwJELh4Zu18mgY/s1600/Sullivan_4894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQ0sQae4WSxWRYab1BIRCpen7Kf6-AfIvHbcggg0GWWulvZHebcxK6WdkYpjluPjH6FO_gmwf3S84CnU6v5ZxKWbYMhyq7ARTrkPUpBxpXPFMo2tBip6AcZr68eN9ckwJELh4Zu18mgY/s320/Sullivan_4894.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in Memory of<br />
Private Charles J. Sullivan<br />
Company G 101st Infantry<br />
Born: February 27, 1901<br />
Killed in action at Aisne-Marne, France<br />
July 21, 1918</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I found this marker at Lincoln and Melrose only after hearing the story of Charlie Sullivan. Worcester has a longer memory than I thought. I turn the rest of this post over to Beth Savage:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">"I'm not sure if I ever told you about my grandfather, Francis E. Savage. He dropped out of school at 16 to join the army during WWI. He ended up in the Emmet Guard, led by General Foley. (Foley Stadium, where my father worked, was named for him.)<br />
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"My grandfather joined up with his friend Charlie. About 6 months later, Charlie was killed by a bomb dropped from a plane. My grandfather carried him back to the trenches even though he knew Charlie was dead.<br />
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"He spent most of his time on the front lines in France where he received a Silver Star and later, a Purple Heart.<br />
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"After the war, he couldn't find a job as a plumber so he joined the Worcester Police Dept and became a detective. At the time, a bunch of the Emmets' became cops as well. He must have been a pretty well known figure (although I wasn't aware of it) since he had a scrapbook full of newspaper articles that referred to him. Some are related to his work as a cop and with the veterans, but there are also short little "sightings".<br />
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"My father and I have been working on finding out more about his ancestors and relatives- he never knew much about his aunts, uncles, and cousins on either side. I've got bits and pieces on this. Here's what I know:<br />
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"His name was Charles Sullivan. He lived in the North End, near the Armory, but I don't have an address. He and my grandfather lived next door to each other. I don't have an exact age, but he must have been pretty close to my grandfather. I think he was probably older since there's a comment about my great-grandmother having to give permission for my grandfather to join (required at 16), but nothing about Charles having to do the same.<br />
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"He would have been in the 101st Infantry, Company G, 26th division.<br />
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"They joined in April 1917. In the fall, they were part of the first American Expeditionary Force division to fight with the French on the front lines. My grandfather was also at Verdun, but I'm pretty sure that was after Charles died. I can go through my records again to check if it matters.<br />
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"The Emmet Guard was named for Robert Emmet and was mostly full of Irish soldiers.<br />
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"Charles died in July 1918 at Chateau Thierry along with some other friends of my grandfather.<br />
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"The quote I have from my grandfather is that he carried Charles back to the trench even though "I knew absolutely he was dead." The quote is from an article in the T&G about my grandfather retiring- I've seen it in another article as well.<br />
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"I also have the following and lots of info about the cemetery itself (including a nice brochure and a little video).<br />
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"Charles J. Sullivan<br />
Private First Class, U.S. Army<br />
101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Division<br />
Entered the Service from: Massachusetts<br />
Died: July 21, 1918<br />
Buried at: Plot A Row 12 Grave 30<br />
Aisne-Marne American Cemetery<br />
Belleau, France<br />
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"I doubt that there's a memorial for him in Worcester since I'm sure my grandfather would have mentioned it. On the other hand… maybe there is one! If so, I'd love to know about it."</span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-7363497756220427262011-08-05T13:19:00.005-04:002011-08-14T12:28:53.136-04:00Lonergan Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_M-U7Ervz6rQXODLUiHIVU91qC84PyKhgZDH70ZFuOTKE5QdqoY8U-lW8M2XvAY-wOYty4gRwukpIvm5i9YLx5Lz2iEBU68liOWvV3fqZ762eHjlymDFlqtBqJdTyvWzlahRWI5GVKPw/s1600/Lonergan_4841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_M-U7Ervz6rQXODLUiHIVU91qC84PyKhgZDH70ZFuOTKE5QdqoY8U-lW8M2XvAY-wOYty4gRwukpIvm5i9YLx5Lz2iEBU68liOWvV3fqZ762eHjlymDFlqtBqJdTyvWzlahRWI5GVKPw/s320/Lonergan_4841.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Memory of<br />
Private John F. Lonergan<br />
Born: August 4, 1892<br />
Died in service in France<br />
October 3, 1918</span></div><div align="center"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Not everyone has a dramatic personal story. If John Lonergan did, I haven't found it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I barely found confirmation that he did serve and he did die, and I already accepted the evidence of the plaque on those points. Was he married? Was he in the army looking for glory, or for three meals a day, or because he heard girls love a man in uniform?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Herbert Stake clearly lied to enlist, so he must have believed in what he was doing. Odds are good that at his age he was still single. I felt safe drawing conclusions like that about him from what little information I had.</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The only thing this plaque tells me is that John Lonergan did not die as a direct result of the war. The phrase "died in service" implies that he died of natural causes. Throughout history, more troops have been killed by disease than by their enemies. In France, in the fall of 1918, it's almost certain he died of the flu. There's a dramatic story to be told about Lonergan's death, but he appears in it as an extra, one of the 100 million killed in what John Barry called "The Deadliest Pandemic in History" in his excellent book, <strong>The Great Influenza</strong>.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It may be appropriate that his memorial sits in front of a medical building, at the intersection of Vernon and Winthrop, but I can't convince myself that he would appreciate the irony.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090593455061878181.post-67971872320614903552011-08-03T18:20:00.002-04:002011-08-14T11:01:56.881-04:00Stake Square<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiXXG6obOalMEvsNUVTWSgfzd7XpDYV-ScSIZo9qP8eFu-Glb7GPhipivk6gnn56Rd-fdGj54Loro0WyzPJzEiQsWvhhi00Glb4kAAMfmAvhclLkUcI_wrr0yymYDPVOaWvovBkQGCkU/s1600/Stake_4843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiXXG6obOalMEvsNUVTWSgfzd7XpDYV-ScSIZo9qP8eFu-Glb7GPhipivk6gnn56Rd-fdGj54Loro0WyzPJzEiQsWvhhi00Glb4kAAMfmAvhclLkUcI_wrr0yymYDPVOaWvovBkQGCkU/s320/Stake_4843.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">There's nothing unusual about cities putting up war memorials, but Worcester takes an unusual approach. In addition to the usual memorials, it names intersections after individuals. Nobody uses, or even knows, these names. People pass the piece of granite with the bronze plaque on the streetcorner with eyes glazed over. If they ever glance at it, they see a name that means nothing to them. Not only is the Greatest Generation thin on the ground and fading fast, but babies born after WWII are retiring now. For the kids who pass Stake Square (the intersection of Ames and Stockton) as they enter Vernon Park, the plaque may as well commemorate Caesar's Gallic Wars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But I recently started walking a couple of miles around my neighborhood every morning, and the plaque for Seaman 1/c Herbert Stake, Jr caught my eye. He was lost at sea off Anzio Beach. It seemed so sad, so lacking, compared with all the "died of wounds received" or "killed in action" plaques. I wanted to know what had happened to him. I doubted that anyone would remember. It seemed unlikely that he'd left a wife and child behind, and surely his parents are long gone. If any collateral relatives remain in the Worcester area, it's unlikely they're old enough to remember him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I tried reading what I could into the plaque. A block away is a marker for a Seaman 2/c five years Stake's senior (though perhaps not senior in service), so I decided that Stake must have given satisfactory service to rate 1/c. It's far from the top of the pyramid, but I pegged him for a guy who did his work well and pulled his own weight. I didn't think I would be able to find anything else to satisfy my curiosity, but I googled Seaman Stake anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I got three hits for the right person. One informed me that his parents had once lived a few streets away from the marker. Another was the list maintained by Worcester Public Library of all the memorial squares in the city. The third was a webpage memorializing all the crewmen of LCIs - Landing Craft Infantry - killed in action. Stake was listed as lost with the LCI 32, sunk by a mine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There were 23 names listed under the LCI 32, the longest list on the page. I thought, some of these can't be crewmen; this must include passengers being brought ashore. But a quick search told me the LCI's were far larger than I thought. This ship was over 150 feet long, built to land 200 infantry at a time, with two dozen or more crew.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">It sank on the 26th of January, 1944. The landings at Anzio had begun the 22nd, and were nearly unopposed. That first trip into shore must have been nerve-wracking, but by the 26th, I concluded, it must have been routine. Sure, there would be more fighting to come, but Stake and his crewmates must have figured they'd weathered the worst for now. The mine must have come as a shock. But 23 men lost? If that wasn't the entire crew, it must have been close, and there was a whold flotilla of ships of Anzio. Why wasn't anyone rescued?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Then it hit me. Because if you wanted to rescue them, you needed to follow them into a minefield. If ever anything says "proceed with caution," "minefield" is it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now that I had the ship's designation, I was able to find one last site that gave me more of the story. In the early hours of the morning of the 26th, a storm drove the LST 422 into a known minefield, where it began to sink. In 20 to 30 foot seas that were pushing around larger ships than the LCI 32, and the winds to create such seas (and did I mention hail?), the LCI 32 was one of the ships that knew, whatever I thought in the last paragraph, you don't leave men in the water. They </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">went into the minefield to rescue the men of the LST 422. There it became the second ship to sink, with almost all of its crew.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now, the thing that caught my eye when I glanced at this particular plaque was a date. I thought, "That can't be right," and stopped to take a closer look, and start researching. Because when Herbert Stake, Jr. went into the sea off Anzio, he was 16 years old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My mind protests, tries to reach back across the decades, tries to put a hand on this boy's shoulder and tell him, "Herbie, you don't belong here. Go on home, go back to school." But he's having none of my condescension. He just shrugs my hand off, and says, "My name isn't Herbie, Pops, it's Seaman Stake, and I've got work to do."</span><br />
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<div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Stake Square</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In Memory of</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">S 1/c Herbert Stake, Jr.</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Born July 26, 1927</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lost at Sea</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Anzio Beach, Italy</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Jan. 26, 1944</span></div>David O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817438324761020663noreply@blogger.com10