Paying homage to the memories of local soldiers
Published on May 30th, 2007
STONEHAM, MA - A retired U.S. special forces veteran called upon Stonehamites to do more in remembrance of the country's hundreds of thousands of war dead during the town's Memorial Day ceremonies at Town Hall this Monday.
According to Warren Street resident Don Tocci, a retired member of the armed forces' elite Navy Seals unit, the town's natives had always answered the country's call to duty, with Stonehamites serving and sacrificing their lives in every conflict the United States' history.
"We in Stoneham pay honors going back to the minutemen of the Revolutionary War, and even prior to that, the French and Indian Wars. Men and women from Stoneham have fought in every conflict our country has ever been in," said Tocci.
"Each conflict is significant and worth of our reverence. Here, these Stonehamites were and are parents and children, our brothers and sisters, and friends and neighbors," the Navy veteran furthered.
The annual Memorial Day parade, which began at 10 a.m. this Monday, started at St. Patrick's Cemetery, continued to Lindewood Cemetery, and then concluded with Tocci's speech at Town Hall.
In addition, two local Stoneham students, Maura and Emily Houghton, read essays that they prepared for the Veterans of Foreign Wars' (VFW) nationwide 'Voice of Democracy' and 'Patriotic Pen' essay contest.
Jerry Sullivan, a former George J. Hall VFW Post 620 commander, was the grand marshall of the parade, which also featured participants from the American Legion Post 115 and Stoneham police and fire departments.
Long-time Memorial Day Parade Committee Chair and event organizer Fred Mosley, who stepped down from the role last year after 60-years of service, was honored, along with the late Joseph DeSisto, for his dedication to the town's veterans.
According to Mosley, who expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the recognition, he was very impressed with the day's ceremonies, put together by his Memorial Day Parade Committee successors.
"I think it went great, really. There was a very good turnout and it went really well. They did a great job," said Mosley.
While proud of the town's ceremonies, the long-time veteran's advocate espoused his view that younger generations need to start getting involved with the annual remembrance of the war dead - a sentiment expressed by many over recent years.
According to Mosley, who decorated the graves at Lindenwood Cemetery along with Memorial Day Parade Committee member Fred Kranefuss, its becoming far too difficult to complete the annual task.
"I'm 80-years-old and Freddy is getting old too. We put out so many flags and you're walking over grass and it's not flat," the Park Street resident said. "I think we did somewhere in the vicinity of 24 dozen flags. We've all had to really push hard."
During his own speech, Tocci referred to Gen. John A. Logan, whose general order in 1968 created the nation's Memorial Day holiday.
In his order, Logan called upon the nation to let, "no vandalism or avarice or neglect, no ravages of time" to come the memories of the country's fallen veterans.
"What I think General Logan was saying is...that freedom is not free and we should no let anything, even the passage of time, allow us to forget those who have made the supreme sacrifice for our country," the former Navy Seal explained.
"For many Americans, Memorial Day marks the beginning of another summer. Certainly, that is very appropriate, but often we seem more occupied with enjoying the luxuries associated with a long holiday than with paying tribute to our country's fallen heroes."
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