19° and Overcast
Image
The Town of Franklin has one of the most beautiful Veteran’s Memorial areas in the state. If you haven’t been there recently, it is worth a visit. There are monuments for all wars centered in front of the WWI “Doughboy” monument. At the rear of the monument area is the Veterans’ Memorial Walkway which currently honors 1866 veterans who have served America.
Perhaps the most moving part of the Memorial area are the 45 granite posts which line the Veterans’ Walkway. Each one of these posts is dedicated to a Franklin veteran who gave his life, defending our freedom. These columns are beautifully done, marked with bronze plaques and a flag. During the holidays, each is also decorated with a beautiful wreath.
Over the past few months, Franklin’s Veterans’ organizations, the Edward L. Grant American Legion Post 75, and the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars Post 3402, under the auspices of the Town’s Veterans Council, have developed a program to further honor those who died for our nation, to ensure they are remembered, and their stories are kept alive.
Beginning in January, specifically on January 26, at 9:00 AM, the first of 45 ceremonies will take place at the column of William O. Martello, Ensign, U.S. Navy who died on that date off Anzio beach in Italy, when his landing craft struck a mine.
In February, there will be four veterans honored, February 18 – Air Force SSgt Alan Willard, Vietnam; February 22 – Navy Oiler James P. Murray, WWI; February 24 - Marine Corporal David Laughlan III, WWII, and February 26 – Marine Lance Corporal Richard L. Desper, Vietnam.
For the month of March, we will honor the following veterans. On March 10, a dual ceremony will be held for Army 2nd LT John A. Schur, WWII and Army PFC Marshall E. Rollins, both who lost their lives on the same day; March 18 - Army PFC Elton E. Ekstrom, WWII, and on March 30 – W. Franklin Lynch WWI.
This program will include the placing of a Memorial Wreath for the day, the playing of Taps, a salute from those present, and a reading of whatever history we may have on that veteran. This is a way of keeping the memory of that veteran alive.
This event will happen 45 times during the coming year. Some months, like January, only one ceremony will be held. Other months will have multiple ceremonies, such as February with 4 and June with 7. On March 10, April 9, July 18, and September 21, there will be dual ceremonies as we lost two veterans on the same day.
Families of the veterans, if known, will be invited to attend the ceremony.
The public is invited to attend these ceremonies to honor those who gave their lives.
Franklin’s military organizations support numerous veterans’ activities and encourage all veterans in town to join them.
According to American Legion vice commander, Dick Hynes, veterans lost in pre-20th century wars were deliberately left off for now because information on them is less readily available and because the volunteers hope to attract families still in the area to join in honoring their loved ones.
And, Hynes noted, “I had a lot of help from Rose Turco in collecting histories on the WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Gulf War vets." Turco, a retired Franklin teacher, has been a dedicated supporter of area veterans for many years. Hynes said for most of the WWI vets he had to rely on newspaper articles for historical information.
