By William P. O’Donnell, Norfolk County Register of Deeds
As the final Monday in May approaches, our nation pauses to observe Memorial Day a solemn occasion to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces. In 2026, this remembrance carries added meaning as we prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a milestone that invites us to reflect not only on the freedoms we enjoy today, but on the earliest sacrifices made to secure them.
Memorial Day’s roots trace back to the aftermath of the Civil War, a time of profound national healing. Initially known as Decoration Day, communities across the country began adorning the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, a simple yet powerful act of remembrance. In 1971, it was officially recognized as a federal holiday, observed on the last Monday of May.
Yet the spirit of Memorial Day reaches even further back to the founding of our republic itself. More than 250 years ago, ordinary men from towns across Norfolk County answered the call to defend liberty. Farmers, tradesmen, and neighbors left their homes to stand against tyranny, many never to return. Their sacrifices laid the foundation for the independence declared in 1776.
There are many meaningful ways we can show our respect on Memorial Day. Visiting a cemetery or local memorial offers a moment to reflect among the silent rows of tribute. Placing flowers or American flags on veterans’ graves is a tangible act of remembrance. Attending a local parade or ceremony allows us to come together in shared gratitude and to consider the profound cost of freedom.
A few years back, on Memorial Day, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Natalie Fultz, addressed a large crowd at Milton Cemetery. She was 100 years old, but with age comes wisdom. She asked the audience a simple but very profound question: “How can we best honor and best remember our nation's heroes who have fallen in service?”
Her question came with an answer. “We can and should talk about the heroism and sacrifice, ensuring that the younger generations know of their efforts.” It is estimated that approximately 1.3 million Americans have died in service to their country.
It is precisely this sacrifice that Natalie Fultz urged us not to forget. One of the most powerful ways to honor the fallen is by sharing their stories. By recounting their lives and sacrifices, we ensure their legacies endure and that future generations understand the price paid for independence and for our freedoms as Americans.
Here in Norfolk County, we can look back to the Revolutionary War and remember those from our own communities who gave their lives in the fight for American independence. Patriots from towns such as Dedham, Braintree, Milton, Needham, Walpole, and Stoughton, along with individuals from villages and communities that would later become Norfolk County towns, marched to Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and beyond. Some fell on those very fields in 1775, among the first to give their lives in what would become a long and arduous struggle for freedom.
Among those who made that sacrifice on the very first day of the Revolution were Patriots from Dedham and Needham who answered the call and never returned home.
Elias Haven (1742–1775), a farmer from Dedham (in what is now Dover), answered the alarm on April 19, 1775, as news of the fighting at Lexington spread across the region. He joined fellow militia and marched toward Menotomy (now Arlington), where British troops were retreating. In the fierce fighting near the Jason Russell House and Arlington Meeting House, Haven was killed, becoming one of Norfolk County’s earliest casualties of the Revolution.
Elisha Mills (1735–1775), a blacksmith and farmer from East Needham, was likewise drawn into the conflict that day. Marching with Captain Robert Smith’s militia, he reached Menotomy and took part in the intense battle near Jason Russell’s farm, where he was killed. Mills was one of five Needham men who fell in the engagement, alongside Amos Mills, Nathaniel Chamberlain, Jonathan Parker, and John Bacon.
Norfolk County has patriots who made profound sacrifices at the very outset of the American Revolution. That same dedication endured. Norfolk County in the years that followed America’s independence has stories of patriots and veterans who made sure the government formed and freedoms found in the United States of America continued.
Meda Morse (1890 – 1918) was a Foxborough native and a descendant of one of the town’s founding families. She was a high school graduate and a licensed nurse. Meda became a nurse for the American Red Cross, which became integrated into the national war effort during World War I.
She worked in military hospitals, and her last assignment was at Fort Zachary Taylor in Kentucky in the fall of 1918, during the height of the influenza epidemic, which claimed the lives of 675,000 Americans. Meda's job was to assist in the medical processing of soldiers going to Europe.
While performing her duties, she contracted the flu and fell critically ill. Her family was notified, and her mother reached her bedside just hours before she passed on Christmas Eve. In recognition of her ultimate sacrifice, the grave of Meda Morse is marked with a veteran’s plaque.
Daniel Mahoney Jr. (1920–1944), a Stoughton native from a family known for giving back to the community, might never have had the chance to serve his country during World War II. At age nine, he was accidentally shot by a neighborhood boy, but thanks to the quick actions of a cabdriver—who rushed him to the hospital and donated blood—his life was saved.
Dan graduated from Stoughton High School and became an auto mechanic. In 1942, he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Forces and trained as an aircraft mechanic. The following year, he was sent to Europe and served as a tail gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber.
He died from friendly fire when a bomb was accidentally dropped on his plane by an Allied aircraft. His body was recovered five years later on a mountainside in Yugoslavia. Sgt. Mahoney left his parents, four sisters, and his fiancée, Dorothy Sweet, who never married.
Paying tribute to Natalie Fultz’s words there is a booklet publishing the stories of county residents and honoring their service as veterans. To explore the stories of Norfolk County’s veterans across generations, I encourage you to visit the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds’ Notable Land Records Vol. 3: “We Remember Our Veterans,” available here:
https://www.norfolkdeeds.org/news-event/notable-land-records-vol-3. If you would like a hard copy of this booklet, please email me at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.
This Memorial Day, as we unite as a community and as a nation to honor the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, let us also take time to reflect on the unwavering dedication of the earliest patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of American independence at the very founding of our nation some 250 years ago. May we carry forward their legacy of courage, sacrifice, and devotion to freedom, ensuring that their memory lives on here in the communities of Norfolk County and beyond.
Note: Veteran’s Day speaker Natalie Fultz died the following year after her speech at age 101 on September 26, 2020. She was buried in a private ceremony at Milton Cemetery, on the same grounds where she delivered her memorable Memorial Day speech.
