New Ceremony to Honor Franklin Veterans Who Died In Service to Our Country: first of series starts Jan 26 at 9 AM

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.

Honoring Our Franklin Veterans Who Died In Service to Our Country

Get Your Tickets for the August Dinner Dance! - Aug 6

Get Your Tickets for the August Dinner Dance!

War Monument Restoration Project FUNdraiser - Saturday, August 6 - 6-10 PM

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO EVERYONE... BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS FOR A NIGHT OF FUN!

DINNER... DJ... DANCING... BEAUTIFUL RAFFLE BASKETS!

TICKETS ARE $20/PP AND ARE AVAILABLE IN THE VETERANS' SERVICES OFFICE AT THE SENIOR CENTER.

THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF THE THE FRANKLIN ELKS LODGE #2136, ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE WAR MONUMENT RESTORATION FUND!

WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US!

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/veterans-services/news/get-your-tickets-august-6th-dinner-dance

Get Your Tickets for the August Dinner Dance! - Aug 6

Recap: Community Preservation Committee hears more about pickleball, as well as monuments on Town Common (audio)

FM #702 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 702 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the second of two public hearings held by the Franklin, MA Community Preservation Committee. We recorded this via the Zoom conference bridge Jan 18, 2022.  

Quick Recap:

• Second of two public hearings opened Tuesday, Jan 18, 2022. Residents made several suggestions for use of the CPA money to be available later this year. 

• Vice-Chair David McNeill opens the meeting. Chair Chris Feeley joined along later

• My notes captured during the meeting were shared via Twitter and the thread doc is available in the show notes

The recording runs about 1 hour and 18 minutes, so let’s listen to the public hearing of Franklin’s Community Preservation Committee held Jan 18, 2022.

Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-702-community-preservation-cmte-public-hearing-2-01-18-22

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The committee legal notice can be found ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/2021-12-20_cpc_legal_ad_.pdf

The public hearing dates are:

1. January 4, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building at 355 East Central Street  Agenda = https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/2022-01-04_cpc_agenda_-_hearing_1.pdf

2. January 18, 2022 at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building at 355 East Central Street   Agenda =   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/2022-01-18_cpc_agenda_-_hearing_2.pdf

The Online application can be found at this link https://franklinma.viewpointcloud.com/categories/1097

Additional information regarding the CPC & CPA can be found at the following links:

1.  Community Preservation Coalition -> https://www.communitypreservation.org/about

2.  MA State Legislator - Community Preservation ->   https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter44B

3.  Secretary of State Page - Accepting the CPA ->   https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elecpa/cpaidx.htm

Please bookmark the Franklin CPC website: https://www.franklinma.gov/community-preservation-committee 

Notes and recording of first meeting ->  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/01/recap-community-preservation-committee.html 

CPC Pubic Hearing #2 Twitter thread -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/124zieglzk7CPBYqAJoXqwAuNRWLAhqT7/view?usp=sharing

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Recap: Community Preservation Committee hears more about pickleball,
as well as monuments on Town Common (audio)

In the News: town common concrete repairs, 1776 Financial shredding event, FDP Progressive Dinner

"Workers hope to have improvements on the town common veterans memorial complete before Memorial Day. 

The project aims to replace and re-grade the areas around the monument stones themselves. 

Dale Kurtz, the town veterans agent, said the intent is to beautify the area."The memorial is a great place," he said. "Lots of people stop by, and it's well-kept by the garden club."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160425/franklin-work-on-veterans-memorial-should-be-done-by-parade

concrete sections removed from around some of the memorials to be repaired and improved

"1776 Financial, 443 E. Central St., Franklin, will hold a shredding event from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. May 14 in its parking lot. 

Participants can shred tax returns, bank statements, receipts and other paper documents. Those attending are asked to bring one nonperishable food item for Franklin Food Pantry."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160425/1776-financial-to-host-shredding-event

"The Franklin Downtown Partnership will hold a progressive dinner at staggered times beginning at 5 p.m. May 15. 

Organizers will offer options at several downtown restaurants. Attendees can also take chances to win raffle items donated by FDP-member businesses. 

“Our progressive dinner is one way we are reminding our community to visit Franklin’s downtown eateries during the road construction process. What better way than to have people walking through downtown, enjoying local restaurants and entertainment with friends?” said event organizer Jane Curran, owner of Jane’s Frames and FDP board member."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20160425/franklin-downtown-partnership-progressive-dinner-to-be-held-may-15

How breezy was it Sunday?

Breezy enough so that all the flags around the memorials on the Town common were pegged out straight!

flags around the monuments on the Town Common

On this day - Gettysburg - July 3, 1863

150 years ago, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1 - 3. Pickett's Charge is arguably the critical point of the 3 day fight that allowed the North to turn back the South.

Southern view of Cemetery Ridge before Pickett's Charge

My wife and I visited Gettysburg in 2008 and captured these photos on the visit.

For more about the battle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg

Gettysburg Cemetery

The remains of 159 MA soldiers are marked in the cemetery where Abraham Lincoln gave the historic Gettysburg Address.

You can find the text of the Gettysburg Address on the Civil War memorial along the main street side of the Town Common.

Franklin - Civil War  Memorial

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. 

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address

Civil War Memorial - Franklin, MA - Town Common

Have a safe an enjoyable 4th of July!



FYI - Gettysburg is just one of the many sites to be explored on the National Park Service website as mentioned on the Dean College Library blog

to mark the 150^th anniversary of this battleground, the National Park Service (NPS) is giving Gettysburg National Military Park the royal treatment this summer.  From programming for all ages, to remembrance ceremonies of all sorts, there will be an event to meet every need.  Just check out theNational Park Service website for details.

Veterans Day - 2012

As we celebrate Veterans Day, if you haven't been to the Town Common recently to walk among the monuments these photos can help make that walk a virtual one.



My father was a veteran of World War II having served with the US Marine 4th Division on Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. He was fond of saying that the real heroes did not come home.

On this Veterans Day, let's remember those who are among us and those who have mustered on!

The sign is gone

It didn't take long to remove the sign for which that complaint was lodged at the Town Council meeting on Wednesday. Walking about for Franklin Photo Saturday, I checked on the Town Common and the sign previously found there was no longer around.

It was a glorious day for being out and about. I hope you all enjoyed your day.

Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: the sign in question

During the Citizens Comment portion of the Town Council meeting Weds evening, Ken Norman objected to the sign on the Town Common near the revamped war memorials.

Going back to May 2009, these signs were present (one in front, one further behind)

A more recent photo (March 2010) shows the enhanced sign.

This seems to be a more permanent sign than the one depicted in 2009. The coloring is aligned with the monument color scheme.

What do you think? Should the sign be there?


Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Town Common Monuments

There are a number of monuments around the Town Common in Franklin honoring the sacrifice of those who served in each war. On Memorial Day, we give thanks for their service.





Franklin, MA

Monument Collection

The collection of posts about the monuments on the Town Common including the dedication of the new Iraq/Afghanistan monument on Memorial Day 2009.

• Afghanistan monument side
• Iraq monument side
• Town Common: new monument view
• Dedication Program
• Channel 5 Coverage
• FM #40 - Memorial Day 2009
• Town Common Memorials
• Monument Mosaic
• Monument: World War I

Town Common: new monument view

Town Common: new monument view, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Town Common Memorials

Town Common Memorials, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The blue cover of the new memorial will come off during the ceremony immediately following the parade later this morning.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 10:45 AM.

The unveiling should begin approximately 11:15 AM.

Monument: World War I

The WW I "doughboy" has been cleaned up. The bronze looks brand new.



Actually since this photo was taken, the small trees directly behind the monument have already been removed as the preparation for the new monument to be unveiled on Memorial Day continue.

If you haven't visited the monuments on the Town Common, please consider doing so.