Lowell honors deceased service members

October 15, 2013 by DickH Posted in Greater Lowell, History 4 Comments

UMass Lowell Veterans’ Alumni Hall of Fame

Two events honoring veterans took place in Lowell this weekend. On Saturday night, the UMass Lowell office of Veterans Services held the 3rd Annual Veterans’ Military Legacy & Veterans’ Alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. The event was a formal military ball with many of the trappings and traditions of the armed forces. The following service members were honored:

Captain Christopher Sullivan, UML class of 1998, KIA in Iraq in 2005
Lt (JG) James Sweeney, Lowell Textile Institute, WWII Naval aviator, Silver Star, Navy Cross, Air Medal

Also honored individually were the twenty students or graduates of Lowell Textile Institute who died during World War II for whom the University Avenue Bridge was previously dedicated. They are:

Ensign Donald M. Adie, US Navy
Lt Joseph Berkowitz, US Army Air Corps
Pvt Francis Bresler, US Army
Lt Thomas Broderick, US Army Air Corps
Lt Thomas Cryan, US Army Air Corps
Lt Russell Cunningham, US Army Air Corps
Lt John Daley, US Army
Lt Philip Evans, US Army Air Corps
SSG Burgess Harpoot, US Army
Lt Roger Kane, US Army
Lt Edwin Koczera, US Army Air Corps
Captain Cornelius Murphy, US Army
Lt Martin Murray, US Army Air Corps
Pvt Walter Paige, US Army
Pvt Richard Parthum, US Army
Lt Samuel Pearsall, US Army Air Corps
Pvt Kilburn Pease, US Army
Pvt John Smith, US Army
Pvt Ernest Stromvall, US Army
Ensign Frederick Webster, US Navy

Then yesterday, the Centralville Social Club held its annual “Some Gave All” event. This ceremony remembers and honors the 221 residents of Massachusetts who have lost their lives in our country’s most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. After a brief speaking program, families of Greater Lowell service members who were killed in action laid a wreath at the club’s outdoor memorial while an honor guard fired a rifle salute and played taps.

Reading the names of residents of Massachusetts who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan

Families of deceased service members at wreath laying ceremony

4 Responses to Lowell honors deceased service members

  1. George DeLuca says:

    Had the honor of sitting with Bob and Ann Marie Page and members of the Adie family. It was a wonderful ceremony and long overdue. There will be more to come.

  2. tedgagnon@comcast.net says:

    Ensign Frederick Webster, USN was my uncle; my mother’s brother. He was a Naval Aviator.

    Ted Gagnon

  3. Marie says:

    Ted – I attended this event with the Sweeney family – Lt. (jg) James Sweeney was my husband’s cousin. Since I know your cousin Martha, your mother and because my parents knew the Webster’s so well and had spoken of Fred’s story many times – you can be sure that we were thinking of all of you and your uncle as he was honored and inducted into the UML Military Hall of Fame.
    Marie Sweeney