Town ‘takes pause’ to honor fallen on Memorial Day
Every Memorial Day, Ben Baptiste thinks of his great uncle Joseph Baptista.
Baptista was killed in action during World War II on Oct. 21, 1943. Buried in a Roman cemetery, he was the first New Englander of Cape Verdean descent to die during the conflict.
“It’s one of those times where it’s important to go back and remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” said Baptiste, who served in the Marine Corps from 1992 to 1998. “It’s a time to remember how special it is to be an American, and not take our freedoms for granted. It’s an opportunity to take pause.”
Baptiste, commander of the Dudley L. Brown VFW Post 2846 in Onset, participated in a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony in front of Town Hall on Monday, May 29.
“Wherever the body of a comrade lies, there the ground is hallowed,” Baptiste said in a speech. “Our presence here is solemn, dedicated to their devotion to duty, to their commitment to patriotism… They made us their debtors.”
Volunteers placed wreaths and American flags at locations throughout town, including Town Green, Centre Cemetery, St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Agawam Cemetery and Dudley L. Brown Square.
The Wareham High School JROTC marched, and the Wareham Minutemen and Militia, in Revolutionary War dress, fired off a salute with their muskets.
“For a while, we were afraid this type of thing would disappear,” said reenactor Malcolm Phinney. “The veterans, who used to fire off World War II guns, keep dying off. These are Revolutionary War guns, but we do this for all veterans.”
As a bugler played “Taps,” Richard Laine, who served as an Army sergeant in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970, stood and saluted.
“‘Taps’ reminds me personally of military funerals, and the ultimate sacrifice made by so many Americans,” Laine said.
Four men from Wareham — Pfc. Carlos J. Rose, Sgt. Ronald L. Bumpus, Pfc. Richard H. Arruda and 1st Lt. James A. Crowley — are known to have been killed in action during the Vietnam War.
“The memory of the four men we lost in Vietnam is very, very poignant,” Laine said.
