From my very dear friend, John McAuliffe...
Today, Sunday May 28, the various Veterans Groups in tha area met as usual on the Sunday before Memorial Day at Elm Park in Worcester.MA
The park, one of the oldest in the country is but a 10 minute walk from my residence at 425 Pleasant St. Both my Dad before me as a kid and I have ice-skated on these waters in winter time at Elm Park...On the Horton Bridge , and arched bridge which transverses the pond waters The Worcester Veterans Council sponsers "The Water Ceremony" annually at this site every year the day before Memorial Day. Hundreds of Veterans attend and many stand on the bridge, and when called upon throw a wreath or floral tribute of flowers to the memory of the those soldiers , sailors, marines who sacrificed their lives in the waters around the globe in all of our countrys wars.....At my turn, I approached the microphone and said," To the memory of my comrads of the US Third Army, who gave their lives upon the waters of the Rhine River crossing in Germany, March 1945.....and tossed my floral bouquet......There were perhaps about 20-25 who participated in the ceremony..... A young black High school girl sang the National Anthem..... A young Vietnamese girl praised the veterans in hackneyed English.......Many other veterans and service groups stood around....the Marine Corps group shot volleys.....and a Scottish bagpipe played......Tomorrow I will join Col. Bill Conley, a Marine veteran, at College Square, outside Holy Cross College, where Our Cent. Mass Chapter , dedicated our Monument to the VBOB, in October 2003......Their is also a WW-II Memorial here which honors the veterans from the Main South area of the city Worcester...a huge honor Board with hundreds of names on it......Col. Conley will lower the existing flag and with a bugler playing taps replace it with a new Flag, flying over the Square which honors veterans from the area......as well as our Battle of the Bulge veterans which our Cent. Mass Chapter Monument pays tribute ....then I will procede the Hope Cemetery for the Memorial Day Ceremonies, honoring all the City's dead from all wars......May they rest in Peace.
Memorial Day May 2006, Worcester, MA.
Johh McAuliffe
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"