By: John Cuddy – April, 2019 Chelmsford’s Mike Miskell, like many of the men and women who served during World War II, formed a lifelong friendship with another soldier they served with during the war. Mike was with York, Pennsylvania’s George Meanor, a Technical Sargent in his unit, the US Army’s 217th Artillery. The two […]
By: John Cuddy – Feb. 2019 Haverhill’s Anthony J “Tony” Zukas lived at Haverhill Crossing on Amesbury Road near Northern Essex Community College when I interviewed him. The students at Northern Essex Community College, and all of us really, can learn much from this World War II Veteran. Originally, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, he was the […]
By: John Cuddy – Jan. 2019 Dracut’s Robert Belleau is one of the many US Military Veterans in the Merrimack Valley of French Canadian heritage. He joined the new US Air Force, (formed out of the US Army Air Corps shortly after World War II) partly out of patriotism, and partly, (his words) to avoid […]
By: John Cuddy – Dec. 2018 Somerville’s Peter Fantasia, now living in Reading, Massachusetts at the Artis Senior Living, vividly described to me how he got captured near Rodalbe, France. While serving with Lima Company, of the 3rd Battalion, of the 104th Regiment, of the 26th Infantry Division, the “Yankee Division” as an Army Medic, […]
By: John Cuddy – November, 2018 In honor of Veteran’s day, November 11th, I sought out a Veteran that is still serving our nation; she is Commander Marilisa G. Elrod, Medical Corps (Undersea Medical Officer) United States Navy, the Associate Director for Professional Education at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Virginia. In doing […]
The Battle of the Atlantic – Defeating the Nazis on the High Seas! By: John Cuddy – Aug. 2018 Haverhill’s John Gallant served in the Atlantic Theater of Operation during World War II on the U.S.S Hammann, DE-131. The story of John Gallant’s World War II naval service and that of his ship’s, are very […]
By: John Cuddy – July, 2018 Lawrence’s Robert Crowley, a graduate of Central Catholic’s Class of 1944, had a unique role during and after World War II. Upon joining the U.S. Army, he was trained in Military Intelligence, with additional training in the Japanese language at Fort Holabird, outside of Baltimore, Maryland. He was then […]
By: John Cuddy – May, 2018 May 28th was Memorial Day. This story is to help start us on our reflections of what that day means to each of us and our families Born October 20, 1919, in Barre, Vermont, Angelo Dindo worked for the national men’s clothing chain of Montgomery Ward before joining the […]
By: John Cuddy – February 2018 Truly a “hero in our midst”, it was an honor to interview Major Kelley. We are from the same home town, Lawrence, Massachusetts, and he went to grade school with my father at St Patrick’s Grammar School, but I never had the chance to really talk to Major Rick […]
UPDATE…. 2-10-18 ARRANGEMENTS HAVE CHANGED: Family and friends are invited to visiting hours on Sunday February 11, 2018 from 2pm to 4pm at The Dewhirst-Boles Funeral Home, 80 Broadway, Methuen. A Funeral Mass will be on Monday February 12 at 11:00am in Sacred Heart Church, 321 S. Broadway, Lawrence. Burial with military honors will follow […]
By: Tom Duggan – Nov, 2017 Normally this space is reserved for paying tribute to living veterans who have gone off and served our country and then come back to help other veterans. Last month, however, when the Valley Patriot learned a member of the Valley Patriot family, Ray Wilson had passed away, we also […]
By: Beth D’Amato – April, 2017 Julian Jaramillo was born in Brownsville, Texas on January 31,1972. He comes from a strong military family which is why he says he entered the service right out of high school in 1991. Julian served from 1991 to 2006. As a United States Marine, Julian was deployed to Iraq […]
NORTH ANDOVER – Last month The Valley Patriot went along with Gerard Maguire, the Veteran’s Services Coordinator for the towns of North Andover and Boxford as he delivered a custom fitted, electric wheelchair for a WWII hero veteran who lost his arm in battle and now is unable to walk. Richard Lussier fought against the […]
READ PART I HERE READ PART II HERE By: Sid Smith – July, 2015 Before each individual squadron takeoff, it required the efforts of thousands of people involved in intelligence, target selections, weather info including not just surface conditions, but winds aloft at varying altitudes as well as icing conditions, target routes, ordinance required with […]
By: Tim Imholt – September, 2-14 I had the pleasure recently of sitting down and talking with Jake Collins, this month’s Patriot of the Month. Mr. Collins served in the Navy during World War II as a Gunner’s Mate aboard the USS AOG-17 named the USS Mettawee. The Mettawee was a gasoline tanker that was […]