Andover will have a busy day of activities to honor veterans this Veterans Day, in part by celebrating those residents featured in the town’s fourth “Heroes Among Us” book.
The community also will dedicate two memorials for veterans at Spring Grove Cemetery. The two memorials are to dedicate a “Twentieth-Century Veterans Memorial” at the existing Spring Grove Veterans Burial Lot and to dedicate a “Veterand Memorial at Spring Grove” at the future Spring Grove Veterans Burial Lot.
“Unbenownst to most of the community, we have a veterans lot at Spring Grove. But there’s no monument to recognize that that’s the final resting place for those who served,” said veterans director Mike Burke. “The existing veterans lot will reach capacity soon, so we wanted to have a memorial that’s dedicated to those sons and daughters who served during our most costly century.
“We also wanted to identify the next area and dedicate a [new] veterans lot for Spring Grove for our needs in the future,” he said. “God willing, we hope we never need to fill that lot.”
In total on Sunday, Nov. 11 the town of Andover will be memorializing Veterans Day at West Parish Cemetery at 10 a.m., Spring Grove Cemetery at 11 a.m. and Ballardvale Green at noon.
At Ballardvale Green, the “Heroes Among Us Book – Book IV” - spot-lighting living World War II Andover veterans - will be presented to the veterans in that book. Books are availalble from the Veterans Services Office for a suggested donation of $15.
Andover veterans highlighted in this book are Robert T. Andersen, Richard J. Bowen, Joseph M. Bresnahan, Edward J. Broaddus, Robert H. Buchanan, Robert E. Burns, Frederick M. Childs, Salvatore DeYoreo, Paul C. Dow, James D. Hamilton, Robert S. Hamilton, John L. Howard, Jr., William C. Jakes, Peter O. Loosigian, John Meyer, Lawrence P. Morrisroe, Herbert R. Muller, Joseph J. Paliga, Jr., Philip Retelle and George J. Saideh.
These brief ceremonies on Veterans Day will be followed by a luncheon at 1 p.m. at Masonic Temple on High Street.
A Veterans Day program will be held even if there is inclement weather.
If there is inclement weather (moderate to heavy rain) a brief ceremony will be held at Elm Green at noon, followed indoors at the Masonic Temple.
For more information, call the Andover Veterans Services Office at 978-623-8218.
