Remembering the Military Service of Our Residents

As you travel throughout East Providence (EP), RI this Veterans’ Day, you will notice new banners hanging on various streets. This display is to honor and remember the efforts and sacrifices made by area residents, who served in many wars and military events since 1776.

{One set of banners, (on Taunton Ave., near City Hall) bears the names of the 147 soldiers and patriots who served in the Revolutionary War and who are buried in the Newman Cemetery in Rumford and the Littleneck Cemetery in Riverside. The other set of banners displays the names, with the seal of their military branch, of veterans and active military service members from more recent years.)

Like these temporary banners, permanent stone war memorials, bearing the names of our military heroes, exist.

A Civil War soldier stands on a boulder in the EP City Hall plaza. A plaque below his feet bears a roster of the names of the men of the Bucklin Post No. 2, Grand Army of the Republic (G. A. R.).

WWI:
A bronze tablet, originally placed upon EP Town Hall in 1919, displays “the number of men in service and also the names of those who died abroad “. Rescued after the fire at EP City Hall in 1976, it is on display in Littleneck Cemetery.

The World War Memorial, located at Whelden Ave. and John St., (near the former Central Jr. High School), is a heroic bronze figure on a pedestal with a granite base. The front bronze tablet is an Honor Roll with 23 names of the dead.

The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial is near the Fire Station No. 2 on Bullocks Point Ave., in Riverside. It has an expanded list with the names of the men who served. A dot after a name indicates he died during the first World War.

WWII:
A large billboard, placed on Grove Ave., near Purchase St., by the EP Town Hall, was dedicated on Mothers’ Day in 1944. It honored the Gold Star Mothers and the mothers of the men who were serving in WWII. Columns with more than 3576 names and a few induction photos were passed on this temporary Honor Board. Family members visited this Honor Board to see if their loved one’s name had been marked with a star to indicate that he had been killed in action. (Does anyone have a list of names or closeup photos showing these names?)

The gates of W. B. Pierce Memorial Stadium (Mercer St. and Fifth St.) were dedicated to the 2125 EP High School students and graduates who served. The bronze tablet, on the west side of the gates, states the names of the “76 former students who gave their lives for their country during World War II”.

While no names are etched in the World War II monument in Riverside Square, the booklet printed for the 1950 dedication ceremony includes several pages listing the names of those who served. (Does anyone have a copy of this dedication program to share please?)

Vietnam War:
In Squantum Woods Park, on Veterans’ Memorial Parkway, the Garden of Flags honors all who served in Vietnam, especially the 13 men named on the plaque “who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our country”.

All wars and military events:
The Honor Flight New England Pathway is the brick walkway leading to the Garden of Flags. Engraved on the bricks are the names of the war dead, live veterans, and service members, who hail from E. Prov. and other cities in New England.

The names of those making the ultimate sacrifice (# killed in action, KIA) from the first World War (23), World War II (133), Korean War (9), and the Vietnam War (13) can be found on the “4 Wars” Veterans Monument in the EP City Hall plaza.

An on-going, tribute:
Route I-195 was designated as the EP Veterans’ Memorial Expressway (EPVME) 65 years ago. Accordingly, the EP Military Service Honor Roll was created (in 2019, by the EPVME Re-dedication 2021 Committee) to identify who these veterans are.

This virtual tribute includes the names of EP residents, even optional short bios and photos, who died while serving, those who came home, and those actively serving today, including National Guard members. This collection includes EP veterans who served in and after World War II, between the major wars, in peace time, and in many military supported events during the last 85 years.

So as to not forget and to preserve their efforts and sacrifices, submission of names, with as many military details as possible, can be made year-round.

The basic name submission includes in memory of (dead) or in honor of (live), rank, name, war/ peace time, years, branch, awards/medals.

Example: In memory of Private Gilbert Perito, WWII, NBR, Army, Purple Heart.

(FYI: He died in the line of duty from a non-battle related cause. Gilbert shares a memorial plaque for the EPVME bridge over Warren Ave., going towards the Veterans' Memorial Parkway.)

(Perito, Silva, Ramsey, Oliver, Lewis, Albino families: Can you share more details of Gilbert’s life and/or a photo?)

Submit new names, updates of existing names with any promotions/ retirements/ deaths, and questions, to epvme@hotmail.com.  The next update will be posted in March 2027 on the EPVMER2021 website at
https://sites.google.com/view/epvmer2021/epvme-ep-military-service-honor-roll  or google “EPVMER2021”.

(If you meet a veteran or military service member while observing these banners and memorials, stop, and say, “Thank you for your service.”)

To all of our veterans and military service members and their families: THANK YOU for all of your efforts and sacrifices.