Hopedale History May 15, 2010 No. 156 The Honor Roll Hopedale in May Now and Then at the Old High School/Sacred Heart Church. I’ve had this online for quite a while with pictures of the first high school, but now it has the addition of some photos showing the building as it looked when it was the church. Thanks to Jack Ghiringhelli for sending them. <><><><><><><><><><> Recalling Hopedale’s World War II Honor Roll By Gordon E Hopper HOPEDALE – Several years ago, there was a large wooden assembly, somewhat similar to a large signboard, standing on the lawn in front of the Walter H. Tillotson American Legion Post 267 home on Hopedale Street. It was a hand-painted honor roll that listed the names of nearly 400 Hopedale people who had served in the armed forces during World War II. The area in front of the large honor roll had been landscaped to include a flower garden and a low wooden picket fence which added to the appearance of the memorial. Robert Brown, present commander of the Hopedale American Legion post recalled during a recent interview that during the years the honor roll existed an American flag was flown at one end and a United Nations flag at the other end. It has been determined that several residents of Hopedale have copies of a photograph showing the honor roll. One in particular was framed behind glass and hung on a wall inside the Legion home for many years. Although much of the contents of this home have been sold at a recent auction, this picture, along with certain other items, has been retained as permanent property of the post. The following Hopedale residents paid the supreme price, their lives were lost during this inglorious period of time: William K. Baer, John Barr, Robinson Billings, Leverett B. Clark, Francis D. DeRoche, Francis X. Gaffney, Lowell K. Hammond, Harry W. Kimball, Richard G. Knight, Donald R. Midgley, Joseph L. Miller, Henry E. Rumse, Ferdinand P. Spadoni, Francis L. Wallace, and Thomas W. Wilson. The words, Town of Hopedale Roll of Honor, in large letters, was painted across the top of the sign. The large wooden honor roll was erected shortly after the termination of World War II and as the unrelenting years went by, it became weather beaten and its condition deteriorated. It was related that a lot of townspeople were in favor of destroying the honor roll because “it had become an eyesore.” About ten years after it had been installed, its restoration was determined to be unfeasible and it was dismantled and removed. Although not yet verified, it is believed that there had been a smaller honor roll on the front wall of the Hopedale town hall at some point prior to the large one at the American Legion home. It is hoped that information about this smaller listing will be forthcoming from readers so that it also may be documented. Milford Daily News, January 30, 1980. I hope to someday find the date of when the honor roll was taken down, but it seems to me that it was in place much longer than the ten years mentioned in the article. The smaller honor roll mentioned in the last two paragraphs of the article was probably the one that had been erected after World War I and stood on the little piece of lawn between the town hall and Depot Street. Click here to see it, the Legion home and the World War II honor roll. Hopedale Veterans’ Menu <><><><><><><><><> Recent deaths: Rose T. (Cappuzziello) Caprini, 90, May 3, 2010, Mendon. Hermina “Minka” Cichanowicz Marcus, 86, May 5, 2010, Lakeland, Florida. Click here to read Minka’s memories of growing up in White City. Joseph A. Capece, 75, May 10, 2010. Ezine Menu HOME |