25,000 Persons Attend Ceremonies On Mother’s Day

One of the biggest parades Norwood has ever seen, one of the biggest crowds Norwood has ever seen, and one of the best-planned and executed exercises the town has ever seen, all contributed to the honor paid the town’s servicemen on last Sunday. Mother’s Day.

An estimated 25,000 persons attended the Honor Roll dedication exercise. The parade of 82 units included a Coast Guard band, Coast Guardsmen, Spars, and WAACS, fourteen musical units including many outstanding bands from out of town, all civilian defense workers, Red Cross units, veterans organizations, the State Guard, and young peoples organizations.

The dedication parade and program went off like clockwork. The huge parade started one minute before schedule, the program was impressive with its dignity and devoted spirit, and plaques were distributed to the families of 1400 servicemen within half an hour’s time.

Coming to Norwood for the ceremony was Governor Leverett Saltonstall who brought with him the 1,000,000th soldier to enter the Buddies Club in Boston’s soldier just back from Guadalcanal.

The Rt. Rev Monsignor Joseph F. Walsh gave the invocation Harry B Buttera, speaking for the town of Norwood, paid a splendid tribute to the mothers of Norwood boys and in particular to the gold star mothers and the gold star sister.

Governor Saltonstall urged the importance of backing up the fighting men with diligent work at home and support of the nation’s war effort. During the moments of silent meditation for the men who have lost their lives in this war. the town square, which was a mass of spectators, was completely quiet with all heads bowed.

The Honor Roll was unveiled by Mrs. Louise King, sister of Rudolph Ballough, first casualty from Norwood and a member of the “They Were Expendable” MTB squadron. On Saturday, Mrs. King launched a submarine chaser at the Quincy Adams Yacht Yard, Quincy, in honor of her brother whose boat is believed to have been sunk during an attack on a Japanese ship. Benediction was given by the Rev. Marinus James of the First Baptist Church.

Following the program, plaques wore distributed to servicemen’s families who were seated on the green.

You can view the Roll of Honor here: https://norwoodhistoricalsociety.org/roll-of-honor/