TSgt. O’Leary Honored with Street Corner Memorial After 32 Years-September 12, 1977

For 82-year-old Gold Star Mother Mary F. O’Leary, yesterday marked the culmination of a 32-year wait and over a decade of patient advocacy. Surrounded by family, friends, fellow veterans, and municipal officials, the intersection of Dean and Pleasant Streets—just a few houses away from where her oldest son was born and lived his brief 22 years—was formally dedicated to the memory of Technical Sergeant James T. O’Leary.

A Mother’s Long-Awaited Memorial

Jimmy O’Leary served as a radio operator-gunner for the Army Air Force during World War II after enlisting immediately following his graduation from Norwood High School. On August 7, 1944, his plane went down somewhere along the German-French-Belgian border, and he was officially listed as missing in action before being declared legally dead in 1945. One of seven children from a family of early Norwood settlers, he was remembered by childhood friends—including former selectman William F. Butters and Norwood Police officer Nicholas Connolly—as a bright young man with an exceptional mechanical aptitude, who used to rebuild junk cars in the field behind his home to teach neighborhood friends how to drive.

Seated in a lawn chair beside the memorial post adorned with hanging plants and flags, Mrs. O’Leary listened as local leaders paid tribute. The ceremony was organized by a committee comprising Selectman Chairman George S. Usevich, Director of Veterans’ Services George Thomas, and family friend William F. Butters.

Reverend Robert Sullivan of St. Catherine’s Church offered the opening prayer and blessing. Mr. Butters presented Mrs. O’Leary with the original petition bearing 500 signatures submitted to selectmen to approve the dedication. “If he was a fine boy, and he was, then he had to be a fine man,” Butters remarked, noting that the 33 years since Jimmy’s death had only sharpened the community’s awareness of his sacrifice.

Community Leaders and Veterans Gather

Director of Veterans’ Services George Thomas reflected on the delayed tribute, stating, “We may be a little late but we have not forgotten.” He expressed hope that similar memorial dedications would follow for other fallen servicemen.

The gathering drew numerous local dignitaries and veterans’ representatives, including Francis D. Ciavattone, president of the Veterans’ Council; William Robinson, Thomas McDonald, and Frank Fraone of the Disabled American Veterans; Walter Harris of the American Legion; Town Manager John P. Mogan; and Selectmen Joseph W. Wall and Joseph F. Curran.

For Mrs. O’Leary, whose home at 580 Pleasant St. sits mere steps from the memorial post, the location carries profound personal significance. Her son Michael, a Norwood firefighter living on Dean Street, noted that his mother walks past the corner daily to mail letters, ensuring her son’s memory will remain a living part of her everyday routine.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger