Medal of Liberty to be Presented to the Families of Two Merchant Marines Who Were Killed in WW II. All Area Residents Invited to Attend.
The Milford Medal of Liberty Committee invites all area residents to attend the Massachusetts Medal of Liberty Ceremony, to be held Sunday, June 13 in the upper level of Memorial Hall. The ceremony will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m.
The ceremony will honor the service and sacrifice of two merchant marines who were killed when their respective ships were torpedoed by German U-boats: Diamantino Moreira Lopes, who served as a Seaman and was killed February 3, 1943; and Walter Franklin Howe, who served as an Oiler and was killed January 16, 1944.
Milford Medal of Liberty Committee members Vincent J. Cifizzari, Major, U.S. Army (Retired) and Ronald Howland, Major US Air Force (Retired) will preside over the ceremony and present the Massachusetts Medal of Liberty to the families of these two heroic members of our community. Citations from government officials not in attendance will be presented by educator and veterans advocate Jo-Ann DeMaria Morgan. DeMaria Morgan will also perform the Empty Chair Ceremony.
Brigadier General Francis B. Magurn II, Assistant Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard, will make short remarks. Milford Town Counsel Charles D. Boddy, Jr. will speak about the experiences of merchant marines, as related to him by his father who served as a merchant marine during World War II.
A reception will follow the ceremony. This event is free and open to the public.
The Medal of Liberty program was established in 2010 to honor the families of any Massachusetts serviceman or woman killed in action or who died as a result of wounds received in action. The medal is awarded in the name of the Governor of Massachusetts as Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth. The Milford Medal of Liberty Committee organized in 2017 to assist all of Milford’s deserving families who wished to receive a medal in completing the application process with the state.
The Milford Medal of Liberty committee has been honored to present the Medal of Liberty to the families of almost seventy qualifying Milfordians who were killed in action during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. The committee was contacted by Ronald Howland, who works at the Military War Records office in Milford, last fall when he determined that both Lopes and Howe qualified as veterans per the Merchant Mariners Fairness Act of 1997.
Memorial Hall is located at 30 School Street in Milford, Massachusetts, near the town library. Parking is available on neighborhood streets. Parking for those with a handicap permit is available in the rear of the building. The ramp to the accessible entry and elevator is also located at the rear of the building. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.
The Milford Medal of Liberty Committee extends sincerest gratitude to local media and members of the community who have assisted in helping us connect with relatives of these two deserving families. We also appreciate the assistance of everyone in Milford Town Hall; the Massachusetts Military Records Branch; and the Office of the Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard in processing the medal applications.
About the Milford Medal of Liberty Committee
The Milford Medal of Liberty Committee is dedicated to honoring the families of all of Milford’s fallen heroes who are qualified to receive the Massachusetts Medal of Liberty.
Milford’s parks and streets are looking good today thanks to the community wide effort to pick up trash around town yesterday, April 24. Citizens for Milford organized with multiple town departments and community organizations to make a clean sweep of 21 routes around town plus the Milford Upper Charles Trail. 
Volunteers were treated to hamburgers and hot dogs courtesy of the Milford Lions Club upon finishing their assigned routes.
Citizens for Milford extends its sincerest gratitude to the Milford Board of Health, Milford Highway Department, and E.L. Harvey & Sons for their support and donation of supplies and the Friends of the Milford Upper Charles Trail for coordinating with us. We also thank the Lions Club for cooking for the volunteers, Milford Federal Bank for their continued help with this effort, as well as all the individuals, families, and community groups that came together to show Milford pride by picking up our community. We could not have done this without every single one of you! THANK YOU ALL!!!
Citizens for Milford is organizing the Sixth Annual Milford Beautification Day, Milford’s annual clean-up event, which enables area residents, organizations, and businesses to work together to beautify our community by picking up trash around town. Milford Beautification Day will be held Saturday, April 24th (rain or shine) from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All interested citizens are invited to meet with organizers anytime between those hours in the municipal parking lot across from Sacred Heart Church (5 East Main Street) to get supplies, instructions, and assignments.
Citizens for Milford will be hosting a series of Candidate Forums beginning March 9. Each of the forums will be live streamed on Milford TV’s Educational Channel (Verizon 40 & Comcast 11) and its other platforms.
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The fundraising campaign for the revitalization of Draper Memorial Park, launched by the Town of Milford and MassDevelopment and spearheaded by the War Memorial Revitalization Committee, generated nearly $90,000 this past fall. Donations from 170 patrons helped the fundraising efforts exceed its initial goal of $42,500 by nearly $5,000. The first $42,500 of the $47,230 raised was matched dollar for dollar by MassDevelopment.
Candidates Forums
Milford TV Special Honoring Our Healthcare Heroes
As we understand it, the park renovations will be completed by late spring. We hope that the public health situation will have abated enough to enable us to safely begin installing the flags on schedule this year. As always, the first installation will be before Memorial Day. The flag installations will continue to honor Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day. As a part of the revitalization efforts, new metal sleeves are being installed in the ground, which will make the installation and removal process much easier. We are always eager for new volunteers to join us in working with the flags. Be sure to reach out if you would like to be notified of our work schedule for the year.
The initial phase of fundraising for the revitalization of Draper Memorial Park launched by the Town of Milford and MassDevelopment ended at midnight on October 15. The Milford War Memorial Revitalization Committee, who has spearheaded the fundraising efforts, is thrilled to announce that donations from 158 patrons helped the committee exceed its goal of $42,500 by nearly $5,000. The first $42,500 of the $47,230 raised is being matched dollar for dollar by MassDevelopment, awarding this vital community project a total of almost $90,000.
The War Memorial Revitalization Committee (WMRC) is an Ad Hoc committee appointed by the Board of Selectmen. Its two-fold mission is to assist the Parks Department in the repair and revitalization of Draper Memorial Park and Calzone Memorial Park and to establish an ongoing maintenance plan that ensures the continued longevity of the parks and their structures for generations to come.
WMRC Chairman Peter Scandone states, “We decided that Draper Park needed a total renovation—from the top of the trees right down below the ground to the irrigation system. We kindly ask for everyone in Milford to consider making a donation to help us restore and maintain Draper Park as a place of respect and pride for all future generations.”
