Military
Boxer Rebellion
Navy Lieutenant William Seach
Although the Medal Of Honor is often given posthumously, William Seach not only survived the battle he was honored for, but would survive another battle roughly 8 years later during World War I, when the ship he was serving, the U.S.S. President Lincoln, was torpedoed and sunk by the Germans. He lived for 101 years and is the only Medal Of Honor recipient from Weymouth that our generation could have actually met before he passed away in 1978.
Early at the turn of the century a rebel force in China that called itself the Society of "Righteous and Harmonious Fists", subsequently called the "Boxers", initiated a rebellion in China that threatened the legations of several nations in Peking and Tientsen. Two detachments of Navy Bluejackets and Marines from the U.S.S. Oregon and U.S.S. Newark were dispatched as guards for the American Legations. On June 13 an estimated 50,000 Boxers began a two-month siege on Peking during which seven men received Medals of Honor for repulsing an attack by 300 militants with a bayonet charge. On June 20 the American guard fought a full-day battle against hidden snipers, and on June 21 turned fought a heated battle against a Chinese cavalry charge. On June 22 the Bluejackets and Marines fought their way through the wall of an enemy fort. Ordinary Seaman William Seach was one of twenty members of this American Legation Guard (of 59 total awards during the Boxer Rebellion) to be awarded the Medal of Honor for meritorious conduct in the presence of the enemy during all four of these engagements.
William Seach is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
World War I
Marine Second Lieutenant Ralph Talbot
If you have spent any time at all in the Town Of Weymouth, Massachusetts then you have seen or heard the name Ralph Talbot. Marine Second Lieutenant Talbot is undoubtedly Weymouth's most recognized war hero. Just go to the Town Of Weymouth web site to the history section and you will find a description of his historic deeds in World War I for which he received the United States highest military award, the Medal Of Honor. As the town's web site states, a primary school (located in South Weymouth) is named in his honor, and it is common knowledge that the street where the school is located is also named for him.
There is also the Ralph Talbot Amphitheater next to the town hall. The wall closest to Middle Street is the town's dedication to all those from Weymouth who served their country in all military conflicts. Ralph Talbot's name is listed on the World War I tablet located on the east face of this wall. There was also a ship in his name, the USS Ralph Talbot, that served heroically in the Second World War.
Ralph Talbot lived on Main St. in South Weymouth and graduated from Weymouth High School in 1915. After attending a college prepatory school he enrolled at Yale University. He became interested in learning to fly planes and left after one year to initially enlist in the Navy. However, because the Marine Corps were having problems recruiting aviators, he realized his chances of serving his country overseas would be increased if he joined that branch of service. In 1918, he became a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve and by August of that year would be serving in France. Second Lieutenant Ralph Talbot received the Medal Of Honor for the deeds described as occurring on October 8 and 14, 1918. However, he flew numerous missions over enemy territory and it should be noted that he was the first ever United States Marine Corps aviator to receive the honor. It is also mistakenly believed that he died on that day of heroism; however he actually died while taking off on a test flight in a DH-4 on October 25, 1918. His observer and partner on the October 14 mission, Gunnery Sergeant Robert G. Robinson, was shot 13 times in the abdomen, chest and arm, and also received the Medal Of Honor and lived until 1974.
On November 7, 1920 Lt. Ralph Talbot's body lied in state at the G.A.R. Hall in East Weymouth and was soon after buried at Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy, Mass.
Others That Made The Sacrifice In The Great War
The following names appear on the Memorial Wall in Weymouth, listed on the tablet for World War I as a casualty.
Private Frederick Wells Polley
145th and 50th Canadian Overseas Infantry Battalion, killed in action at the Battle Of Arras for Vimy Ridge on March 31, 1917
When Britain declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914, Canada and the other members of the British Empire were automatically involved; they had not been consulted beforehand. On August 5, 1914, the Governor General declared a war between Canada and Germany. Canadians of British descent—the majority—gave widespread support arguing that Canadians had a duty to fight on behalf of their Motherland. There are two men from Weymouth that died fighting for “their” country as well as the United States. Pvt. Polleys is the only one however, killed in action prior to America’s actual involvement in The Great War and the first of Weymouth’s war casualties.
Pvt. Polley was a member of the Alberta Regiment. He came to South Weymouth from New Brunswick, Canada. Prior to his attaining U.S. citizenship, Canada entered the war and Mr. Polley made his way back to Sackville, New Brunswick where he enlisted on December 31, 1915. He was 24 years old when he was killed at the Vimy Ridge Offensive. He is listed on the Vimy Memorial located in Pas De Calais, France.
Frederick Wells Polley Square is located at the junction of Elm and Pleasant Streets in South Weymouth, MA
THE UNITED STATES ENTERS THE WAR- APRIL 6, 1917Second Class Seaman Grover Sprague
U.S. Navy, USS New York, died at Yorktown, VA on June 13, 1917
Seaman Sprague grew up on 267 Columbian St., South Weymouth. He entered the Navy on April 18, 1916, a year prior to the U.S. entering World War I. He died of measles aboard the dreadnought battleship USS New York while patrolling the Atlantic Coast prior to heading to Europe.
Private William J. Johnson
U.S. Army, 5th and 101st Infantry, died at St. Nazaire, France on October 29, 1917
A large majority of the troops had been in active service, on guard duty or in training, following response to the call of the President on various dates before and after the declaration of war on April 6th. Mobilized at the State or other training camps, at Framingham, Westfield, and Boxford, Massachusetts; New Haven and Niantic, Connecticut; and Quonset Point, Rhode Island, the units of the Division were held there for further training, and to receive their equipment, until the time should come to send them overseas.
The first elements of the Division to arrive abroad were Headquarters, 51st Infantry Brigade, and 101st Infantry, which, sailing from Hoboken, N. J., on September 7, landed at St. Nazaire, France, on September 21, 1917. The remainder followed rapidly, until by the end of October all units had arrived in France.
Pvt. Johnson had lived on Madison St., East Weymouth. He enlisted on July 25, 1917 was among the first wave of American troops to be sent “over there”. He became ill on the trip across the Atlantic and died of pneumonia. He was buried at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in South Weymouth on January 29, 1922, over 4 years after he had died.
William J. Johnson Square is located at the junction of 654 Broad and Madison Streets in East Weymouth, MA
Private Vincent A. Gorman
U.S. Army 50th and 100th Aero Bombardment Squadron, 15th Squad, lost at sea in the sinking of the S.S. Tuscania on February 5, 1918
Pvt. Gorman was officially declared "Buried at Sea" and his name is on the "Tablets of the Missing" at Suresnes American Cemetery Suresnes, France.
The SS Tuscania was a luxury liner of the Cunard subsidiary Anchor Line, named after a town in Italy. She was torpedoed in on Feb. 5, 1918 by the German U-boat UB-77 while carrying American troops to Europe and sank with a loss of 210 American soldiers and 45 of the ship’s crew. It was the first time since the American Civil War, that the United States had suffered the loss of mass casualties on a single day. The news of the loss was published nationally in the states; the reaction was a mixture of surprise and shock. In 1920 the American Red Cross erected a monument on the Isle of Islay, where many of the victims had been buried before their transfer that year to the American War Cemetery at Brookwood [England] or to their homeland.
Pvt. Gorman was born and raised at 22 Centre St., East Weymouth. He liked baseball and played as a second baseman for the Weymouth High School team as well as other local teams. He left for France on the Tuscania just a few days after marrying Grace Gooding. He is officially listed as "lost at sea".
Vincent A. Gorman Square is located at the junction of Commercial and Middle Streets in East Weymouth, MA adjacent to the Legion Memorial Field.
Private Arthur B. Hurley
Company M, 9th Infantry, U.S. Army, died on June 27, 1918 of wounds received at the Battle Of Chateau-Thierry. He was the first Weymouth boy to be killed in action at "the front".
Pvt. Hurley grew up at 42 Norton St., North Weymouth the son of Mr. and Mrs. Simon Hurley. His body was returned home in May of 1921 and he was laid to rest in St. Paul's Cemetery in Hingham, Mass.
Arthur B. Hurley Square is located at the junction of North and Sea Streets in a section of North Weymouth, MA also known as Thomas’ Corner.
Private William R. Monteith
U.S. Army 6th Engineer Regiment, 3rd Army, killed in action at the Champagne-Marne Defensive on July 15, 1918.
Buried at: Plot A Row 24 Grave 32, Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Fere-en-Tardenois, France.
Pvt. Monteith lived with his parents on Birch Brow Avenue in North Weymouth. He was killed in action while attempting to rescue 2 comrades under heavy artillery fire. He was laid to rest in April, 1919 in Weymouth.
William R. Monteith Square is located at the junction of Union and Central Streets in South Weymouth, MA.
Second Lieutenant Parker Bradford Jones
U.S. Army Co. C, 1st Corps Cadets, 101st Engineers and 23rd Infantry, killed in action at the Aisne-Marne Offensive on July 19, 1918.
Lt. Jones was born in Hyde Park, Mass. and later lived at 490 Pond St., South Weymouth. He was laid to rest in Hingham Cemetery on May 30, 1922.
Parker B. Jones Square is located at the junction of Main and Pond Streets in South Weymouth, MA
Corporal Harold Beaton
U.S. Army 3rd Air Service Signal Corps stationed at Camp Hancock, GA and Camp Greene, NC, died at Camp Greene on August 18, 1918
Corporal Beaton lived at 55 Broad St., East Weymouth.
He is listed as dying of disease while stationed at Camp Greene, NC. He had attained the rank of Sergeant at the time of his death.
Private First Class Nicodemo Fudo
U.S. Army 306th Infantry, 77th Division, killed in action at the Aisne-Marne Offensive on August 27, 1918
Buried at: Plot B Row 13 Grave 28, Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, Belleau, France
Pvt. Fudo had lived at 11 Lake St., East Weymouth.
Second Lieutenant Harold W. Hyland
U.S. Army 309th/129th and 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Division, killed in action at the Oise-Aisne Offensive on September 1, 1918
Buried at: Plot D Row 25 Grave 16, Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, Fere-en-Tardenois, France
Lt. Hyland was raised in Weymouth at 47 King Ave. and graduated from Weymouth High School in 1909 and Mass. Agricultural College in 1913. He was working as a professor on the west coast when he was called to duty. He attended Officer's Training School and was deployed overseas as a 2nd Lt. where he was severely wounded in battle and later died. The American Legion Post #53, located in Hemet, California is named for him.
Harold W. Hyland Square is located at the junction of Main and Washington Streets in Weymouth, MA
Sergeant James C. Glencross
U.S. Army 317th Field Signal Battalion, died on October 2, 1918 of wounds received at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Buried at: Plot B Row 27 Grave 15, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne, France.
Sgt. Glencross grew up at School Street, East Weymouth. He entered the Army on March 2, 1918.
Private Thomas F. Donovan Jr.
U.S. Army 302nd and 9th Infantry, killed in action at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on October 3, 1918
Pvt. Donovan, of 20 Franklin St., Weymouth had been employed in the shoe industry in Weymouth prior to entering the service. He mustered into the Army on October 5, 1917 and almost a year to the day later, shrapnel from a bomb that exploded while he was on patrol in St. Etunne, France killed him instantly. He was returned home and buried at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in South Weymouth on December 18, 1921.
Thomas F. Donovan Square is located at the junction of Broad and Webb Streets in Weymouth, MA
Ensign Lawrence Hill Cate
U.S. Navy stationed at Hampton Roads, VA and Pensacola, FL died at Pensacola on October 9, 1918
Listed as an Ensign on the Memorial Wall tablet, Lt. Cate had been promoted and was a squadron commander and instructor at a training facility when he contracted influenza and died. At the time of his death he was engaged to be married. He was born on April 19, 1896 and attended Weymouth Schools. He graduated from Thayer Academy in Braintree in 1916 and went to Bowdoin College for 2 years prior to enlisting. He successfully completed Naval Aviation School with high marks.
Lt. Cate is buried at Village Cemetery in Weymouth, Mass.
Corporal Joseph Haskell Whall
U.S. Marine Corps, 134th Co., 6th Regiment, wounded in action at the Battle Of St. Mihiel in September, 1918 and died from those wounds on October 9.
Corporal Whall grew up in Quincy before living and operating an auto repair business at 18 Willow Ave., Weymouth. He was laid to rest in August, 1921 at Mt. Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy, MA.
Joseph H. Whall Square is located at the junction of 375 Bridge and Standish Streets in North Weymouth, MA
Sergeant Neil Morrison
Canadian Forestry Corps, died in Jedburgh, Scotland on October 10, 1918 and is buried there at the Castlewood Cemetery.
The Forestry Corps was created during the First World War when it was discovered that huge quantities of wood were needed for use on the Western Front. Duckboards, shoring timbers, crates -- anything that needed wood had to be provided. The British government concluded that there was nobody more experienced or qualified in the British Empire to harvest timber than the Canadians. At first the idea was to harvest the trees from Canada's abundant forests and bring them overseas. But space aboard merchant ships was at a premium, so rather than stuff ships' holds with timber; it was decided to use the Canadians over in Europe, cutting down forests in the UK and France.
Private First Class James Henry Corridan
U.S. Army 13th Co., CAC/55th Artillery, killed in action at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on October 14, 1918
Pvt. Corridan grew up in Weymouth at 228 Washington St. and attended Weymouth schools. One of the first boys from Weymouth to enlist on November 14, 1917 he was killed in action at the age of 25 years old. He had delivered a message to the front battle lines and returned unharmed to his Company's safety when he was cut down by shrapnel from an exploding shell. He was engaged to be married at the time to an East Weymouth woman.
Pvt. Corridan was buried in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery on October 23, 1921 with full military honors.
James H. Corridan Square is located at the junction of Hunt and Washington Streets in Weymouth, MA
Private Walter Joseph Healy
U.S. Army 5th Company CAC 6th Anti-Aircraft Battalion died at Liverpool England on October 15, 1918.
Pvt. Healy mustered into the Army on July 9, 1918. While on transport to Europe he contracted pneumonia. He was hospitalized for a time but could not recover and died at the Sherlock Hospital. He was buried at Everton Cemetery in Liverpool, England until being repatriated and buried at the Holy Family Cemetery in Rockland, Mass. on August 23, 1920.
Private First Class George T. Nesbitt
U.S. Army 1st Squadron Cavalry/102nd Machine Gun Battalion, 26th Division, died on October 25, 1918 of multiple gunshot wounds he had received a month ealier at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He was 27 years old.
Buried at: Plot F Row 21 Grave 13, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne, France
Pvt. Nesbitt was born in Quincy, Mass. but lived most of his life at 215 Pond St., South Weymouth.
George T. Nesbitt Square is located at the junction of Thicket and Pond Streets in South Weymouth, MA
Private Ernest Burnside Mowry
U.S. Marine Corps 5th Regiment, 6th Machine Gun Battalion, killed in action at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on November 2, 1918.
Pvt. Mowry enlisted in the Marines on April 17, 1917. He is an original member of the 5th Regiment of Marines, activated on June 8, 1917 in Philadelphia, PA. He participated, as part of the 6th Machine Gun Battalion, in the offensive campaigns at Aisne, St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He had been wounded on 3 separate occasions, returning to battle each time. Nine days prior to the surrender of the Germans, Pvt. Mowry, along with 2 comrades, was killed by a bomb at 5:35 a.m. as his company advanced toward the town of Stenay, France. The 5th Regiment, due to their actions in France is one of only two U.S.M.C. units that wear the Fourragere, which became part of the units' uniform and is only worn by members of the unit.
Pvt. Mowry grew up at 29 Central St., South Weymouth, MA. His body was returned home on August 13, 1921 and is buried at the Pond Plain Cemetery in South Weymouth, Mass.
Ernest B. Mowry Square is located at the junction of 1055 Front and Main Streets in Weymouth, MA
Engineman First Class Daniel Bresnahan
U.S. Navy assigned to the USS Pueblo died at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Washington D.C. Naval Hospital on November 3, 1918 as a result of illness. He was buried at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in South Weymouth in May of 1921.
Corporal Harold Britton Klingeman
U.S. Army 1st Squadron/ 102nd Machine Gun Battalion, 26th Division, killed in action at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on November 10, 1918
Corporal Klingeman had lived at 73 Hollis St., South Weymouth. He had enlisted in February of 1917 and was killed in action the day before the Armistice was signed, officially ending the war. He was 21 years old. He was buried at the Pond Plain Cemetery on February 5, 1922.
Harold B. Klingeman Square is located at the junction of Hollis and Pond Streets in South Weymouth, MA
GERMANY SURRENDERS- NOVEMBER 11, 1918Sergeant First Class Harold L. Proctor
U.S. Army 53rd/16th/38th and 39th Aero Squadron Flying School Detachment in Rich Field TX. In September of 1918 he became ill and died at the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington D.C. on March 19, 1920. He was buried on March 22, 1920 at the Pond Plain Cemetery in South Weymouth.
Not listed on the Memorial Wall but casualties with ties to Weymouth are the following:
Pvt. First Class Frank E. Pickering
U.S. Army 314th Infantry, 79th Division, G Co., killed in action on September 29, 1918 at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, during the first drive from Verdun to the Argonne Woods.
Buried at: Plot E Row 25 Grave 29, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne, France
Organized as part of the 79th Division A.E.F. the men of the 314th were trained at Camp Meade, Maryland. Arriving at the camp in September, 1917 the unit completed training and sailed to France aboard the USS Leviathan in July, 1918. Upon arrival at Brest, France they continued training until September when they took part in the Meuse Argonne Offensive. Capturing the town of Malancourt on September, 26 1918, they assisted the 313th Infantry the following day in the capture of the town of Montfaucon. It should be noted that Montfaucon was a heavily defended area and observation post of the German army. Of the four infantry regiments of the 79th Division involved in the offensive, the 314th was hardest hit. It took several days to account for all the missing and bring the regiment up past the halfway mark in manpower.
Corporal Waldo Ducca
U.S. Army Co. K, 101st Infantry
From 14 Grove St., in East Weymouth, Corporal Ducca attended Weymouth Schools. He enlisted on June 25, 1917, served 18 months overseas and had been “gassed” 3 times. Mr. Ducca had made it home from the war only to die from his wounds six weeks later on June 1, 1919. He is buried at the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in South Weymouth.
Charles Burgess
Co. A, 7th Infantry
Mr. Burgess had lived on Pearl St., North Weymouth with an aunt, Dora Spear. He had been listed as wounded after the war had ended but it was later learned that he had been unable to recover from those wounds received in action on July 22.
Norman Francis Hunt
Headquarters Co., 101st Field Artillery, 26th Div.
Mr. Hunt was a member of Weymouth’s Hunt Family and a direct descendant of Enoch Hunt who had settled in Weymouth in 1638. He had attended Weymouth schools until his junior year of high school when he moved with his family to Stoneham. He died in France on June 20, 1917 of complications from bronchopneumonia.
Patrick J. Crowley
U.S. Army Co. G, 311 Infantry
Participated in numerous battles from May, 1918 until September of 1919 including St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He became ill and died on September 4, 1919. He is buried at the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery in South Weymouth, Mass.
Percy Smith
U.S. Army, Co. K, 18th Infantry
Pvt. Smith was born in Brockton on November 10, 1894 and later moved to Weymouth. He was an early participant in the war and was involved in the action at Cantgny, The Battle On The Marne, St. Mihiel and the Argonne Forest. On October 3, 1918 he was wounded and taken prisoner. A month later he died of his wounds at Germersheim Hospital. A marker in his name was placed at the Village Cemetery by the American Legion Post from Brockton although he is not buried there.
World War II
Army Pvt. Elden Harvey Johnson
One of Weymouth's five Medal Of Honor recipients, Private Johnson's heroics are well documented, drawing enemy fire in order to save 12 of his comrades. He was a member of the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, getting killed in action near Valmontone, Italy on June 3, 1944. The 3rd Infantry Division was part of the Anzio Campaign in which Allied Forces entered Italy from a beach south of Rome. The main objective of the operation was the capture of Rome and to outflank the Gustav Line. In hindsight, the campaign is considered a failure due to Major General John P. Lucas' inability to lead an aggressive attack, allowing the Allied Armies to become pinned down at the beach-head. Courageous fighting by American and British soldiers did however force the Germans to drain their troop reserves and equipment away from other, more formidable operations.
His Medal Of Honor was presented to his mother at the Boston Common, by General Sherman Miles, on May 30, 1945. He was not repatriated until 1948, when he was buried at his final resting place at Union Cemetery in Scituate.
A school is named for him on Pearl Street in North Weymouth. The USAT Elden H. Johnson army ship, which was used in World War II, was also named for him as well as an Army Barracks located in Germany.
Marine Cadet John Francis McCulloch
Cadet McCulloch was one of the tragedies of war that occur away from the battlefield. During training flight maneuvers in the skies just west of Hallandale, Florida on February 2, 1942 his plane collided mid-air with another, ironically being operated by another Massachusetts native.
Cadet McCulloch is buried in the Old North Cemetery in North Weymouth, MA. The McCulloch Building, a former elementary school, located on Green Street in North Weymouth is named in his honor.
Army Pfc. Frederick C. Murphy
Private First Class, U.S. Army, Medical Detachment, 259th Infantry, 65th Infantry Division. Pvt. Murphy's exploits during the war are well documented and deserving of the Medal Of Honor. He also received a Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. He moved to Weymouth from where he grew up in Quincy, and lived on Browning Avenue, not far from the school that now bears his name. Soon after moving to Weymouth, he entered the service and found himself on the Siegfried Line that borders Netherlands and Germany. He died in battle on March 19, 1945 at the age of 26. He left behind his wife, Virginia and a daughter Susan, born two months after his death. Click here to read an article by Susan's son regarding his grandfather.
The Murphy Federal Building on Trapelo Road in Waltham, MA is also named for him as well as the Murphy Barracks located in Stutgart, Germany. In 2008, the S.S. Private Frederick C. Murphy, a Victory Ship (cargo ship) for the U.S. Navy for many years was sold for scrap. Pvt. Murphy is also memorialized at the Shea Memorial Grove and Ralph Talbot Amphitheater.
Pvt. Murphy is buried at the American Cemetery in (St. Laurent) Lorraine, France
Army 2nd Lt. Thomas Vinson Nash, Jr.
The Nash family is one of historical prominence in the Town Of Weymouth and Lt. Thomas Nash certainly bore them no shame. He was a native son of Weymouth, graduating from the town's schools and went on to receive a degree, graduating in 1940 from Brown University where he was a standout on the football field. When the war broke out he entered the Victorville Army Flying School in California and completed training as a bombardier. He shipped out to England where he would fly several bombing missions in the skies over Europe. On July 28, 1943, his plane was struck by enemy fire and exploded in mid-air over Vries, Holland. He was buried there for a time in a small church yard until his body was moved by the U.S. Military to his permanent resting spot in the United States Military Cemetery located in Margraten, Netherlands. He was awarded a Purple Heart.
In July of 1948 the Town Of Weymouth conducted a ceremony and honored Lt. Nash by renaming Liberty Square, the intersection of Middle, Main and Front Streets, Thomas Nash Square. A school located just down the street, behind the Stetson Building is also named for him.
In August of 2009, while conducting a traffic detail at this intersection, Weymouth Police Officer Michael Davey was struck by a motorist and killed. He is only the second Weymouth Policeman ever killed in the line of duty.
Navy Commander Randall Thomas Boyd, Jr.
The nephew of William Seach, another decorated war veteran who called Weymouth home, was raised in South Weymouth and graduated from Weymouth High School in 1936. Commander Boyd was a classic over-achiever who excelled at everything he set his mind to. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy with the third highest entrance exam grade in the country and upon graduation saw combat in World War II as an artillery officer and received the Navy Silver Star. After the war he entered flight school, became a pilot and also received his Masters Degree from MIT.
In 1949 he became Executive Officer of Patrol Squadron 47 and found himself flying combat missions in the Korean War where he received the Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Gold Stars and the Navy Air Medal with 4 Gold Stars. He served in the Navy until 1958 when he retired as Commander of a Naval Base located in Spain. After retiring he was involved in the U.S. Space Program, shipbuilding and eventually started his own engineering firm and patented a method of recycling exhaust fumes generated from industrial plants.
Commander Boyd passed away in 2001 and was buried November 29 of that year with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
The Commander Randall T. Boyd Jr. Planetarium located at Weymouth High School is named in his honor.
Marine 2nd Lt. Lawrence W. Pingree
Less than 2 years after graduating from Weymouth High School, Lt. Pingree received his aviator wings and was assigned to the Marine Attack Squadron 223,
better known as the "Bulldogs". Lt. Pingree piloted a single seat jet called a Corsair or "U-bird" that was capable of reaching heights of 35,000 feet and was the first plane to reach speeds in excess of 400 mile per hour. Because of the sound Corsairs made and the diving maneuvers they became known for, these jets were called "whistling death" by the Japanese. In 1944, the Bulldogs would conduct strafing missions in and around the Soloman Islands, operating from Green Island. It was on one of these missions, on June 16, that Lt. Pingree's plane would be hit and he was lost at sea. His body was not recovered. He would receive a Purple Heart.
A school located on Commercial Street not far from Jackson Square in East Weymouth bears his name.
Army Pvt. Roger J. Grande
Pvt. Grande was a member of the Army's 34th Infantry Division fighting near Salerno, Italy when he was killed in action on October 1, 1944. He was awarded a Purple Heart. Weymouth honors him by naming the intersection of Lake and Shawmut Streets after him.
He is buried at the U.S. Military Cemetery in Florence, Italy.
The Cold War
Navy CT3 Alan Higgins
In 1967, just a few years after President John F. Kennedy had stood up to the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile crisis and only a couple of years after the United States had officially entered the Vietnam War, a battle for the Gaza Strip in Jerusalem broke out that to this day has not been settled. The battle between Israel and the neighboring countries of Egypt, Jordan and Syria was called the Six Day War and for all outward appearances the United States and President Lyndon Johnson were keeping a safe distance from the turmoil.
In the early morning hours of June 8th, a United States Communications Ship, the USS Liberty, was heading west along the Sanai Peninsula in international waters when Israeli Air Force Mirage III fighter jets flew over at close range a total of 8 times. Several hours later, the Israeli jets returned and opened fire on a defenseless Liberty. The ship was sprayed with cannon, rocket, bomb and napalm fire but still maintained their heading. The ship’s captain had little time for damage assessment when 3 Israeli Torpedo Boats hit the ship with additional cannon fire and 5 torpedoes.
The front page of the Patriot Ledger that day had a secondary heading that read “Israelis Attack US Ship In Error” and went on in later days with minor news blurbs that U.S. military officials were satisfied with the Israeli explanation that the attack on Liberty was “one of the tragic mistakes of war”.
In all, 34 crewmen perished and those that survived, as well as their families, were requested not to speak of the incident. One of those crewmen, U.S. Navy Cryptologic Tech 3rd Class Alan Higgins, was from Weymouth, MA.
Crewman Higgins is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Lt. Commander Laurence Edward MacFawn
Laurence MacFawn was born in Weymouth in 1919 at the family homestead located on Pleasant Street. He attended the Pratt School, where his father Herbert T. MacFawn was a custodian, with his younger brothers Malcolm and Bruce, and graduated from Weymouth High School in 1938. He played football and baseball in high school and was a good student, but his true passion was aviation. After high school he enlisted in the Navy's Aviator School and became a pilot. He served in World War II, most notably with a Navy Composite Squadron, VC-27, better known as "The Saints". He piloted an aircraft known as a TBM Avenger and received recognition for the successful bombing and destruction of the Japanese Fleet during the Battle of Samar in which the United States Naval Force was largely overmatched by their enemy. Lt. Commander MacFawn also served with distinction during the Korean War and as the U.S. prepared to enter the war in Vietnam, while on a test flight off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, his plane crashed on November 21, 1958. He was 39 years old.
He is buried at the Centerville, MA Cemetery. The corner of Mutton Lane and Pleasant Street in South Weymouth is named in his honor. As of 2009, the property across the street from this corner is still occupied by members of the MacFawn family. Bruce MacFawn and Malcolm MacFawn, his brothers, are also military veterans whose names appear on the Weymouth Memorial Wall. His son also, still makes his home in Weymouth.
Athletics
Harry Arlanson
Harry Arlanson (1909-1998), served as Director of Physical Education at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. from 1954 to 1974, although he is perhaps best remembered for his prowess as a football coach, compiling a 217-59-15 lifetime record.
He was born May 4, 1909, in Lynn, Massachusetts, received his early education in Lynn schools, where he captained his high school baseball team. He entered Tufts in 1927 as an engineer, and began actively participating in Tufts' athletics. He captained the baseball team his junior and senior year, and was also captain of the football team his senior year. After receiving his degree from Tufts in 1931, Arlanson moved on to Boston University, where he received a master's in education in 1935.
Between 1935 and 1954, he worked as director of physical education and head coach of the baseball and football teams at Weymouth high school. His coaching soon earned him the nickname, The Magician.
His football accomplishments included eight undefeated teams, six class A championships, and the Gator Bowl championship in 1950. He turned Weymouth's football team from a class C team into the most feared squad in the state.
In 1954, Arlanson began work as the director of physical education at Tufts. He coached the football team for twelve years, turning them into a strong and respected squad during the fifties. Harry Arlanson received the Tufts University Distinguished Service Key and was named New England Coach of the Year in 1959. After stepping down from coaching the football team, he devoted much of his time to administrative duties, including roles on several ECAC and NCAA committees. After his retirement in 1974, Arlanson served as an official of the Eastern College Athletics Conference. He is a member of the Weymouth High School Hall Of Fame and was elected to the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974, complementing his election to the Massachusetts Coaches Association Hall of Fame ten years earlier. In 1990, the Weymouth High School football field located on the Legion Memorial Athletic Fields in Weymouth, Mass. was named the Harry Arlanson Gridiron in his honor.
Harry Arlanson died on March 21, 1998 at his home in East Dennis, Massachusetts.
Citizens
Abigail Adams
Unquestionably Weymouth's most famous person. Whoever coined the phrase "behind every successful man, there stands a woman" must have had Abigail Smith Adams in mind. She was not only the wife of the second President Of The United States, John Adams, she was the mother of the sixth as well, John Quincy Adams. She was an early purveyor of woman's rights, believed slavery was evil, and although perhaps unknowingly, documented the the formation of the United States government through letters to her husband and others. The Abigail Adams State Park is located on Route 3A in North Weymouth, along the banks of the Back River where there are walking paths and tablets that bear quotes from her many famous letters. The Abigail Adams Homestead is also located adjacent to the Old North Cemetery in Weymouth.
Elias S. Beals
Elias Beals lived and had a shoe store on Sea Street in North Weymouth during the early part of the 19th century. He represented Weymouth in the State Legislature and was instrumental in having the tolls removed that were located at each end of Bridge Street in those days, arguing that it was unfair to the citizens and businesses in Weymouth. He donated approximately 3 1/2 acres of his property to the town to be used as a park, which is still located off of Sea Street.
George Jung
No doubt listed under the "infamous" category, George Jung grew up in East Weymouth and was actually considered a decent football player in the 50's. He went on to infamy through his association with the Medellin Cartel of Colombia and became wealthy by smuggling cocaine in the 1970's. He was eventually caught and lost everything. A book, Blow, based on his life written by Bruce Porter, was made into a movie that starred Jonny Depp as Jung. George Jung is presently serving a prison sentence in Texas with an expected release date sometime in 2014. Although he has acquired and lost wealth on the wrong side of the law, he is still the consummate entrepreneur and maintains a web site and a line of clothing called "Smugglewear", despite being incarcerated.
William A. Connell Jr.
Mr. Connell could have been placed in the Athlete or the Military categories of 
this web site, but more than all else he should be remembered as a notable citizen of Weymouth and Massachusetts. He lived most of his life in Weymouth, graduating from Weymouth High School in 1940, where he excelled at football and is in the "Weymouth Athletic Hall Of Fame". He furthered his education at Holy Cross College and went on to serve his country in the Navy during World War II and Korea. He owned his own business in Columbian Square for many years and was a selectman and school committee member in the town. From 1956 until 1976, he served Weymouth and surrounding communities in the House Of Representives. After retirement he continued to stay involved in local matters, particularly veterans issues and the upkeep of memorials around the town. Above all else he was happily married for over 50 years to Joan Cramond and had 4 children. He lived on Torrey Street in South Weymouth.
The corner of Torrey Street and Pleasant Street in Columbian Square was named in his honor in 2009. He passed away in May of 2008 at the age of 85 and was laid to rest in St. Francis Cemetery in South Weymouth, Mass.
Celebrities
Don Kent
Anyone that grew up in New England, especially Massachusetts in the 1960's and 70's knows this legendary weatherman. He grew up in the Wollaston section of Quincy where he started a business called Kent's Carpetland with his brother Roger. Don Kent's passion from an early age was the weather and during breaks at work and after hours could be found in a shed he built on the roof of the family business. Eventually he was asked to forecast the weather for a couple of local radio stations, which he did for free, until landing a full time job as the weather expert for WBZ in Boston. He did this with virtually no training. He led the way for present day, highly skilled weather people that are found on almost every form of media.
He lived in North Weymouth for many years, raising a family there on the Fore River side of Great Hill, overlooking Wessagusset. In 1983 he retired from WBZ but continued to forecast weather part time for various news outlets, from his home in New Hampshire. The Kent's Carpetland property in Wollaston was donated by the family in 1996 and turned into the Don Kent Park as part of the Wollaston Beach Reservation.
Don Kent passed away on March 2, 2010 at the age of 92. He once said that the weather gave him everything he had in life, including his wife, Miriam Hanson.
Tobin Bell
Joseph Tobin grew up near the Weymouth Heights neighborhood in the early 1950's and maintained contact with the Town Of Weymouth by visiting his mother who resided there for many years. He pursued an acting career and changed his name to Tobin Bell. He has been in several popular and successful films, usually playing a villain. His most notable villain is that of John Kramer, the evil character behind the series of "Saw" horror movies. Read what Tobin Bell thinks about Legion Field.
Nate and Rob Corddry
The Corddry brothers grew up in Weymouth in the 80's and went to Weymouth Schools. Rob went on to graduate from UMass Amherst and Nate, the younger of the two, graduated from Colby-Sawyer College. Both went on to find success as correspondents and comedians for the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. They still have friends and family living in Weymouth and visit often. They also remain avid Red Sox fans.
Hal Holbrook
Hal Holbrook, a well known, award winning actor, grew up in South Weymouth in the 1930's. He is well versed in the writings of Mark Twain and conducted a one man show of Twain's life for many years. The Holbrook family name is historically tied to Weymouth and the present home of the Weymouth Historical Society is known as the Holbrook House.
Activists/ Educators
Mary Toomey
Miss Toomey was a teacher in the Weymouth School system for 41 years and a long time resident of the town. She is most noted for her environmental awareness work. She spent a lifetime restoring and preserving land along both sides of the Back River, a tidal river that separates Weymouth and Hingham. She worked with local government to obtain land abutting the river, clean up pollution and restore fisheries, including the Herring Run. She was instrumental in the preservation of parts of the Great Esker Park, Abigail Adams State Park, Webb Memorial State Park and Stoddard's Neck Park.
She was the recipient of the Visionary Award from the Gulf Of Maine Council, U.S. EPA's 1991 Environmental Merit Award, the B.U. Academy Of Distinguished Graduates, Conservation Teacher Of The Year, Audubon Teacher Of The Year, the Rotary Club Service Award and was named Woman of the Year by the Theresa Heinz Foundation.
She worked for many years with Dr. Mary Sears of Woods Hole Oceanography acclaim and in 2009 a section of Webb Memorial State Park was named in their honor as Marys' Point. At the age of 88 she wrote a book that documented their story of working together to save the environment.
View of Marys' Point prior to dedication of stone tablet.
Mary F. Toomey passed away at the age of 89 on April 16, 2009. She is buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery in South Weymouth.