Around Town

Watertown Remembers Pearl Harbor Attack on 79th Anniversary

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Trumpeter Alan Mannarino plays Taps during the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony at the Watertown Square Dock. The annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony in Watertown Square drew a couple dozen attendees on Monday morning, despite COVID-19 social distancing requirements. The ceremony marked the 79th anniversary of the attack that drew the United States into World War II. The Town has a special link to Dec. 7, 1941, Veterans Services Officer Patrick George reminded those on hand, and tuning in on Facebook Live.

Around Town

Watertown Hosting Live Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony

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Members of Watertown’s veterans organizations talk before the Pearl Harbor Commemoration in 2017 at the Watertown Dock in Watertown Square. The Town of Watertown will remember those lost at Pearl Harbor with an in-person event on Monday, Dec. 7. The Town of Watertown sent out the following information:

Please join us for a ceremony honoring those who lost their lives during the Pearl Harbor attacks at the landing above the former wharf in WatertownSquare. The event will take place on December 7, 2020 at 10:00AM.

Around Town

Flags Retired During Ceremony at Ridgelawn Cemetery, First Veterans Event During COVID-19

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Veterans Agent Patrick George watches as a member of the Department of Public Works lights the retired American Flags during the Flag Day Ceremony at Ridgelawn Cemetery. Watertown’s veterans groups got together at Ridgelawn Cemetery for the first ceremony since the start of the COVID-19 shutdown Sunday to honor the American Flag and retire some during the annual Flag Day Ceremony. With the cancellation of the Memorial Day Parade, the town’s biggest event involving veterans, the Flag Day Ceremony took on a bit more significance this year. Veterans Services Officer Patrick George read a statement that he normally does during the Memorial Day activities in late-May. “Typically what we do on Memorial Day is rededicate memorials around Watertown,” George said.

Around Town

Watertown Holding Flag Day Ceremony at Ridgelawn Cemetery

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Members of Watertown’s veterans groups salute at the Flag Retirement Ceremony on Friday. The following information was provided by the Watertown Veterans Services Office:

Watertown will hold a Flag Retirement Service and Ceremony at Ridgelawn Cemetery on Sunday, June 14th, 2020 beginning at 10:00 AM. We will also rededicate the flagpole. This event is open to the Public; however, in accordance with health & safety guidelines, attendees must wear a face covering and practice appropriate social distancing. Please reach out to the Veterans’ Services office if you have a flag you’d like to properly retire.

Around Town

Watertown’s Roll of Honor: The Town’s Long History of Sacrifice for Country

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Memorial Day ceremonies and the parade will be held in Watertown on Monday, May 26. Watertown’s long military tradition dates well before the founding of the United States. The battles where Town’s the sons (and in one case daughter) served and gave their lives include some of the most hallowed in American history: Lexington, Bull Run, Pearl Harbor, Okinawa. The names can still be seen around town being memorialized in the names of street signs, parks and squares — Phillip Darch Road, O’Connell Park and Moxley Field are just some. Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Around Town

No Parade, But Watertown Cable Broadcasting Memorial Day Ceremony Featuring Veteran Interviews

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The COVID-19 restrictions has cancelled the 2020 Watertown Memorial Day Parade, but the Town’s Veterans Agent and Watertown Cable are teaming up to broadcast a live ceremony on Monday. After the parade each year, a ceremony is held next to Town Hall. Veterans Agent Patrick George said he wanted to hold something like that this year, and teamed up with Watertown Cable to put on the live broadcast at noon on Monday, May 25. The featured speaker will be Watertown-native Lt. Col. Stephanie Cooper.

Around Town

Watertown Woman Excited to Enter West Point Military Academy in the Fall

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Watertown’s Hannah MacDonald will be entering West Point Military Academy in the fall. She is holding the document informing her of her appointment to the Academy. This fall, high school senior Hannah MacDonald will begin her career at campus that few people from Watertown have ever attended. It’s not Harvard, or Yale or another prestigious college. She will be a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point. 

Gaining entry into West Point, or any of the military academies, is no simple feat, and MacDonald had to qualify in ways that those admitted to other institutions of higher learning do not have to worry about.

Around Town

Watertown Veterans Agent Hosting Office Hours at Shutt Detachment

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The Marine Corps League Pvt. Charles Shutt Detachment in Watertown. The Watertown Veterans Services Office will kick off a series of office hours for veterans on Jan. 31 at the Shutt Detachement. Watertown Veterans Agent Patrick George decided to hold office hours to give the town’s veterans a chance to speak to him, ask questions and discuss plans for the upcoming veterans’ holidays.