Around Town

Historical Society Hosting Film About Armenian Vets of WWII & Women on the Home Front

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The Historical Society of Watertown & The Watertown Free Public Library announced they will present: “Our Boys, Armenian-American Veterans of World War II and the Women of the Home Front” a film by Roger Hagopian & Tom Spera on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, 2 p.m., Watertown Free Public Library, Watertown Savings Bank Room, 123 Main St Watertown MA 02472

In 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, Tom Spera, the son of a veteran of the war, was determined to find a way to honor Armenian-American soldiers who had served their country. He collaborated with filmmaker Roger Hagopian to produce the “Our Boys” video, featuring oral histories interspersed with personal and historical photographs from the wartime period. The film’s interviewees attend the Armenian Memorial Church in Watertown and the First Armenian Church of Belmont. These men – some barely out of high school at the time – reflect upon the bombing of Pearl Harbor, their induction into the service, their harrowing journeys aboard troop transport ships through rough seas, correspondence with their families back home, poignant and humorous moments, and near-death experiences during combat.

Anthony Basile

OBIT: Anthony Basile, 102, Decorated WWII Veteran, Fought in Battle of the Bulge

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Anthony Basile died at the age of 102. He was a decorated veteran of World War II. A life-long Watertown resident who earned a Bronze Star and a French Legion of Honor for his service in World War II died and made it over the age of 100 died recently. Anthony Basile, 102, of Watertown, passed away on June 14, 2021. Basile was drafted in 1941, before Pearl Harbor, and served in the U.S. Army’s Yankee Division during World War II, said Bob Duncan, who married Basile’s daughter Sandra.

Anniversary

Watertown Couple Celebrating 75 Years of Marriage After Unlikely Meeting

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Edward and Madeline “Ann” Newbould married in 1945 after they met through a letter snuck into a box of cookies. Watertown’s Edward and Madeline “Ann” Newbould met in a very unusual way during World War II, and on Jan. 22, 2020 they will celebrate the 75th anniversary of their wedding. Their family provided the following piece:

Celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary on January 22, 2020, Edward and Madeline “Ann” Newbould of Watertown were seemingly brought together by fate, their love story beginning with a destined box of cookies. Madeline, who worked at a Watertown cookie shop during World War II, snuck her name and address into a box of cookies, hoping to gain a pen pal.

Around Town

Town Honors Watertown Solider Killed in WWI by Naming Square After Him

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Tuesday afternoon, the Russo family finally got some closure after losing their brother and uncle Dominic in France during World War II. 

The Town of Watertown officially named the intersection of Palfrey and Forest streets Pvt. Dominic Joseph Russo Square and unveiled of the sign during a short ceremony Tuesday which drew family, local veterans and town officials and elected leaders. Russo died on Sept. 12, 1944, in Epinal, France, and was buried in the Epinal American Cemetery & Memorial with 5,300 American soldiers. Mary Russo, Dominic’s niece, said it was difficult on the family having Dominic buried so far away.

Around Town

See One of the Top Entries in the Historical Society’s Essay Contest

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Each year, the Historical Society of Watertown sponsors an award for the best history essay submitted by a high school student, and Watertown News will feature the winning essays. Students had their choice of four themes: an individual, ethnic group, landmark or historical event in Watertown and its significance to the town and region. The 1st place winner received $300; the 2nd and 3rd place winners received $100 each. The winners of the Historical Society Awards were chosen by a panel of Historical Society Council members. The awards were presented in June in the high school lecture hall. The Historical Society said it appreciates the effort taken by Social Studies Coordinator Kraig Gustafson and the high school staff to encourage students to develop an interest in the history of their town.

Around Town

Watertown Will Name Square After 95-Year-Old WWII Veteran

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During World War II Tony Basile landed in Normandy, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. This year the 95-year-old U.S. Army veteran will have a square dedicated in his name. On Tuesday night the Town Council voted to make the intersection of Worcester and Springfield streets Anthony “Tony” Basile Square. Tony’s daughter Sandra Basile-Duncan thanked the council for honoring her father. “This means a whole lot for our family, a lot for my father,” Basile-Duncan said.