2 min readBy Published On: May 31st, 2021Categories: Features0 Comments on Memorial Day: Honor & Remember

Memorial Day is a national holiday and a day of remembrance of those who have died while serving our country in the armed forces.  Originally called Decoration Day, it was a day to visit the cemetery and decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. Now it is a day to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice – their lives.

Remember and Honor:
Carl Alsen was a soldier from Dorchester killed during World War I. After President Woodrow Wilson made a speech declaring war against Germany, Alsen, lying about his age, enlisted in the National Guard in 1917. He was killed in action on April 12, 1918 during the Battle of Apremont in France. He was just 18 years old. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre posthumously for his bravery. The Dorchester Reporter did a story on the rededication of Hero Square in Alsen’s name back in 2017.

Other’s spots in Dorchester to remember an honor:
Soldiers Monument, Meeting House Hill
Built in 1867 by the Pickwick Club, the Soldiers’ Monument lists the names of those Dorchester residents who died while in service of their country during the Civil War.

Maloney Circle
This monument was installed in 1950 in memory of John Edward Maloney who was killed in World War II.  Maloney was a gunners mate, 3 class, in the US Navy. He was killed in action on April 16, 1945 off of Okinawa Shima.

Capt. Joseph W. McConnell Memorial
Dedicated September 11, 1921, this monument is a large round plaque on the stone, surrounded by an iron fence near Malibu Beach.  Captain McConnell was killed in action in France in World War I In 1918.

Vietnam War Memorial
Located on Morrissey Boulevard near UMass Boston, the Vietnam War Memorial features two stone arch structures with the names of the fallen Vietnam veterans from Dorchester engraved into the stone.

Fields Corner Veterans’ Monument
This monument sits in “Hero Square” plaza at the intersection of Dot Avenue and Adams Street. It’s is “dedicated for all who served – in memory of all who fought and died to preserve freedom of our country in all wars.”

Lower Mills World War II Monument
The Lower Mills World War II monument is located at Richmond Street and Dorchester Avenue.  It is dedicated to the those who fought and died during World War II.  It was installed by the Dorchester Lower Mills Community Club.

For more information about Dorchester history, visit the Dorchester Historical Society website. 

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