Thomas Burns
Diane, thank you for publishing the piece on the Generals Bridge in Quincy Center. It is truly a compelling story of the men from Quincy.
I would also like to mention the upcoming (August 9), dedication of the new "Quincy Navy Park at Squantum" which will also be a great event. This new park is located at the boardwalk in Marina Bay.
The park would honor men and women who served in the Navy or worked at one of Quincy's two shipyards – Fore River and the Victory Destroyer Plant, which was operational from 1918 to 1920. The Fore River Shipyard, one of the largest on the East Cost at its apex, was founded in 1896 and closed permanently in 1986.
The centerpiece of the park would be U.S. Navy's "Lone Sailor" monument. Lone Sailor statues now stand in 18 locations around the world, including Pearl Harbor and Normandy, France. This would be the 19th, and the first in coastal New England.

"He is about 25 years old, a senior second class petty officer who is fast becoming a seagoing veteran," reads a description of the Lone Sailor statue by the United States Navy Memorial organization.
In addition to the statue, the park would feature plaques honoring 11 Quincy natives who made significant contributions to the Navy, including six admirals.
The admirals include Colin James Kilrain, John Ready, Giles Stedman, Bartholomew Hogan, Forrest Royal and Stephen Keith.
One plaque would honor Mildred "Millie" Cox, one of the first women to join the Marines. Cox is a World War II veteran who later worked for Quincy Public Schools and Veterans Services while raising a family in the city. She recently turned 100 years old.
Other honorees include former Massachusetts Attorney General and Navy Lieutenant Francis X. Bellotti, former editor of the Quincy Sun Henry Bosworth who served in the Navy during World War II, retired naval aviator and Vietnam POW Richard Stratton and Charles Francis Adams III, who was U.S. Secretary of the Navy under Herbert Hoover.
Another attraction at the park would be the bell of the USS Quincy, which was built in the Fore River Shipyard and launched June 23, 1943. The ship participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, where she fired on German batteries stationed along Utah Beach.
The USS Quincy also hosted the meeting between President Franklin Roosevelt and Saudi King Abdul Aziz, in which the United States promised the monarchy military assistance in exchange for access to oil, according to a Harvard University global affairs publication.
Anyone interested in attending can check the city website (https://www.quincyma.gov/) for the exact time on August 9 for the ceremony.
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