nothin New Haven Independent | Words, Music & Branford High War Memories

Words, Music & Branford High War Memories

On this Memorial Day, Branford residents turned out in droves to attend ceremonies and parades from Stony Creek to the town Green. On what was a beautiful Memorial Day morning, the village of Stony Creek, their kids and their dogs, followed the Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps up the hill and to the cemetery.

Mary Johnson Photo

With music, words and prayer, the day unfolded as Abraham Lincoln wrote in his Gettysburg Address, to those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.” The children carried flowers to place on the graves of those veterans who served the nation.

Mary Johnson Photo

This thought was never far from the mind of Parade Marshall Grant Briggs (pictured). He remembers Branford in the early 1940s when his high school, Branford High, was located at 23 Eades St., the current site of the John B. Sliney Elementary School.

So when he stood to address hundreds of towns people gathered on the Green yesterday morning for the town’s Memorial Day events and parade, he let folks know that his heart was back on Eades Street.

He spoke of a flagpole at the former high school and a 2‑foot-high memorial made of pink Stony Creek granite. 

Marcia Chambers Photo

On that piece of Stony Creek granite, remember now this is World War II we are speaking of, which is my time, I am only 87… On that piece of Stony Creek granite is a bronze plaque and on that plaque is cast two columns of 18 names each. In all 36 people all together who went off to war from this town and never returned. Keep that in mind for a moment. Killed in action…. But this is the thing that is poignant to me, and it is not generally known. I knew one of the guys whose name is on that bronze plaque.

And I knew a couple of the ladies on the committee that instituted this memorial. This was back in the late 40s. They may be still alive. But those listed on the plaque are not. I offer you this, this morning as my example of Memorial Day. Thank you.”

Later in the day we visited the memorial at the former high school on Eades Street, the school they attended when they decided to enlist. You could enlist back then at 17 and many did. Many also lied about their ages and enlisted even earlier.

36 Killed In Action


In all, 1,403 men and women from Branford served in all aspects the war. That was 18 percent of the population, which was around 8,000 at the time; 82 men from Battery H served all five years and 35 men and one woman were killed in combat. Click here to read our 2010 story.

Here are the names of Branford’s soldiers who were killed in World War II. A few appear to be related.

They are: George Adams, Elmer P. Anderson, James W. Barba, Bernard B. Brown, David O. Champagne, John W. Clark, William G. Colby, Arthur Morse Curtis, Steve Dukas, Gruger G. Edgerton, Russell Fleming, Arthur W. Johnson, Robert E. Kells, Harold Larabee, Louis E. Lepre, Jasper Long, Jr., Fritz Luza, and Roger Monast.

The second list of 18 names are: Charles Montelius, Joseph C. Mooney, William H. Pardee, Jr., Theodore Patenaud, Henry Patenaud, Zenna A. Radowicz, William Radthke, Austin Ryer, Lewis E. Sanieski, Eric G. Schoening, Fred W. Schoening, James Spencer, Donald S. Shubert, Abraham Soffer, William J. Symonds, Jr., Arthur Williams, J.H. Williams, and Stanley S. Woods

Stony Creek Remembers

Memorial Day events began yesterday at 8 a.m. at the village center in Stony Creek with the raising of the flag. Many villagers have never missed this weekend. One Stony Creek resident recalled this was his 40th year; and remembered well the deeply divisive Vietnam War.

Mary Johnson Photo

The Stony Creek Memorial Day Parade is learned in childhood, and one generation passes the details of the event onto the next. Each year new children learn how to place flowers (and sometimes a flag) on the graves of the veterans buried in the cemetery on the hill.

Mary Johnson Photo

Soon came the annual reading of the names of the 109 veterans buried in this cemetery, including those in the Civil War. The number rose by two to 109 so far this year, former First Selectman Unk DaRos, the Master of Ceremonies, told us after the event ended.

Mary Johnson Photo

While the ritual remains the same, what is different each year is what the honorary parade marshal Lt. Col. Peter Brainerd (pictured) has to say in his annual message. One year he spoke about Vietnam. Last year he reminded the villagers of the 70th anniversary of the landing at Normandy on June 6, 1944. Here is our prize-winning story, A Letter Left Behind.” This year, 100 years after the bloody battlefields of Belgium and France during WW I, his topic was red poppies.

Many may not know the significance of this flower. The red field poppy is an internationally recognized symbol of remembrance because of the association with poppies flowering in the spring of 1915 on the battlefields of Belgium and France. This vivid red flower has become a symbol of great loss of life in war.”

Indeed, those poppies inspired World War I soldier Lt. Col. John McCrae to write, In Flanders Field, the poppies blow/Between the crosses row on row…”

Mary Johnson Photo

From Stony Creek, veterans’ groups and others headed to the South Montowese Street Bridge for Naval Memorial services at 9:15 a.m.

Mary Johnson Photo

The naval prayer was delivered and the National Anthem and Naval Hymm was sung by Lia Witten. 

Mary Johnson Photo

As tradition binds, a wreath was sent from the bridge to the waters below.

Mary Johnson Photo

Then the event headed moved to the Town Green where the streets were lined with waiting families and kids and friends, some standing or sitting three deep. They were there early.

Mary Johnson Photo

First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove spoke quietly of the solemn day, a day to pay tribute to the men and women who lost their lives serving our great country to preserve our freedom.” State Rep. Lonnie Reed was on the podium and joined Cosgrove in the parade. Vincent Giordano, Jr., served as Master of Ceremonies, introducing the speakers. Frank. J. Kinney III gave a strong reading of the Gettysburg Address.

Marcia Chambers Photo

Walsh Intermediate School student Maya Shebell (pictured), a seventh grader and the winner of the Capt. Thomas Yester Memorial Day essay contest, delivered a moving tribute to those who died defending freedom.

Speaking at the ceremony on the Green, she was joined on the stage by Issy Mannle, also a seventh grader at Walsh. Mannle was runner-up in the essay contest award.

Shebell recalled children placing flowers on the graves of those lost to war. She read her winning essay, ending on a note that all attending understood. Because of them our freedom is true,” she said.

Mary Johnson Photo

Mannle (pictured) read her essay aloud as well. Memorial Day, she said, is not only a day of love, remembrance and self-reflection. It is also a day to be kind.” Sheball’s teacher is Patricia Mooney and Mannle’s teacher is Michele Simpson.

Since 1989, Walsh has held this essay contest, which is entitled What Memorial Day Means To Me.” The contest was started by Bill O’Brien, then the parade marshal, and later organized by former Capt. Thomas Yester who died in 2012.

Today the contest is known as the Capt. Thomas Yester Memorial Day contest.

Bill O’Brien Photo

Pictured above in the front row are L-R Samantha Esposito, Amelie Parczany, Lilt Stockwell, Issabella Finta, Maya Shebell, Superintendant of Schools Hamlet Hernandez, Veterans Day Parade Committee Chairman John Cooke, Issy Mannle, Emma Verardi, Mason Moore, Christian Bjork and Mena Salama. Back row L-R are WIS teacher Michele Simpson, assistant principal Peter Anaclerio and WIS teacher Patricia Mooney.

O’Brien took the photo at Walsh after the finalists and winners received their award certificates and gift cards. The Branford Community Foundation sponsored the awards. 

After the ceremony, the town parade got underway at precisely 10:30 a.m.

Marcia Chambers Photo

Master Staff Sgt. Walter Zielinski (pictured), now 94, who served in Germany during World War II, is now one of Branford’s few World War II veterans still alive. A Branford native he served in a number of military theaters, including the Bay of Pigs crisis. We caught up with him on Main Street, in his army truck, still smiling.

Mary Johnson Photo

Seated with Zielinski at the gunner’s deck is Michael Criscuolo, 12, a Walsh student.

Mary Johnson Photo

Various fife & drum corps bands played, including the newest and youngest group, St. Mary’s Fife & Drum Corps.

Bill O’Brien Photo

And one was taking it all in.


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