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From YouTube: Cocoanut Grove Fire 80th Anniversary Ceremony
Description
Boston's 1942 Cocoanut Grove Fire is the deadliest nightclub fire in American history. 80 years later, Mayor Wu gathers in Bay Village with former Mayor Raymond Flynn, fire personnel, and the families of the victims to commemorate the tragedy and announce a new Cocoanut Grove Memorial.
A
I
want
to
thank
everyone
for
joining
us
today,
mayor
Wu,
thank
you
for
technology
and
and
joining
us
as
well.
This
is
the
80th
anniversary
of
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire.
The
nightclub
was
just
down
the
street
at
number
17
Piedmont
Street
and
came
all
the
way
up:
Piedmont
Street
to
the
edge
of
Broadway
Street
and
at
approximately
10
15
on
November
28
1942,
a
fire
erupted
in
the
downstairs
piano
by
the
melody
Lounge
and
it
erupted
and
came
up
the
staircase
and
then
it
engulfed
the
entire
Club.
A
490
people
lost
their
lives
from
that
tragedy.
However,
there
was
an
awful
lot
of
good
that
happened:
new
Fire
and
Building
Safety
new
rules
and
regulations,
incredible
Innovation,
with
the
advances
of
how
to
treat
patients
who
had
severe
burns.
All
of
that
happened
here
in
Boston
and
we're
and
those
items
were
adopted
worldwide.
A
Just
to
give
you
one,
for
instance,
as
you
enter
a
building,
you'll
see
an
exit
sign
and
that
sign
is
on
its
own
battery.
If
all
the
lights
went
out
in
that
commercial
building,
that
orange
or
or
red
or
green
exit
sign
would
still
be
lit
and
that's
a
direct
result
of
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire
I
just
want
to
acknowledge.
If
I
can
the
various
people
that
we've
been
working
with
who
serve
on
our
Coconut
Grove
committee,
Dr
Ken
Marshall
is
right
here
in.
A
Foreign
's
mother
was
a
nurse
at
Boston,
City
Hospital
on
the
night
of
the
fire
Paul
Miller
a
long
time
resident
of
Bay
Village
and
a
co-writer
producer
of
the
documentary
you'll
see
a
little
later.
Six
locked
doors.
Ruth
can
off
past
president
of
the
Bay
Village
neighborhood
association,
who
was
responsible
for
the
Coconut
Grove
plaque
that
that
is
right
here
in
better
than
the
sidewalk
below
the
sign:
Paul
Christensen,
a
former
Boston
fire
commissioner
and
Department's
Coconut
Grove
Fire
historian,
Marty,
Pierce
and
other
former
Boston
fire
department.
A
Jim
Caven,
president
of
the
Dover
Historical
Society,
who
lost
a
great
uncle
in
the
fire
Richard
Ross
former
state
representative
and
Sheriff
of
Suffolk
County
housant
was
severely
burnt
in
the
fire.
Casey
Grant
former
director
of
research
for
the
National
Fire
Protection
Association
Greg
Whalen,
former
news
anchor
for
New
England,
cable
news,
David
Blaney,
Coconut
Grove
historian
and
author
Zach
Miller
writer
and
producer
of
the
PBS
documentary
six
locked
doors,
Ed
Kelly,
president
of
the
international
firefighters
Association,
whose
grandfather
was
a
first
responder.
B
Thank
you,
Michael
I
promise.
This
won't
be
as
long
as
one
of
my
Sunday
homilies
here.
So
that's
that's
a
good
thing.
You
know.
Just
as
we
begin
you
know,
I
grew
up
in
the
in
the
burbs.
My
dad
grew
up
in
the
city.
My
mom
was
a
the
country
girl
from
Maine,
and
they
met
and
all
he
ever
used
to
say
was
boys
when
you
go
into
a
building.
What's
the
first
thing
you
look
for,
and
he
would
always
cite
the
Coconut
Grove.
B
You
know
I
have
a
selective
memory
with
that,
like
most
of
us
right
growing
up,
but
the
important
things
when
we
remember
we
we
keep
things
close.
We
keep
people
close
and
I
just
met
Don
hurwitz
a
minute
ago
and
Don.
It
was
just
a
pleasure.
You
told
me
that
your
mom
and
dad
were
both
both
killed
and
for
you
to
be
here
and
for
me
to
be
with
you
and
I
know:
I
speak
for
all
of
us.
It's
a
it's!
B
A
terrific
honor,
I'm,
chaplain
busting
fire
Parish
priest
down
at
Saint,
Cecilia
and
today
here
is
on
behalf
of
all
the
chaplains
for
the
Boston
Fire
and
Police
Department
Father
John
Curry,
Reverend,
Carl,
Thompson,
Rabbi,
Ira,
korff,
father
Dan,
Mahoney,
Meredith,
and
also
the
the
Boston
police,
chaplains,
John,
Conley
and
Sean.
We
just
we
gather
together
and
we
gather
from
many
different
places
and
Faith
backgrounds,
different
spiritualities
I'm,
a
Catholic
priest.
B
But
you
know
this
this
higher
power,
this
God
that
we
believe
in
if
we
believe,
is
one
who
encompasses
and
loves
all
of
us
Rabbi
Yosef.
It
was
such
a
pleasure
to
meet
you
here
today,
so
As,
We
Gather
on
this
80th
anniversary,
Michael
I.
Thank
you
and
the
whole
committee
for
remembering,
remember
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire,
where
490
people
lost
their
lives,
and
today
we
take
the
time
to
remember
to
remember
all
those
who
perished.
B
B
A
C
E
D
I'd
like
to
start
with
a
land
recognition,
we
recognize
today
that
this
land
is
a
territory
of
the
Massachusetts,
the
Pawtucket
and
their
neighbors,
the
Wampanoag
and
the
nipmuc
peoples
who
had
stewarded
this
land
for
hundreds
of
generations.
We
recognize
the
stand.
The
land
where
we
stand
today
was
once
on
the
edge
of
the
Great
Bay
short
distance,
from
where
the
ancient
fish
Weir
stood
were
the
first
Nations
people
and
the
first
inhabitants
of
this
land
served
and
built
communities
before
the
before
the
Europeans
came.
D
We
recognize
and
honor
this
history
and
pay
tribute
to
them
and
their
societies
welcome
to
Bay
Village
everyone
we're
happy
to
have
you
here.
This
is
another
solemn
occasion
we
come
here
year
after
year
to
remember
this
day:
I'm
Paul,
Miller
I'm
a
resident
here
I,
want
to
welcome
mayor
Wu
for
recognizing
the
importance
of
a
permanent
Memorial.
D
This
Memorial
comes
so
close
to
where
we
are
today
so
I
want
to
welcome
all
the
guests,
and
especially
the
families
who
are
here
who
have
stuck
with
us
through
the
last
10
or
15
years.
Have
we
been
moving
forward
towards
a
permanent
Memorial?
Some
of
you
become
friends.
Some
of
you
we've
just
met
very
recently,
but
it
seems
like
every
year.
D
It
wasn't
for
you
and
all
the
four
or
five
people
that
are
here
today
that
were
here
30
years
ago,
I'm
not
sure
we'd
be
standing
here
today
you
know
Paul
and
mayor
Flynn
and
Ruth
so
preparing
today.
Over
the
last
few
weeks,
I
was
thinking
about
how
many
people
we've
met
and
we've
been
touched
by
this
fire,
and
it
seems
like
every
week
there's
more
and
more
people.
We
meet
it's
literally
hundreds
of
people
and
it's
astonishing
how
many
people
over
the
last
80
years
have
been
touched
by
this
fire.
D
When
we're,
when
we're
thinking
about
this
over
the
last
few
weeks
for
today,
one
word
kept
coming
up,
and
it
was
the
word
community
and
this
past
holiday
weekend
we're
taking
a
long
walk
on
the
Outer
Cape
Herring
Cove
at
Provincetown,
and
it
brought
to
mind
another
small
group
of
people,
a
small
community,
Anchored
In.
What
is
now
Cape,
Cod
Bay,
a
group
of
people
that
were
wishing
to
immigrate
here
to
the
United
States
or
to
this
land.
At
the
time
there
were
three
differing
factions
on
that
boat,
anchored
in
Cape
Cod
Bay.
D
D
We
are
here
to
always
remember
what
happened
80
years
ago
in
the
legacy
of
that
night.
So
you're
welcome
here,
to
tell
your
story,
share
your
Reflections
and
help
future
generations
to
never
forget
we
brought
together.
We
were
brought
here
together,
not
necessarily
by
choice
but
we're
all
here
together
still
one.
D
D
G
One
of
the
most
emotional
days,
I
think
I've
spent
in
a
very
long
time.
I'll
give
a
reflection
of
why
it's
so
emotional
to
me,
because
I
didn't
live
that
far
from
here
knew
many
of
the
neighbors
that
lived
here.
The
firefighters
residents,
people
who
passed
away
during
the
fire
I
heard
these
stories
since
I
was
probably
four
years
old,
five
years
old
over
50
years
and
the
story,
the
story
of
this
Coconut
Grove
never
gets
boring
or
tired.
G
It
brings
out
not
only
the
emotion
inside
people,
but
I
have
to
tell
you
this
and
take
note
of
this.
It
brought
out
the
best
in
the
city
it
brought
out
the
best
in
America.
Let
me
give
you
one
little
example:
I
think
I
told
Mike
this
story.
One
time
when
I
was
appointed
by
the
president
to
go
to
Italy
I
spoke
before
the
firefighters
Association
in
Italy
and
across
Europe
and
I
told
them
the
story
all
the
time
about
the
Coconut
Grove
and
how
the
firefighters,
firefighters
responded.
G
If
I
were
in
San
Francisco,
if
I
was
in
Los
Angeles,
whoever
even
in
the
north
of
the
United
States
of
of
the
United
States
I,
would
always
look
for
a
firefighter,
so
I
could
see.
I
could
ask
them.
Do
you
know
of
the
Coconut
Grove
they
would
say.
Are
you
kidding
me?
We
know
that
story
as
well
as
any
story.
We
ever
learned.
We
ever
heard.
G
You
know
what
that's
because
of
you,
that's
because
of
the
people
of
Boston.
That's
what
people
like
Michael
via
Paul
Christian
fire,
Commissioners
fire
fighters,
all
these
young
fellows
and
back
of
us
this
fight.
He
had
the
national
president
of
the
firefighters,
Association,
Eddie
Kelly.
You
brought
this
information
to
the
Public's
attention,
so
we
could
never
forget
it.
No
mayor,
no
city
council,
no
Governor
could
forget
it.
G
G
Do
you
have
guessed
but
I'll
tell
you
I've
heard
it
all
over
the
world,
I've
heard
it
from
Europe
I've
heard
it
when
I
was
Presidents
of
the
mayor's
Association,
when
I
got
sworn
in
as
mayor,
what
should
I
talk
about?
It
was
the
national
president
of
the
Mayors.
What
did
I
talk
about?
I
talked
about
the
coconut
growth
and
how
the
people
are
still
struggling
to
get
this
story
in
the
minds
and
the
the
writer
directly
in
front
of
the
press
in
TV.
So
what
happened
here
would
never
happen
again.
G
My
friends
Boston
is
the
hero
of
this
fight.
They
are
the
hero,
and
all
of
us
have
to
congratulate
our
relatives
and
Friends.
Who
did
so
much?
You
know
one
last
little
thing:
I
played
baseball
in
here
in
Dorchester
and
across
the
east,
the
guy
that
used
to
drive
me
because
I
was
only
a
young
fellow
I
didn't
have
a
car.
G
The
guy
that
used
to
drive
me
was
Naco
McCormick
nacho
McCormick
was
John
W
McCormick,
the
United
States
Speaker
of
the
House
under
Jack
Kennedy.
He
used
to
pick
me
up
at
my
house
in
South
Boston
and
used
to
drive
me
to
the
baseball
game:
John
McCormick,
If,
I,
Ever,
Raised,
the
question
of
the
Coconut
Grove
to
Mr
McCormick
and
one
time
John
W
McCormick,
the
Speaker
of
the
House
of
Representatives
himself,
was
in
the
car.
G
G
H
I'm
I
want
to
Echo
the
Gratitude
to
Mike
and
Paul
and
Ruth,
and
everyone
who
has
worked
for
many
many
years
to
ensure
that
we
as
a
city
and
as
a
community,
continue
to
know
what
happened
here.
As
mayor
Flynn,
so
eloquently
stated,
the
impacts
of
Coconut
Grove
are
already
forever
enshrined
in
the
regulations
and
safety
practices.
H
The
Innovations
and
knowledge
that
have
already
saved
countless
lives,
but
it's
still
so
important
to
have
a
sense
of
place
and
to
be
here
in
our
city
remind
each
other
remind
ourselves
of
the
490
lives,
lost
thousands
forever
changed
and
what
that
still
means
in
terms
of
the
community
that
we
continue
to
build
and
and
remember,
I
want
to
thank
my
partners
in
government
for
always
ensuring
that
we
can
do
the
the
most
that
any
City
could
do.
A
city
council
president
Ed
Flynn
City
councilor
Kenzie
Bach,
who
grew
up
in
Bay
Village.
H
Thank
you
to
this
illustrious
line
of
leaders
who
continue
to
serve
in
our
fire
department
with
commissioner
Burke
at
the
helm,
always
a
delight
to
see
Commissioners,
Christian
and
Pierce
as
well.
Thank
you
so
much
for
all
that
you
do
President
Kelly
representing
us
abroad
nationally
and
internationally,
president
Sam
Dylan
of
of
the
local.
Thank
you
for
for
all
of
your
leadership.
H
Members
of
our
city
departments,
as
you've
heard
already,
have
been
instrumental
in
working
towards
that
Brian
Woods
of
the
parks,
department,
Karen
and
Sarah
of
the
Boston
Arts
commission.
The
dean
of
the
Boston
preservation
committee
office
and
all
the
members
of
the
Coconut
Grove
Memorial
committee
80
years
ago
after
responding
to
a
call
about
a
vehicle
fire
on
Stewart
Street,
our
firefighters
in
Boston
notice,
smoke
coming
out
of
the
nightclub
as
those
who'd
managed
to
escape
frantically
directed
them
toward
the
burning
building.
It
became
clear
just
how
dire
the
situation
was.
H
Five
alarms
were
sounded
and
within
minutes
the
fire
was
extinguished,
but
the
heat,
the
smoke
locked
exits,
the
crush
of
the
crowd
combined
to
produce
a
deadliest
fire.
Our
country
has
ever
seen
nightclub
fire.
Our
country
has
ever
seen
hundreds
of
people,
hospitalized,
490
lives,
lost
and
so
many
more
who
are
saved
because
of
the
bravery
and
the
quick
action
of
our
First
Responders
here
and
in
our
hospitals.
H
It's
hard
to
imagine
a
more
devastating
tragedy
and
thanks
to
the
work
to
ensure
that
the
coconut
Grove's
Legacy
lives
on,
we
have
not
had
to
see
a
similar
event
here
in
our
city,
without
The
Bravery,
urgency
and
heroism
of
the
Boston
fire
department
and
the
police
officers
and
military
personnel
who
rushed
to
their
aid.
We
would
be
mourning
many
more
than
490
lives
here
today,
so
thank
you
again
to
all
the
members
of
our
Boston
fire
department
who
continue
to
carry
on
that
Legacy
of
heroism.
H
H
We
have
always
been
a
city
that
has
understood
that
the
best
way
to
honor
our
past
is
by
improving
our
present
and
protecting
our
future.
We
owe
it
to
those
we
lost
the
survivors
and
families
who
continue
to
be
impacted
by
this
terrible
tragedy
to
create
a
world
in
which
this
tragedy
would
be
impossible.
H
H
And
I
will
just
mention
I'll
invite
up
my
colleagues
from
the
council.
We
wanted
to
just
present
an
official
proclamation
to
mark
this
day,
the
80th
anniversary,
and
so
alongside
the
the
Boston
city
council,
we
do
hereby
Proclaim
November
28
2022
to
be
Coconut
Grove
Remembrance
Day
in
the
city
of
Boston.
D
So
exciting
wow
thank
you
mayor,
we're
thrilled
to
have
you
here
and
so
happy
that
it'll
be
on
your
watch
that
a
permanent
Memorial
will
be
established
here
in
the
city.
It's
a
great
achievement.
Next
I'd
like
to
introduce
another
great
friend
of
the
Coconut
Grove
Memorial
and
a
great
friend
to
Bay
Village,
Boston
city
council,
president
Ed
Flynn.
D
I
You
thank
you,
Paul
I'm
honored,
to
be
here
with
my
constituents
from
the
Bay
Village
from
across
the
city,
with
Maya,
Wu
and
Council
of
councilor
Bach
and
my
parents,
but
also
the
dedicated
city
workers
that
are
here
as
well,
whether
they're
from
the
Boston
fight
apartment,
the
Boston,
Police
Department,
the
EMS.
We
want
to
say
thank
you
to
our
city
workers
that
provide
so
much
support
to
Residents,
especially
our
Public
Safety
officials.
I
During
good
times
and
bad
times,
our
Public
Safety
officials,
our
firefighters,
are
there
for
the
residents
of
Boston,
so
I
just
want
to
Echo
what
mayor,
Wu
and
and
mayor
Flynn,
and
everyone
else
said
we
want
to.
We
want
to
say
thank
you
to
the
Boston
fight
department,
for
their
bravery
for
their
service,
but
also
to
remember
the
the
painful
losses
of
so
many
families
because
of
this
terrible
tragedy.
But
out
of
this
terrible
tragedy
came
some
great
improvements
that
really
benefiting
so
many
people
across
the
world
today.
I
J
Good
afternoon,
everyone
thank
you
for
the
kind
comments
we
gathered
here,
50
years
and
30
years
ago,
on
the
50th
anniversary
to
mark
that
event,
Marty
Pierce
will
speak
shortly.
We'll
was
the
commissioner
at
the
time,
just
for
a
little
bit
of
orientation
where
I
am
standing
as
the
corner
of
the
caricature
bar
behind
us
was
the
main
dining
room.
The
melody
Lounge
was
downstairs.
J
J
13
days
later,
we
had
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire
I
had
a
very
horrific
event.
A
lot
of
Boston
firefighters
were
still
in
the
hospital
with
their
injuries
from
the
fire
in
East
Boston,
two
weeks
after
the
Coconut
Grove.
Actually,
it
was
December
15th.
It
was
a
very
large
department
store
in
downtown
Boston
on
Washington
Street
in
West
Street
salinger's,
Department
Store.
J
That
was
a
scene
of
a
major
fire,
five
alarm
fire
again
and
that
fire
was
so
severe
and
the
department
was
so
short-handed
after
the
lawongo
fire
and
the
Coconut
Grove.
They
actually
called
in
the
Coast
Guard
and
navy
causmen
to
assist
the
firefighters
with
that
fire.
That
night
during
my
career,
I
got
to
meet
a
few
of
the
firefighters
who
were
appointed
in
November,
2nd
in
1942.
J
They
just
put
a
class
on,
and
these
brand
new
firefighters
had
this
for
their
baptism
into
being
a
member
of
the
Boston
fire
department,
one
of
them
District
Chief
up
in
headquarters,
said
to
me
when
they
come
on
they're
brand,
new,
guys
and
they're
in
the
department.
Here
they
are
within
a
month.
They
had
these
three
major
tragedies
and
they
were
asking
themselves
if
they
had
come
on
the
right
job,
that
this
is
what
Boston
was
like
all
the
time.
Unfortunately,
it
wasn't,
but
they
like
everyone
else
in
the
city
of
Boston.
J
The
Boston
police,
the
city
of
Boston,
City,
Hospital,
ambulance,
Corps,
there
was
no
formal,
EMS
Services,
then
we're
certainly
blessed
to
have
them
today
them
in
the
fire
department,
civilians,
the
military
bus
was
a
military
town.
Then
they
all
rallied
in
shot
time,
cab,
drivers,
shuttling,
victims
to
hospitals,
newspaper
trucks,
come
in
the
delivery
trucks
and
they
were
carrying
victims
to
the
hospitals
because
they
all
came
together
that
night
many
victims
were
saved
to
a
bit
of
otherwise
perished.
J
Mike
mentioned
that
may
have
mentioned.
The
fire
department
was
already
on
scene.
Just
before
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire
broke
out,
a
box
was
pulled
at
Stewart
and
Cava
Street,
and
they
responded
their
four
engines
to
that.
As
a
rescue,
a
deputy
and
District
Chief,
they
were
over
there
for
a
small
car
fire.
J
Someone
brought
their
attention
to
what
was
taking
place,
a
block
and
a
half
over
at
this
site
here,
and
they
saw
it
and
everybody's
just
made
up
and
got
over
here
immediately
began
firefighting
operations.
They
saved
countless
victims.
By
being
here
present,
the
doors
on
this
side
were
jammed.
The
revolving
door
was
jammed
with
people
they
were
able
to
get
in.
On
the
Broadway
side,
they
were
able
to
open
up
the
back
of
the
club
which
fronted
on
Shawmut
Street.
They
got
in
there.
J
The
fire
was
knocked
down
and
shot
order,
but
they
were
able
to
get
in
there
and
recover
many
many
victims
that
they
got
out
and
they
were
able
to
transport
to
the
hospital.
Actually,
it
was
an
off-duty
bus
and
firefighter
Sullivan.
He
lived
one
block
over
here
on
Winchester
Street
and
he
was
getting
ready
for
bed
and
he
heard
the
sirens.
He
looked
out
his
window
to
see
what
was
going
on
and
he
saw
the
smoke
coming
out
of
the
Grove.
J
So
I
think
the
a
lot
of
things
happened:
real
quick
when
the
fire
was
discovered,
and
that
was
as
he
had
his
wife
call
in
fire
alarm
to
report
it.
And
then
the
box
was
pulled
down
the
street
here
by
actually
the
parking
lot
attendance
on
the
corner.
They
ran
down
and
pulled
the
box,
but
the
fire
department
got
here
and
quick
order.
They
struck
a
second
alarm
in
the
third
line,
but
the
city
came
together
that
night
and
it
certainly
paid
off
Boston
always
comes
together.
J
Through
my
career
as
a
deputy
downtown
for
quite
a
bit
of
it
16
years-
and
we
quite
often
got
visitors
from
outside
of
Boston,
we
had
Chiefs
from
Australia
Ireland,
England,
China
and
I
was
one
time
was
assigned
to
former
fire
commissioner
John
o'hagen
of
the
New
York
fighter
Pam,
when
he
was
up
here
to
survey
of
the
Boston
fire
department,
every
single
one
of
them
who
arrived
in
Boston
I
had
to
bring
over
to
this
scene.
They
wanted
to
see
this.
This
study
fire
has
been
studied
for
years,
I've
studied
it.
J
J
One
of
the
stage
you
people
perished
down
there
same
with
the
main
dining
room,
the
scores
of
Music
wooden
shears,
the
tables
the
menus
did
not
burn
was
a
crowning
fire,
but
the
combustible
gases
and
the
Heat
and
the
there
were
thermal
Burns
all
paid
a
part
in
the
scope
of
that
tragedy.
As
a
youngster
in
the
Boston
Public
Schools,
we
were
taught
I
remember
in
the
second
grade.
We
were
doing
the
fire
drills
and
they
drilled
into
our
head.
That
Panic
was
the
big
cause
of
the
death
of
the
Coconut
Grove.
J
Well,
it
was
a
little
more
than
that,
but
Panic
was
a
major
cause
and
that's
why
it's
always
good
advice.
Whenever
you
enter
into
a
hotel,
a
restaurant
to
any
Lounge,
always
check
out
your
surroundings,
see
where
the
exits
are
and
know
what
you're
going
to
do
when
the
lights
go
out.
Unfortunately,
these
tragedies
we
still
see
them
happening,
happened
at
the
station
nightclub
fire.
J
It's
happened
down
in
Kentucky
the
Hollywood
Supper
Club.
It
happens
around
the
world
still
so
it's
important
that
these
lessons
are
repeated
and
not
never
forgotten.
I.
Thank
the
committee
and
Mayo
for
the
work
on
extending
the
project
on
getting
the
memorial
and
I'd
like
to
acknowledge
my
good
friend,
former
Ambassador
mayor
raflin,
for
his
effort
on
behalf
of
the
Vendome
Firefighters
Memorial,
which
never
would
have
happened
without
him.
At
this
time,
I'd
like
to
introduce
my
friend
and
fellow
fire,
commissioner
Maddie
Pierce
Jr
alrighty.
K
All
right,
it's
it's
getting
a
little
cool
cooler
than
it
was
the
sun's
starting
to
go
down
so
I'm,
going
to
be
very
brief.
I
certainly
want
to
add
my
thanks
to
the
committee
that
I
am
privileged
to
serve
on
the
memorial
for
the
Coconut.
Grove
I
certainly
want
to
offer
my
thanks
to
Mayor
Flynn
mayor
wall,
the
farm,
the
present
fire
commissioner
and
Eddie
Flynn,
the
head
of
the
City
Council.
K
You
know
the
establishment
of
any
Memorial
is
important.
It's
something
for
people
to
remember.
The
establishment
of
the
Coconut
Grove
Memorial
will
be
an
improvement
to
that
section
of
Statler
pack
and,
most
importantly,
serve
as
a
reminder
of
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire,
a
tragedy
of
unprecedented
Dimension,
which
claimed
the
lives
of
490
people
and
injured.
So
many
others
in
one
of
the
worst
disasters
in
the
history
of
America
memorials
can
never
replace
a
loved
one.
K
L
Thank
you,
commissioner
Christian
commissioner
Pierce
mayor
Wu,
mayor
Flynn
city
council,
president
Ed
Flynn,
Council
of
Bach.
Thank
you
all
for
coming
here
today
on
behalf
of
the
entire
Boston
fire
department.
I
offer
our
deepest
condolences
to
all
here
today,
who
lost
a
family
member,
our
friend
at
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire,
the
loss
of
One
Life
in
a
fire
is
a
tragic
event,
but
the
loss
of
490
in
a
fire
is
unimaginable.
L
In
1970,
District
fire
chief
John
vaney
wrote
a
report
describing
how
a
night
that
began
with
celebration
and
turned
into
a
terrible
tragedy.
He
stated
on
Saturday
November
28
1942,
just
after
10
pm,
the
Coconut
Grove
nightclub
was
conducting
business
in
its
usual
manner,
exits
on
the
ground
floor,
totaled
six,
with
three
more
exits
in
the
basement.
Six
of
those
exits
were
either
locked
or
blocked.
He
continued
by
saying
among
a
variety
of
wall
and
ceiling
coverings
were
artificial
leather,
Rattan,
material
and
unfinished
wood.
L
The
weather
outside
was
clear
and
cold
with
a
temperature
of
28
degrees.
A
show
is
about
to
begin
in
the
main
dining
room.
There
were
approximately
1
000
patrons
in
attendance
at
around
10
15
PM,
a
fire
start
in
the
Melanie
Lounge
located
in
the
basement
of
the
establishment
within
two
to
four
minutes.
After
the
fire
was
first
seen,
the
fire
appeared
in
the
street
level
Lobby,
it
was
described
as
a
rapidly
traveling
ball
of
fire
below
the
ceiling
and
of
yellowish
or
blue
color.
L
Most
of
the
lights
on
the
premises
became
extinguished
immediately
upon
the
appearance
of
the
fire.
That
fact,
coupled
with
the
appearance
of
smoke
and
flames
and
the
shouts
of
fire
produce
great
confusion.
This
report
goes
on
goes
into
greater
detail
about
the
fires
progression.
That
I
would
rather
not
describe
on
this
day
of
remembrance
for
those
lost,
but
Chief
Annie's
report
and
others
like
it,
detailing
the
locked
doors
blocked,
exits.
Inflammable
decorations
changed
that
City
in
regard
to
fire
safety
forever.
L
L
The
Boston
fire
department
now
must
be
involved
in
the
building
plans
of
all
new
nightclubs,
whether
existing
structures
or
new
buildings.
In
addition,
we
have
the
authority
to
shut
down
any
establishment
where
fire
codes
violations
are
found
and
we
make
sure
the
material
for
wall
sailings
coverings
when
permitted
are
tested
by
our
Department's
chemist.
Furthermore,
a
city
ordinance
passed
several
years
ago
requires
any
restaurant
on
nightclub,
with
an
occupancy
permit
of
100
people
or
more
to
have
fire
sprinklers.
L
All
of
these
fire
prevention
regulations
were
put
in
place
because
of
what
happened
at
the
Coconut
Grove
80
years
ago.
This
tragedy
negatively
affects
so
many
lives,
but
has
ultimately
saved
many
more
because
of
the
lessons
learned
from
it.
I
support,
along
with
the
Boston
fire
department,
the
memorial
being
placed
at
Statler
Park
to
one
of
the
victims,
survivors
and
First
Responders,
to
serve
as
a
place
of
reflection
and
teaching
as
the
fire.
L
Commissioner
I
want
to
remind
you
that
it,
as
commissioner
Christian
said,
it
is
important
to
be
aware
of
your
surroundings,
while
at
public
Gatherings,
which
unfortunately,
unfortunately,
can
bring
a
certain
amount
of
risk
nowadays,
I
ask
everybody
here:
to
increase
this
situational
awareness
in
public
places.
Take
a
few
minutes
to
look
around
know.
All
your
exits
statistics
show
that
most
people
will
exit
the
same
way.
They
came
in
things
such
as
reading.
The
evacuation
plan
on
the
back
of
Hotel
doors
can
save
your
life.
L
So
in
an
emergency,
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire
happened
during
the
first
year
of
World
War
II
a
time
of
great
uncertainty.
Two
weeks
prior
to
this,
as
the
commissioner
mentioned,
November
15
1942,
the
Boston
Fire
Department
lost
six
firefighters
who
were
killed
while
fighting
another
terrible
fire
with
the
loango
restaurant
in
East,
Boston
I'm,
proud
to
lead
the
department
of
served
the
city
so
admirably
over
so
many
years,
not
just
in
fire
suppression,
but
also
in
fire
prevention
I
once
again
offer
our
Department's
deepest
condolences
for
all
those
who
were
lost
80
years
ago
today.
J
I'd
like
to
acknowledge
and
thank
the
Boston
fire
department,
honor
God
for
being
present
here
today
is
standing
around
different
points
and
they
always
represent
the
department
they're.
The
best
of
us
at
this
time,
I'd
like
to
introduce
the
president
of
Boston
firefighters,
Local
718,
president
Sam
Dillon,
president
Dylan.
M
M
80
years
ago
tonight,
at
10,
15
pm,
a
young
Entertainer
by
the
name
of
goody
Goodell,
was
performing
for
the
young
Coconut
Grove
crowd.
This
was
the
spot
to
be
in
Boston
celebrities,
elected
officials,
socialites
young
men
and
women
looking
to
cut
loose
and
enjoy
themselves
all
came
to
the
Grove
in
high
numbers.
M
That's
how
it's
supposed
to
be
that's
how
we
as
people,
should
be
able
to
take
comfort
in
each
other,
and
we
should
be
able
to
take
that
comfort
in
environments
that
we
can
trust
a
safe
and
protected
right
around
that
time.
10
15
p.m,
on
November
28th,
the
spark
of
tragedy
flash
in
the
city
of
Boston,
as
it
had
before,
and
has
it
tragically
has,
since
that
tragic
spark
ignited
the
deadly
Blaze
that
tore
through
not
only
the
Coconut
Grove,
but
the
crowd
of
people
assembled
inside
the
fire
was
fast.
M
M
We
Embrace
this
responsibility
as
we
embrace
our
profession,
but
we
certainly
don't
accept
it
as
Boston
firefighters.
We
don't
accept
loss,
we
don't
tolerate
it.
We
commit
ourselves
each
and
every
day
to
doing
anything
and
everything
we
possibly
can
to
prevent
it.
There
is
no
links
to
which
a
boss
and
firefighter
will
not
go
to
prevent
another
human
being
from
suffering.
This
terrible
fate,
I
can't
imagine
being
faced
with
490.
M
the
firefighters
who
responded
that
night
did
everything
that
they
could
do
and
then
they
did
more.
They
arrived
on
scene.
Confronted
with
an
unimaginable
situation,
and
they
did
what
members
of
our
proud
and
Noble
profession
do
they
went
to
work,
they
did
all
they
could
do
and
had
it
not
been
for
Boston
firefighters
on
duty
and
responding
that
night.
M
J
N
N
Every
firefighter
in
the
world
is
taught
about
what
happened
on
this
very
spot
80
years
ago
today
and
I
thank
Maya
Wu
and
the
council
is
for
stepping
up
and
making
sure
that
we're
going
to
memorialize
not
only
those
lost,
but
also
those
who
showed
what
truly
Boston
Strong
as
we
call
it
today,
means
that
they
honest
that
intellectual
property
packaged
it
to
change
the
world
to
save
lives.
That's
the
story
of
the
Coconut
Grove,
as
Ambassador
Flynn
challenged
us
to
put
a
number
on
how
many
lives
the
Coconut
Grove
has
touched.
N
O
Great
good
afternoon,
first
I'd
like
to
thank
mayor,
Wu,
Ambassador,
Flynn
city
council,
I,
really
appreciate
all
you're
doing
to
keep
this
alive
in
our
in
our
memories.
I
also
want
to
thank
the
committee
and,
of
course,
our
partners
of
the
Boston
fire
department
that
we
work
with
every
single
day,
so
we
commemorate
today
kind
of
the
the
more
than
490
people
who
died
either
from
the
fire
or
later
from
injury
sustained
by
the
fire
and
just
like
we
do
today.
You
know
when
the
fire
happened.
O
O
39
ambulances
driven
by
volunteers
from
our
Red
Cross
Boston
motor
Corps,
formed
a
line
to
take
the
injured
to
hospitals
and
the
dead
to
the
morgues
taxi
drivers,
most
of
whom
were
had
just
recently
been
trained
by
the
Red
Cross.
In
first
aid.
Due
to
the
war
efforts,
rushed
patients
to
nearby
hospitals,
a
Red,
Cross
canteen
was
set
up
at
the
nearby
at
the
nearby
Boston
Opera
House,
to
provide
hot
coffee,
water
and
food
to
the
First
Responders
on
scene.
In
Sub-Zero
conditions.
O
Additional
canteens
were
set
up
in
the
hospitals
in
morgue
to
support
family
members
and
who
are
seeking
word
on
what
would
happen
to
their
loved
ones.
In
the
days
and
weeks
that
followed,
the
Red
Cross
disaster
responders,
provided
support
to
survivors
to
victims
and
their
families,
with
the
casework
that
we
provide,
our
chapter
house
was
staffed,
24
hours
a
day,
seven
days
a
week
to
handle
the
response
and
within
24
hours
of
the
fire.
O
Every
single
person
who
was
affected
by
the
fire
was
contacted
by
a
Red
Cross
volunteer
disaster,
responders,
offering
condolence
care
and
other
assistance.
In
many
cases,
the
Red
Cross
provided
financial
support
to
cover
rent
food
incidental
costs
for
family
members
who
couldn't
afford
the
care
of
their
loved
ones,
as
well
as
providing
support
for
funeral
assistance.
O
The
Red
Cross
also
kind
of
assigned
our
volunteer
nurses
aides
to
the
impacted
hospitals
and
recruited
additional
nurses
to
relieve
those
on
duty.
Within
the
first
week
of
the
response
alone,
we
had
223
Red
Cross
nurses,
who
volunteered
for
Duty
some
of
the
most
seriously
injured
people
from
the
fire
required
six
nurses
a
day
to
take
care
of
them
and
the
Red
Cross
nurses
were
there
when
it
became
apparent
that
long-term
nursing
care
was
needed.
O
We
provided
more
than
558
nurses,
paid
nurses
at
a
cost
of
fifteen
thousand
dollars,
which
was
equivalent
today
of
like
over
four
hundred
and
eighteen
thousand
dollars
today.
The
other
thing
that
we
did
is
blood.
Think
of
all
the
blood
products
that
were
needed
to
to
care
for
those
who
are
impacted.
Additional
blood
plasma
came
in
by
plane
to
support
to
supplement
the
plasma
provided
locally
by
the
Red
Cross.
O
More
blood
plasma
was
used
to
treat
the
Coconut
Grove
fire
victims
than
all
that
had
been
used
to
treat
the
victims
of
Pearl
Harbor
attacks
one
year
earlier,
so
our
hearts
are
with
those
who
were
lost
during
the
fire
and
with
the
family
members.
The
tragic
losses
from
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire
taught
us
many
things.
First,
preparedness
matters:
Boston
hospitals
were
unusually
well
prepared
because
of
strong
emergency
preparedness
plans
that
had
been
in
place
due
to
the
war.
O
Volunteers
had
been
trained
in
first
aid
and
CPR,
and
they
were
able
to
respond
to
the
scene
immediately.
Emergency
preparednesses
continues
to
be
a
really
important
key
pillar
to
the
modern
work
that
the
Red
Cross
does.
Another
important
lesson
is
the
importance
of
Strong
building
safety
codes.
I
know
this
was
talked
a
lot
a
lot
this
afternoon,
but
the
tragedy
of
Coconut
Grove
led
to
an
overhaul
and
stricter
enforcement
of
building
safety
codes,
which
were
revamped
around
the
country.
O
D
K
F
F
I
asked
her
about
it
and
she
was
still
reluctant
to
say
much.
Although
I
found
out
later
that
Rick
learned
about
it
when
he
was
nine
years
old,
she
never
participated
in
any
of
the
anniversary
events
until
the
75th.
It
was
only
when
she
was
in
her
early
90s
that
she
was
willing
to
share
her
story.
My
mom
can't
be
here
today,
but
I'd
like
to
read
just
an
excerpt
of
what
she
wrote
to
tell
you
about
her
experience.
F
It
was
a
clear,
beautiful,
crisp,
Saturday
November,
28
1942..
My
life
changed
forever.
It
was
Thanksgiving
week
and
all
the
football
revelers
were
in
Boston.
Celebrating
I
was
with
the
man,
I
loved
and
would
have
married,
and
we
went
to
our
usual
familiar
cocktail.
Lounge
in
the
Coconut
Grove
nightclub.
F
F
F
490
people
died
that
night,
including
Justin.
The
reason
I
did
not
die
with
him
was
only
because
he
sent
me
up
to
get
the
beautiful
leopard
coat
that
my
father
had
made
for
me.
Justin
stayed
to
put
out
the
fire
saying
he
would
be
along
in
just
a
minute.
It
did
not
take
long
for
me
to
realize
that
the
place
was
going
up
in
Flames.
F
The
fact
that
I
had
used
that
back
door
entrance
when
I
would
come
After,
High,
School
and
practice
with
the
performers
must
have
stayed
in
my
mind,
but
that
too
was
piled
with
people,
some
of
whom
were
not
going
to
make
it.
The
firemen
who
arrived
started
to
pull
people
out
it
just
put
them
on
the
sidewalk
not
noticing
whether
they
were
dead
or
alive.
There
were
just
too
many
to
keep
bringing
out
some
servicemen
standing.
F
There
saw
me
move
and
asked
me
if
I
was
all
right,
I
begged
them
to
take
me
home,
and
they
did
years
later.
A
book
was
written
on
the
Holocaust
that
occurred.
That
night
I
tried
to
have
my
name
not
appear.
I
had
never
told
my
children,
or
at
least
me
what
had
happened,
but
I
could
not
squash
the
publication
and
my
children
learned
of
it
in
school
and,
of
course,
asked
questions
that
I
did
not
want
to
answer
even
now.
F
So
on
behalf
of
my
mom,
my
brother
Rick
who's
here
with
me,
obviously,
and
our
entire
family,
we're
so
grateful
to
everyone
involved
for
remembering
this
tragedy
and
for
giving
her
a
chance
to
return
five
years
ago
for
the
75th
and
share
her
story.
It
gave
her
great
comfort
to
finally
do
so.
I
personally
learned
more
from
the
interviews
exactly
Graves
Miller
did
with
my
mom
for
his
six
locked
doors
documentary
film
than
I
ever
learned
from
my
from
her
directly
and
that's
been
a
gift
to
our
family.
D
Next
we'd
like
to
turn
to
how's
everybody
doing
we're
very
near
to
the
end,
so
we
go
inside
and
warm
up
and
watch
the
film.
So
next
I'd
like
to
turn
to
Kurt
Shumway
who's,
Bob,
shumway's,
son
Bob,
was
here
going
to
the
football
game
at
Fenway.
Park
was
a
prep
school
kid
and
ended
up
being
a
hero
and
pulling
people
out
of
the
out
of
the
club
and
saving
their
lives.
P
All
right
on
behalf
of
my
dad
and
my
sister
wasn't
able
to
make
it.
He
says.
Thank
you
for
this
I.
Send
technology
I
send
a
video
of
this
and
he's.
Actually
he
says.
Thank
you
all
and
he
said
to
me
says
he
says
that
was
I
was
there.
He
says
that
was
a
bad
night.
That
was
what
he
just
said
to
me.
So
so,
thank
you
very
much.
It's
funny.
He
was
mentioned
earlier
as
a
you,
don't
hear
about
this
I'm
I,
don't
know
if
I'm
embarrassed
but
I
feel
embarrassed.
P
I
didn't
know
much
about
this
until
probably
10
years
ago.
My
dad
never
mentioned
a
thing,
so
all
I
know
is
growing
up.
We
always
Sat
by
the
exits
and
I
didn't
quite
understand
that
I
had
I
know
he
had
a
lot
of
bad
experiences
in
the
in
the
war,
but
I
couldn't
kind
of
connect
exits
to
the
war,
but
it
wasn't.
The
war
was
here.
So
it's
good
to
learn
a
little
bit
more
about
your
dad
before
he
leaves,
and
he
says
thank
you
all
so
and
thank
you.
C
My
mother
lived
long
enough
to
be
interviewed
and
I
learned
a
lot
when
Zach
interviewed
her.
She
was
a
survivor
of
the
fire
and
she
died
the
week
before
the
75th
ceremony
here
and
she
would
have
been
absolutely
stunned
to
see
how
many
people
are
here
and
all
she
wanted
was
the
memorial
to
be
done.
So
thank
you
guys
for
getting
that
done,
and
thank
you
thanks
for
being
here
and
remembering.
C
R
R
S
Good
afternoon
everyone,
my
name,
is
Jonathan
with
milk
music.
80
years
ago,
my
23
year
old,
father
Joe
milk
was
home
early
from
Miami
Air
Forces.
He
came
in
town
to
have
a
good
time
for
himself.
Well
before
the
war
up
in
Wells
policeman,
he
was
a
volunteer
firefighter
during
the
summer.
So
when
you
hear
the
sirens
it's
how
the
fire
trucks
going
somewhere,
he
decided
he
was
going
to
go,
see
what
was
going
on.
Well,
as
you
approach
the
site,
our
policeman
said:
hey
so
I
was
here
come
over
here.
We
need
your
help.
S
Well,
Dad
spent
the
rest
of
his
evening,
taking
the
Dead
the
dying
and
the
injured
out
of
the
Coconut
Grove
I.
Remember
when
the
21st
anniversary
of
the
fire
came
around
and
the
story
of
the
fires
all
over
the
news.
It
was
talked
about
at
the
kitchen
table,
but
Dad
never
said
a
word.
In
fact,
he
never
said
a
word
about
it
all
until
he
all
the
rest
of
his
life.
S
First
I
was
shocked
and
said:
why
didn't
dad
mention
this?
She
didn't
realize.
How
could
he,
how
could
he
put
into
words
the
horror
that
he
saw
that
night
and
so
I
like
remember
the
people
who
died
in
that
fire
I'd
like
to
remember
the
people
who
were
injured
to
celebrate
the
survivors
thank
every
one
of
their
First
Responders
firefighters,
medical
staff,
who
lent
help
to
the
victims
of
their
fire.
Pretty
special
I'd
like
to
remember
Dad
thanks
Dad.
T
My
story
is
a
little
different.
My
parents
were
Arthur
and
Gertrude
growey.
My
dad
was
drafted
in
World
War
II
and
he
was
home
for
Thanksgiving
weekend.
He
was
a
medic.
My
mother
decided
to
go
for
the
civil
service
because
my
dad
was
going
off
to
war
and
they
got
called
that
night
and
they
got
called
in.
T
They
worked
that
whole
night
in
the
Coconut
Grove
Fire
and
they
worked
beside
doctors
from
the
hospitals
and
the
doctor
turned
to
my
mom
and
said
you
have
something
we
can
write
on
the
bodies
and
she
pulled
out
her
lipstick
to
that
day.
After
my
father
came
home
from
the
war
four
years
later,
as
a
medic,
he
became
a
Shriner
and
was
very
dedicated
to
the
Shriners
Hospital
and
when
he
died,
we
donated
all
the
money
to
the
Shriners
Hospital.
Thank
you.