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From YouTube: Lester Burton Hero Square Dedication
Description
Lester Burton, born in Albany, New York in 1918, grew up in Boston at 364 Massachusetts Avenue. Before his time in the Army, Lester was an avid tap dancer who performed at the Raymor-Playmor Ballroom on Huntington Ave. He enlisted in the Army during the second World War, and was killed in action on September 8, 1944. He recieved the Purple Heart award posthumously.
Mayor Janey, along with Veterans Services Commissioner Robert Santiago and members of Lester's family, come together at the intersection of Westland Ave and Hemenway Street to dedicate this new Hero Square in Lester's name.
A
A
B
Thank
you
so
much,
commissioner.
I
want
to
thank
you
for
your
service
to
our
city
and
your
service
to
our
country.
I
also
want
to
recognize
that
we
are
joined
by
another
veteran,
a
colleague,
a
dear
friend,
boston
city,
counselor,
ed
flynn
is
here
with
us.
Thank
you
so
much,
please
give
it
up
for
ed
flynn.
B
B
As
someone
who
comes
from
a
military
family,
I
understand
the
sacrifice
that
our
men
and
women
make
every
single
day
to
protect
our
ability
to
live
freely,
and
we
can
never
take
that
for
granted
that
the
men
and
women
who
serve
our
country
so
bravely,
particularly
those
who
give
their
lives
in
doing
so.
Do
so
so
that
we
can
live
freely.
And
so
we
all
today
owe
lester
a
debt
of
gratitude
him
and
his
entire
family
for
his
sacrifice.
B
And
so
today
we
will
honor
him
his
legacy
and
his
family
with
this
hero
square
dedication,
and
I
think
it's
fitting
that
we
do
so
today
the
day
that
we
lost
another
american
hero
in
colin
powell.
So
I
want
to
appreciate
and
thank
everyone
for
being
here
and
I'm
going
to
turn
it
back
over
to
our
commissioner.
Oh
and.
C
B
D
D
He
was
a
young
man
who
grew
up
learned,
tap
dancing
right
around
here,
went
to
ballrooms
a
stone's
throw
from
here,
and
he
was
a
beloved
member
of
the
boston
community
and
I
think,
in
these
moments
you
know
we
throw
out
those
phrases.
The
last
full
measure
of
devotion,
a
terrible
sacrifice.
I
think
I
think
we
all
just
have
to
focus
on
the
fact
that
in
some
sense,
when
we
send
americans
to
fight
and
they
die,
you
know
it's
it's
like
lighting
a
stradivarius
violin
on
fire,
because
you
need
kindling.
D
A
E
Thank
you,
commissioner,
santiago,
and
thank
you
for
your
service,
commissioner,
santiago,
and
I
also
want
to
say
thank
you
to
mayor
janey
as
a
city
councilor
and
as
the
mayor
she's
been
an
excellent
advocate
and
leader
across
massachusetts
in
boston,
of
course,
in
support
of
veterans
and
military
families.
I
want
to
say
thank
you
to
me
and
janie
for
her
tremendous
leadership
in
supporting
veterans.
E
E
Lester
didn't
come
back
to
boston
to
enjoy.
You
know
the
life
that
we
had
raising
a
family,
contributing
as
a
as
a
parent
involved
in
your
child's
activities,
so
that
pain
never
leaves
the
burton
family.
It's
always
there
and
we
as
a
country,
should
remember
that
service
that
sacrifice
and
that
pain.
Also
that
pain
that
that
son
or
daughter
never
returns
in
that
this
country
is
always
grateful
for
that
incredible
sacrifice
to
our
nation.
D
F
Okay,
well
I'd
like
to
thank
the
city
officials
who
have
joined
us
here
today
to
honor
my
brother,
lester,
mayor
kim
janey.
As
mayor,
you
represent
all
the
citizens
of
boston
who
are
in
a
sense
present
through
you,
mr
councillor,
kenzie
bach,
you
brought
the
request
before
the
city
council
and
made
this
possible
councillor
flynn.
You
were
one
of
the
people
who
got
the
ball
rolling.
F
I
understand
and
john
commissioner
santiago
are
also
a
veteran
and
head
of
veterans,
services
and
john
allison
of
community
relations
who
oversaw
so
much
setting
up
the
signs
supplying
the
chairs
the
parking
spaces.
All
that's
obviously
hard
work,
that's
gone
into
this
occasion
and
my
niece
deborah
who
sent
the
emails
made.
The
phone
calls
answered
the
questions
and
kept
us
all
informed
during
these
past
months.
F
I
also
want
to
mention
my
other
nieces
and
my
nephew,
who
are
here
today
representing
their
fathers,
all
of
whom
served
in
world
war
ii.
My
brother
bill,
a
radio
operator,
was
at
pearl
harbor
when
it
was
bombed
on
december
7
1941
in
1944
as
a
member
of
the
rainbow
division.
He
fought
in
the
battle
of
the
bulge
and
was
present
for
the
liberation
of
dachau
in
1945.
F
F
Thank
you
for
your
service,
michael
as
a
member
of
the
marine
corps,
my
brother
tip
took
part
in
the
invasion
of
saitan
in
okinawa,
then
because
he
was
a
radio
man.
He
accompanied
the
officer
who
went
to
shore
at
nagasaki
on
august
11
1945
to
accept
the
surrender
of
that
city
from
its
officials
who
were
already
dying
of
radiation.
Sickness
tape
is
represented
here
today
by
paula,
his
devoted
wife
and
by
his
daughter,
deborah
my
sister's
children.
F
Don't
live
in
massachusetts,
so
she's
not
represented,
but
during
the
war
she
worked
for
madding,
maxwell
and
moore,
a
factory
in
the
south
end
which
made
parts
for
naval
vessels.
She
was
a
shipping
clerk,
but
because
her
name
was
rosemary,
she
always
called
herself
rosie,
the
riveter
and
so
to
our
hero.
F
Having
this
square
named
for
my
brother,
lester
means
a
great
deal
to
our
family,
because
there
is
no
grave
for
him
here.
After
the
war
we
had
the
option
of
bringing
his
body
home,
but
my
other
brothers
felt
it
would
be
too
hard
for
my
mother,
so
lester
rests
in
the
military
seminary
cemetery
at
ap.
Now
in
the
beautiful
voge
mountains
of
eastern
france.
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
On
september
6th,
they
succeeded
in
establishing
a
bridgehead
at
hill
326,
but
not
long
after
that,
the
germans
counter
attacked
and
leicester's
unit
company
e
got
the
worst
of
it
severely
wounded.
He
was
taken
to
a
hospital
in
the
town
of
champaign
where
he
died
on
september,
8th
because
he
was
wounded.
He
was
awarded
the
purple
heart.
F
F
F
F
These
men
did
not
die
in
the
war,
so
they
will
not
get
a
hero
square,
but
if
tip
were
here,
he'd
want
to
remember
them
on
this
occasion.
So
when
the
bugle
delays
taps,
let
us
also
honor
bill.
Nutley
george
flynn,
tommy
rafferty,
jeannie,
hanscom,
russell
coker,
georgie
love
joe
greensmith
harry
harry
donovan,
mike
kanilis
george
mcphee,
frankie,
grover,
alan
walsh,
bobby
murray,
sunny
higgins,
gill,
trunkett
louis
atwood,
william
j
burton
john
f
burton
edward
j
burton
along
with
lester
anthony
burton.
May
they
all
rest
in
peace.
A
D
Now,
therefore,
be
it
ordered
that
the
boston
city,
council,
honor
private
lester,
a
burton
for
his
service
and
sacrifice
by
dedicating
a
plaque
on
the
intersection
of
westland,
ave
and
hemingway
street
in
the
fenway
in
his
name
and
so
on
behalf
of
the
whole
city
council,
that
is
written
into
law,
and
this
corner
is
lester.
A
burton
hero
square.