The Town of Hingham Department of Veterans’ Services and the Hingham Veterans’ Council are proud to announce that the Annual Memorial Day Observance will be held Monday, May 28th 2018. The Hingham Town Moderator, Michael Puzo, will begin the ceremony promptly at 11:00 a.m.
All Veterans [and their families], the HHS Band, and Scouts will be pre-positioned on Middle Street. Honor/Color Guards will be posted in the park, and the general public is invited to congregate on the Town Common. [Please feel free to bring a chair]
The Hingham High School Band, under the direction of Brian Cincotta, will perform several pieces of patriotic music; as Student Athlete Nick Capodilupo sings his rendition of our National Anthem.
The Principal Speaker will be Worcester native: Master Chief Petty Officer, Thomas Plunkett O’Connor, Jr., United States Navy.
Master Chief O’Connor is qualified Seabee Combat Warfare and Fleet Marine Force Specialist and he holds four Naval Enlisted Classification Codes. He has deployed with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 to Iraq and Central America where the battalion earned both the Battle Efficiency and The Admiral Perry Awards for two consecutive years. He later deployed as the Senior Enlisted Leader to the Public Works Department at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa. Master Chief O’Connor is currently assigned as Senior Enlisted Leader to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Unit, Washington, DC. He now makes his home on the Cape.
After the official remarks, Town Clerk Eileen McCracken will read the names of those Hingham Veterans who have passed since Memorial Day 2017. Wreaths will be laid in honor of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, as the Bugler sounds TAPS.
Rifle Salutes, Bugle Calls, and Flag Honors will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, ALL Veterans and their families are invited for a buffet-style luncheon at the Grand Army Memorial Hall, served by Hart Catering. All student participants will be treated to ice cream on the Common provided by Nona’s of Hingham Square.
***In the event of inclement weather, the entire Ceremony will be conducted in the Sanborn Auditorium, Hingham Town Hall ***
United States Navy - Seabee Master Chief Constructionman (SCW/FMF) Thomas Plunkett O’Connor, Jr.
Master Chief Petty Officer O’Connor was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts. He attended St. John’s High School and is a two-time graduate of Norwich University with a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Masters of Business Administration. Upon graduation he went to work in the construction industry beginning as a field engineer and superintendent. In 1991 he incorporated a union construction company specializing in concrete, steel and structural reinforcement. In1999 he was hired as Project Executive for a construction firm managing the special projects division and in 2000 moved to a similar position with another firm specializing in repairs, stabilization and renovations to historic structures. At this firm, he became VP – Operations and joined the board of directors. In 2009 Master Chief became a federal employee working as a Program Manager for the Department of Defense. In this position he managed numerous projects including Counter-IED Warfare equipment, radar systems and battlefield communications equipment modernization. He is currently employed as Director of Construction and Capital Planning at Bridgewater State University.
Master Chief O’Connor enlisted in the Navy Reserve Seabee’s Detachment – Worcester, Mass. He came up the ranks at Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 serving traditional Charlie Company positions and later served as the Disaster Preparedness Chief, Quality Control Engineering Chief, Company Operations Chief, AIRDET Chief, and Training Chief. He served a tour with 7th Naval Construction Regiment as Safety and Operations Chief. Master Chief O’Connor deployed with the NMCB 27 to Iraq and Central America where the battalion earned both the Battle Efficiency and The Admiral Perry Awards for two consecutive years. He later deployed as the Senior Enlisted Leader to the Public Works Department at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa. He is currently assigned as Senior Enlisted Leader to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Unit, Washington, DC.
Master Chief O’Connor is qualified Seabee Combat Warfare and Fleet Marine Force Specialist. He holds four Naval Enlisted Classification Codes and is a DIAWA Level II certified Acquisition Program Manager, a Notary Public in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and an OSHA 500 certified safety trainer. His personal awards include the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal and various other unit and service awards.