Photo: Belmont’s World War I memorial, the town’s Cenotaph for residents who sacrificed their lives and who are buried overseas
Standing before the Belmont Lions Club, in the delta fronted by Common Street and Royal Road where in just a few weeks Christmas trees and wreathes will be sold, stands the staid and beautiful monolith bearing the names of the nine residents who gave their lives in the struggle known as the “War to end all wars.”
Cirino, Craigie, Finn, Lincoln, McAleer, Nimmo, Patrioun, Smith, and True.
Dedicated on this day in 1923 then known as “Armistice Day” and renovated in 2015, it stands as the town’s Cenotaph – an empty tomb – its monument to those Belmont sons who are buried elsewhere.
Laid on the back of the Bethel white granite monument to those who died in World War I are the last lines to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Voluntaries,” written in 1863 to pay tribute to another company of young men prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the nation.
“So nigh is grandeur to our dust,
So near is God to man,
When Duty whispers low, ‘Thou must,’
The youth whispers, ‘I can.”
Known since the mid-1950s as Veterans Day, today is a federal and state holiday.
What’s Closed:
- Belmont Town offices, temporary library locations at the Beech Street Center and the Benton Library and Belmont Light are closed. They will reopen to the public on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
- US Postal Service offices and regular deliveries.
- Banks; although branches will be open in some supermarkets.
MBTA: Buses and subways on a Sunday schedule, while the commuter rail is on a weekend schedule. Go to www.mbta.com for details.
Trash and recycling collection: There will be no collection Monday; trash and recycling will be delayed ONE DAY this holiday week.
What’s Opened:
- Retail stores.
- Coffee shops: Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are serving coffee all day.
- Supermarkets.
- Convenience and drug stores (CVS/Pharmacy) open regular hours.
- Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.
