WWII Memorial Dedication

Dedication of the Memorial

Lieutenant Colonel Fred Marshall, of the U.S. Marine Corps, will lead the ceremony with words of welcome as the Master of Ceremonies. Members of the Col. Harry E, Nelson American Legion Post 63 will Post the Colors, and several Boy and Girl Scouts will perform the Service Flag Presentations.

Following the Benediction by Reverend Richard A. Weisenbach, Senior Pastor, First Parish Congregational Church, Mackensie Mildram will sing the National Anthem accompanied by the Wakefield High School Band, under the direction of Thomas Bankert.

The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Lieutenant Colonel Marshall, which will be followed by the Dedication of the new World War II Memorial by World War II Memorial Committee Chairperson Phyllis Hull. Chairman Hull will also place the Memorial Wreath on the Monument with Tom Collins, Commander of American Legion Post 63. Commander Collins will also recognize Veterans and Gold Star parents.

Patrick S. Glynn, Chairman of the Wakefield Board of Selectmen will bring greetings on behalf of the Town of Wakefield.

Wakefield’s State Representatives Donald H. Wong and Paul Brodeur will represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, House of Representatives, State Senator Katherine Clark will send greetings from the State Senate and US Congressman John Tierney will bring acknowledgements from the US House of Representatives.

Guest Speaker

Wakefield High School Band’s rendition of America the Beautiful will precede the remarks of the Guest Speaker. Colonel Michael E. Zarbo, U.S. Army,  is the Project Manager for Instrumentation, Targets and Threat Simulators (PM ITTS).

In support of its mission, PM ITTS manages three executing activities, responsible for the development, fielding and, in some cases, the maintenance and operation of the items they produce.  One of these activities, the Instrumentation Management Office (IMO), is co-located with the PM office in Orlando, FL, while the Targets Management Office (TMO) and the Threat Systems Management Office (TSMO) both reside at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Colonel Zarbo was born in Wakefield in 1961 and attended Combat Engineer basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 1983.  In May 1985, through the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) Reserve Officer Training Corps Program, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers, Massachusetts Army National Guard.  In February 1987, he entered the active duty Army as an Intelligence Officer.

Colonel Zarbo has served in various staff positions in the 2nd Infantry Division, Korea; the 7th Infantry Division (Light) Fort Ord, California; the Military Intelligence Center and School, Fort Huachuca, Arizona; and he commanded the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with five oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Air Assault Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Ranger tab. 

Col. Zarbo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and four Masters degrees: one in Strategic Intelligence from the Post Graduate Intelligence Program, Joint Military Intelligence College, Defense Intelligence Agency at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, DC; a Masters degree in Business Administration and Management from Western International University, Phoenix, Arizona; a Masters degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island; and most recently, a Masters degree in Strategic Studies from the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. 

His previous Acquisition assignments include Assistant Product Manager in the Office for Training Devices (PM TRADE) at the Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM) in Orlando; and Assistant Product Manager for Cargo and Personnel Aerial Delivery Systems in the Program Executive Office Soldier, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  While in PEO Soldier, he deployed to Kuwait to represent the PEO on all soldier equipment issues for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Following that assignment, Colonel Zarbo served as the Executive Officer to the Deputy Commanding General for Research, Development and Acquisition, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama.  His Lieutenant Colonel Command was as the Product Manager for Combat Training Instrumentation Systems in PM TRADE at the PEO for Simulations, Training and Instrumentation (STRI) in Orlando.  Following a year in Carlisle, Pennsylvania attending the Army War College, Colonel Zarbo was assigned to ASA(ALT) as the forward deployed Senior Acquisition Corps Adviser to the U.S. Army Central Command (ARCENT) in Kuwait.  While assigned to ARCENT, Colonel Zarbo traveled extensively throughout Iraq and Afghanistan reporting on over 160 Acquisition Corps fieldings to the ARCENT leadership and Combatant Commanders.  

Colonel Zarbo currently resides in Orlando Florida with his wife, Wakefield native Karen (Callahan), and two of their four children.  

Dedication of the Veterans’ Walk of Remembrance

John Encarnacao, Chairman of the World War II Memorial Paver Committee will lead the Dedication of the Veterans’ Walk of Remembrance. The dedication will conclude with a Benediction by Reverend Weisenbach, followed by greetings from Brigadier General Gary Pappas of the Massachusetts National Guard, a cannon salute and Taps played by Wakefield High School students Michael Russo and Caroline Andrews..

The Colors will be retired by the American Legion Post 63 Color Guard.

“As Chairperson of the Committee, I am extremely proud of the effort that has led up to this dedication,” World War II Memorial Committee Chairman Phyllis Hull said. “We are excited that the new memorial and granite paver walk will be in place for the November 11^th dedication.”

“A tremendous amount of time and energy has been devoted to this project by some many individuals, and so many people have helped by making a donation or sponsoring a paver. We are extremely grateful to the community for its support. This dedication would not have been possible without them.”

Paver Sponsorship

Veterans and families of Veterans are still welcome to sponsor a paver, according to Paver Chairman Encarnacao.  Pavers contributed before November 1^st will be in place by the November 11^th dedication; however, pavers contributed after that date will not be in place in time for the dedication. They will be placed in the Walk at a later date, but will be a part of the permanent memorial to all Veterans’ on the Walk of Remembrance.

“We are grateful to everyone who has already supported our efforts,” Chairman Hull added. “We hope others will join them by either contributing a paver in the name of a family member or friend.”

For information about the World War II Memorial and the Walk of Remembrance, please visit the website at www.wakefield.ma.us and click on World War II Veterans’ tab on the left side of the page.