Memorial Day 2012 Grand Marshals Announced

The Westborough Memorial Day 2012 Grand Marshals are John Matson and Stephen Sullivan (posthumously). Members of Sullivan’s family will represent him in the parade and ceremonies on Monday, May 28.

John Jacob Leonard Matson

John was born in 1944 and performed his military service from Aug. 16, 1965 to Aug. 29, 1968 in the US Army.

After graduating from Tufts University in 1965, he reported to Infantry Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. In October 1966, he was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant. He attended US Army Intelligence School and was stationed at the 108^th Military Intelligence Group at the Boston army base. His responsibilities involved investigating accidents, military security and personnel matters.

In October 1967, John was promoted to 1^st Lieutenant and was shipped out to the 1^st Infantry Division’s Military Detachment. Located about 12 miles north of Saigon, he worked with several English speaking Republic of Vietnam soldiers. They interrogated prisoners of war to gain time sensitive information about enemy troop movements, weapon caches, supplies and equipment.

He separated from the Army as a 1^st Lieutenant and was decorated with the National Defense Service ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Sharpshooter (M-14) Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Bronze Star for service.

He graduated from Suffolk Law School in 1971 and George Washington University in 1974. Since moving to Westborough in 1974, served on the Citizens School Advisory Committee in 1974-1978, Finance Advisory Committee 1974-1978 and the Board of Directors, Presently he is a member of the , Judge Advocate for the American Legion, Judge Advocate for VFW Post 9013 and is chairman of the Trustees of Soldiers Memorials.

John worked at Wyman-Gordon and with trade associations in Boston and Washington, DC, before opening a law practice in Westborough in 1987. He is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association.

He is married to Ann, and they have two children and two grandchildren. 

Stephen Eric Sullivan

Stephen was born on May 17, 1965 and died Sept. 19, 2005.

He graduated in 1983. A year later, he joined the US Marine Corp and was trained as a field radio operator.

In 1992, he earned a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Westfield State College. A year later, he joined the US Navy as a hospital corpsman, becoming an emergency medical technician. He served as an assistant to the head of internal medicine at San Diego’s Naval Medical Center.

He earned a masters degree in forensic science from National University in La Jolla, CA in 2000. Two years later, he joined Diplomatic Security at the State Department and was assigned to the Miami field office.

In 2004, he was awarded the department’s Extra Mile Award for his role in trailing two career criminals across six states and catching them. It was the same year that he volunteered to go to Afghanistan and was recognized with an award for his work as a lead advance agent for the protective details during the country’s presidential elections.

Stephen returned to Baghdad in 2005. On Sept. 19 of that year, while in Mosul to fix a security problem, his convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber driving a car laden with explosives. He and three private security agents were killed. Two others were injured.

Sullivan has posthumously been awarded the Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service. He was also awarded the Medal of Valor by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Foreign Service Star and a certificate signed by the President and Secretary of State.

One of the largest facilities in Kabul, Afghanistan is named for him: Camp Sullivan.

He is survived by his father, Robert, his mother, Diane, and his sisters, Erin Sullivan and Shauna Oliveri. 

Information courtesy Kenneth Ferrera, Assistant Veteran Agent for Town of Westborough.

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