Salem Veterans
Salem has the honor of remembering many fine men and women who have served in the armed services for our country.
Many memorials in town have been erected to honor these brave people, as well as squares named for those who gave their lives for their country.
- The memorials for World War I are: 23rd Regiment Boulder on Salem Common, Memorial to the Boys of the Immaculate Conception in front of the Immaculate
Conception Church, Ward Three World War I Memorial on Dalton Parkway and World War I Monument at the intersection of Jefferson and Lawrence Streets.
Mourning Victory on Lafayette Street is in honor of both World War I and II.
- Salem State University has a plaque located inside the Ellison Campus Center of Salem State University. The plaque honors the
students of Salem State Teachers College who served during World War II.
- St. Mary's cemetery in north Salem also has a memorial. The memorial honors the men and women who served our country both in wartime and in
peace.It is placed on top of a hill and is surrounded by veterans in their final resting place.
- Sylvania World War II Memorial Monument is located outside of the Bertolon School of Business at Salem State University. The monument is dedicated to eight employees of the old Sylvania plant who lost their
lives in World War II. The Sylvania plant was once located on what is now the campus of Salem State. The monument was refurbished and rededicated in September of 2012.
In 2013, the city began work to rededicate veteran's squares around the city that have missing signs.
The city website has a map with veterans squares highlighted with stars, which also give veteran's individual information. Click on the i on the right sidebar
to activate the vets information.
A memorial honoring Benjam Peirce- Salem's only minuteman to be killed in the battles of Lexington and Concord Major Gen Stephen Abbot was placed at the east end of the Church St. parking lot on Patriots Day in 1976 by Historic Salem, Inc. It was rehabbed and expanded in 2024 by Colin Bowker as an Eagle Scout project.
Blue Star Memorial on Hawthorne Boulevard Traffic Island was created in 2013. This plaque honors all Veterans who have served, are serving and will serve the United States of America. The Salem Garden Club proudly maintains the plantings at this site.
The Friends of the Greenlawn cemetery have produced tour booklets with valuable information on the Civil War veterans buried there. See Tour booklet June 2015 in Vertical File "Greenlawn Cemetery Tour"
The links below have more information on these memorials.
See Also
- Vertical File in Salem Collection - Veterans
- Vertical File in Salem Collection - Greenlawn Cemetery Tour June 2015 tour booklet
- "Memorial Day 2013: A city remembers: Salem launches project to dedicate, replace veteran's signs" Salem News, May 27, 2013, p. 1
- Veterans' Memorials and Parks Salem city website
- City of Salem Veteran's Squares map City of Salem website
- Salem State Univ. World War II Plaque City of Salem site (Veteran's Dept.)
- St. Mary's Veterans Memorial City of Salem website (Veterans' Dept.)
- Sylvania World War II Memorial City of Salem site (Veterans' Dept.)
- Veterans Memorials of Essex County List of Veterans Squares in Salem. Choose Salem then search.
- Salem Veteran's Voices:Respectfully Retold Lynda Reynolds Coffill, 2013
- "New Salem veterans monument needs final fundraising push" Salem News, April 26, 2024, A8
