A Reader’s Perspective: Strange How the Wind Blows

  It was quite windy Monday afternoon, but a nice, warm and friendly kind of wind with just enough strength to send Private Maurice E. Silva to me. Several days ago, the Daughters of the American Revolution placed flags on the front lawn of the Saugus Town Hall honoring those who were members of the Armed Forces and with their names tagged to the flags. But, due to the wind, two tags became detached, sending their names scattering over the lawn.

  On my way back from lunch, I found the first tag on the lawn at the side door of the Hall. I brought it out front where the flags were and, with the help of fellow employees Christine and Tracy, another tag was also found on the lawn. Once we found the vacant flags, we were able to reattach the names.

  Later, after leaving for the day, I found another “missing soldier” lying on the street right by my car door. I picked it up and Maurice Edward Silva, Private/POW US Army, World War II, “introduced” himself.

Meet PVT Maurice E. Silva

  Maurice Edward Silva was born on August 15, 1924, in East Boston, Mass. After high school, Maurice enlisted in the US Army during World War II, on December 11, 1942, at 18 years of age. At the time he weighed 130 lbs. and was 5’8″ tall with black hair and brown eyes.

  Editor’s Note: Janice K. Jarosz, a Saugus native and 1961 graduate of Saugus High School, is a longtime local writer who has deep family roots in her hometown. Her ancestors helped settle the town in 1812, and her great-grandfather (Samuel Parker) sold property to the Town of Saugus for Town Hall. A proud Saugonian, she has worked on numerous community and civic projects over the years. She received the Woman of the Year Award during the 2008 Founders Day celebration because of her contributions to the betterment of the community. She is a former Town Meeting Member and was the first chair of the Saugus Recycling Committee. And for the last decade, she has been president of the MEG Foundation. She worked for eight years as clerk of the Board of Selectmen. Early last year, she agreed to return to the Board of Selectmen as an interim clerk following the sudden death of Wendy Reed, and she has remained in that position ever since.