Saugus Historical Society – World War II Commemoration continues with stories from Saugonians who recalled personal experiences

By Laura Eisner

The October meeting of the Saugus Historical Society was a continuation of the commemoration of World War II that was started with our April meeting. Jack Klecker, a Navy veteran from a more recent period, spoke about some of the contributions of the Navy to the successful outcome of World War II and brought a model of a Navy ship to show the audience.

He also spoke about one particular Naval officer, John Howard Currant, who had an interesting history, earning a medal from Russia while serving in the U.S. Navy! Currant was not born in Saugus but he graduated from Saugus High School, living with his grandmother in East Saugus at that time. His actions during the war saved many Russian and U.S. sailors, which is the reason he was recognized by both nations. He was the uncle of Arlene Decareau, who attended the meeting with her husband Eugene Decareau.

Bill Stewart – known to Advocate readers as “The Old Sachem” from his weekly newspaper column in which he writes about sports and historical topics – spoke from his own experience about growing up in Saugus during World War II. Stewart was seven years old when he heard that Pearl Harbor had been attacked, and as the war went on he experienced the rationing and other changes that civilians went through to support the war effort. The Historical Society’s collection of yearbooks shows that students’ thoughts during the war years were strongly affected by what was occurring in Europe and Asia, and sometimes close to our own shores. Several members of the faculty and many graduates left to fight or to work in war-related industries.

Several members of the audience shared stories of their own relatives who fought in World War II.

The Historical Society plans to pick up the World War II story again in the spring, sharing more stories of Saugonians who were involved. The November meeting of the Saugus Historical Society will be about trains: a model train built by a nearby enthusiast, a crash in Revere and how the rail lines can be experienced today.