By Adam Swift
Last week, the town council approved four memorial requests that span the history of the town and the country, from the Revolutionary War to World War II to two modern-day Winthrop leaders.
Council President Jim Letterie introduced the motion to name the baseball diamond at Veterans Field after former athletic director Jim Evans.
“It would be known as the Jim Evans Diamond at Veterans Field,” said Letterie. “We do not want to change the name at Veterans Field, it is similar to what we have done in the past with other facilities.”
The town’s memorial committee unanimously recommended that the council approve the dedication for Evans, along with three other memorial requests at a meeting the night before last week’s council meeting.
Memorial Committee Chair and Veterans Agent Phil Ronan noted that Evans was his athletic director in high school.
“He was at the forefront of pushing to open up more girls’ athletic opportunities at the high school,” said Ronan. “He was very well known, he was a great athletic director and a fellow Army veteran.”
The memorial committee also approved the dedication of a small path near the Pillar House for Jerry DiFranza.
“This gentleman was legally blind; he was at the forefront of pushing awareness to people with disabilities in the town,” said Ronan. “He pushed it at the town level, state level, he is well known to everybody in the town.”
The third proposal approved by the memorial committee and council was for a memorial sign for World War II hero Col. Robert Tucker.
“This guy is the most highly decorated World War II veteran in the town,” said Ronan. “He kind of fell through the cracks … because we had so many people killed in World War II, 52 to be precise; his heroism was overlooked. He had a Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award, he had a Silver Star, which is the third highest award.
“A Purple Heart with an oak leaf cluster; that means wounded twice,” Ronan continued. “A Bronze Star with oak leaf clusters, that means three times an act of heroism … he fought in three wars and went out as colonel.”
The final memorial sign approved by the committee and the council was for Captain James Mugford, who fought in the Revolutionary War and was the only person killed in the Battle of Shirley Gut.
The memorial sign and post will be paid for by the Daughters’ of the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party, with plans to dedicate it on May 17, 2026 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the battle.