A final salute to Hamtramck’s war dead

By Charles Sercombe
The last time a Memorial Day ceremony was held at Veterans Park was two years ago.
At that time, there was a rededication of the gravesite of Col. Francis Hamtramck.
About 100 people attended, and the event featured the firing of a cannon that produced a roar you could hear all the way across town.
Last Sunday’s memorial ceremony was much smaller and, noticeably, less bombastic.
About 20, or so, people gathered at the monument to honor the war dead of Hamtramck and the nation.
There was no one from city hall, nor even the mayor or city council, who attended, except for former city clerk Ethel Fiddler — who no longer lives in Hamtramck.
Instead, just a handful of persons, that included the city’s aging veterans, family members and some members of the public, gathered in front of the park’s monument, which lists the names of Hamtramck veterans who died fighting for the country.
The event, organized by Hamtramck-Wilock-Lubanski VFW Post 4162 and the Cpl. John Targosz Post 6, was short –only about 15 minutes –yet still poignant.
Speaking in front of the monument, Post 6 Commander Mark Widzinski noted that “this monument represents the final resting place of many departed comrades.”
Posted May 31, 2024