Dedication of memorial for Two Fallen sons In an article published by Gloucester Times on May 29, 2007 (Read Full Story Here), ESSEX - Four decades after they made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country, Army Spc. Paul D. Knowlton and Marine Corps Pfc. Robert E. Moore were honored with a memorial service yesterday and a playground named in their memory. It was a very emotional day for the families of the two men who died in the Vietnam War but they were pleased with the granite memorial dedicated in honor of the young warriors. "They did a great job," said Tim Knowlton, "I can't thank them enough." The playground at Shepard Memorial Park behind the Martin Street fire station was dedicated May 28, 2007 as the "Knowlton Moore Memorial Playground". Traditionally, the mothers of the two fallen men, Mabel Knowlton and Barbara Moore, sit next to each other during Memorial Day ceremonies each year (Mabel was ill this year and represented by Son/Brother Tim). Earlier this year, in another interview (See Below) Moore said she has only missed one Memorial Day ceremony since her son died almost 40 years ago. She was usually joined by Paul Knowlton's mother, Mabel. "We sat side by side. We shared something that only someone who's lost a child can know," Moore said. "And when they unveil the memorial, Paul and Bobby will be side by side, just like at the cemetery." Retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Raymond G. Greene was the master of ceremonies and spoke of how men and women of every generation have "answered the call" of duty. Paul Doucette, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War and a Bronze Star recipient, served as a member of the honor guard and gave a speech about the lives of Knowlton and Moore. The plaque reads: "The Knowlton Moore Memorial Playground." It also has the names, ranks and birthdays of Knowlton and Moore, and says: "To all who come to use these grounds: Take a moment and remember two young boys that played on these very fields. When their country called, overnight they became men and lost their lives defending freedom in the Vietnam War." After the walk to Springfield Cemetery and the Old Graveyard, the group returned to the park to conclude the day's ceremony, where Doucette said "It was great. It's long overdue"

Memorial planned for pair killed in Vietnam In an article published by Gloucester Times on February 13, 2007 (Read Full Story Here) , an effort was underway to create a memorial for Bobby Moore and Paul Knowlton, almost 40 years after their deaths. A veterans group was raising money for a monument to honor the two men, the only Essex residents killed in the Vietnam War. "It's important because Vietnam vets are following in the footsteps of World War II vets; there are fewer of us and we don't want to go any longer without them being memorialized," said Paul Doucette, a member of Essex Veterans of Wars, the group that organizes the town's Memorial Day ceremonies. The veterans group hopes to formally dedicate the Knowlton Moore Memorial Playground on Memorial Day with the unveiling of a bronze plaque set on a granite base. "This wasn't an easy subject to deal with right after the (Vietnam) war, but people are more at ease now," said Doucette, who served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army's 14th Combat Engineers. Doucette and Knowlton graduated from Gloucester High School in 1965. Moore graduated a year later. "Paul Knowlton was a quiet young man, but he was well-liked and a friend to everybody," Doucette said of his good friend. Doucette also remembers Knowlton's enthusiasm for dirt bikes and trail riding. Both Knowlton and Moore were from military families. Moore's father, LeRoy, joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and fought in the battle of Iwo Jima. Knowlton's father, Richard, served in the Army during World War II, while his older brother, Jim, served in the National Guard in the 1960s. Paul Knowlton joined the Army shortly after graduating and was killed in 1968 in the Gia Dinh Province of South Vietnam. He was 20. Barbara Moore said that when she and her husband learned of Knowlton's death, they went to visit his parents. Knowlton's parents asked if their son could be buried next to Bobby Moore in the Spring Street cemetery. The Moores agreed. Moore said she has only missed one Memorial Day ceremony since her son died almost 40 years ago. She was usually joined by Paul Knowlton's mother, Mabel. "We sat side by side. We shared something that only someone who's lost a child can know," Moore said. "And when they unveil the memorial, Paul and Bobby will be side by side, just like at the cemetery."

Gloucester Honors Their War Dead In an article published by Gloucester Times on May 31, 2010 (Read Full Story Here) , the city in Massachusetts remembered the lives of 11 of their own who gave the ultimate sacrifice in a war that remains vivid to those who lived through it. Mark Nestor, a veteran helicopter pilot in the war was master of ceremonies at the Vietnam War Memorial to the right of the front doors of the high school, introduced the guest speakers and spoke the names of Gloucester's 11 who's lives were given, taken, and lost. By name, they were Matthew Perry Amaral III, David W. Bowman, Paul D. Knowlton, Stephen L. Lane, Salvatore J. Piscitello, Arthur E. Wright III, Frank A. D'Amico, Thomas J.Burke, Frank T. Kreseskie, Robert E. Moore, and Jeffrey G. Tyne. Their sacrifices were spotlighted at the city's Vietnam Memorial outside Gloucester High School as part of the community's Memorial Day ceremonies. Of the group, David W. Bowman, a helicopter pilot, was the oldest and first to die. When his helicopter was shot down in Da Nang, on April 6, 1965, he was already 27. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for "extraordinary heroism under fire." The last to die in Vietnam was Stephen L. Lane, another helicopter pilot. He was 25 when shot down in Qua Ngai, a province south of Da Nang. Others who spoke noted: "They were strong, they were vibrant, they loved and were loved, and they are missed." The special attention to Vietnam came amid the 35th anniversary of the end of the war. "Ladies and gentlemen of our audience," said Nestor, "I present you the 11 fallen veterans of Vietnam." Their black and white high school yearbook pictures were pinned to pads on easels. "We remember with compassion and honor," Nestor said. Nestor and Army Lt. Col. Kathryn Van Auken, the guest speaker, both alluded to the different relationship between the nation and its war or wars in their remarks. "Even today," Van Auken said, "people forget that our nation continues to place our finest men and women in harm's way. Even more amazing is that today's young men and women who enlist in the military are all volunteers, knowing they are guaranteed to see combat in Iraq or Afghanistan." Van Auken said the deaths of the veterans honored by Memorial Day "are not just their own, they are ours, their loss is what we make of them, and we must give them meaning ... and tell all generations that 'yes' it is worth it." "For them," she continued, "we're obligated to live every day to deserve it, to take action to preserve it, and never forget the price they paid for our freedoms. "You see, dying for freedom isn't the worst that could happen," she said. "Being forgotten is...."

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