Boston Navy Week: Sailors Clean Up War Memorials In Back Bay Fens

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — As part of Boston Navy Week, visiting sailors volunteered to clean up the war memorials in the Back Bay Fens.

Boston Navy Week brings between 50 to 75 sailors from across the country to volunteer throughout the area, engage with the community, and discuss why the Navy matters to Boston.

This year’s Navy Week is the first one hosted by Boston and the surrounding area in over 10 years.

On Friday, service members volunteered to clean up the war memorials in the Back Bay Fens.

The Fens are home to the World War II Memorial and the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials.

Robert Santiago, Boston’s Veterans Services Commissioner, addressed the volunteers. “And by the virtue of you all being here today, you have shown that respect, that honor, to those service members.”

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“As a retired sailor myself and as a veteran, it just really warms my heart to see these active duty service members honoring their predecessors, our predecessors,” he said.

Dennis Guy, the executive officer of the future U.S.S. Massachusetts submarine, said that helping the local community in this way is important for the volunteers.

“Something like this is important for them to see. We can give back to the community in a lot of different ways, not just for the deployed [members] and defending that freedom and democracy around the world but also back here locally to the community that we serve.”

Toshia Soapes, the yeoman chief petty officer of the future U.S.S. Massachusetts submarine, helped clean up the Boston war memorials on Friday.

She shared that the service members are grateful to Boston and the welcome they have received here, and they want to give back to the city.

“Everywhere we’ve gone, there’s been so much hospitality and [people saying,] ‘thank you for the service.’ Actually, [people from] other countries have been coming up and also engaging and asking about submarines. We’re just appreciative,” she said.

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Boston Navy Week runs until July 7. On Friday evening, there will be a Brass Band Public Concert on Castle Island and a concert at the JFK Library.

WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.

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