New Bedford Veterans’ Advisory Board to Hold Ceremony Honoring U.S. Soldiers, Sailors Lost in WWII’s Exercise Tiger

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The City of New Bedford Veterans’ Advisory Board and the Fort Rodman – Fort Taber Historical Association will honor the 749 United States sailors and soldiers who lost their lives during the devastating April 28, 1944 attack on the United States military training operation, Exercise Tiger.

Exercise Tiger was a D-Day dry run which was ambushed by a German E-boat flotilla and resulted in America’s costliest incident of World War II, second only to Pearl Harbor. The surprise attack sank two American vessels and severely damaged a third. This year marks the 71st Anniversary of Exercise Tiger.

A memorial ceremony is planned to honor the service members who perished in this incident:

Sunday, April 24th, 2016 | Fort Rodman – Fort Taber Military Park | 1:00 PM
1000 c South Rodney French Blvd. | New Bedford, Massachusetts

The ceremony will include remarks by Mayor Jon Mitchell and guest speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Love, Senior Joint Logistics Officer Massachusetts Army National Guard. Also joining the ceremony as an honored guest will be Vincent Ricciardi, 92, of Dennis Port, MA, one of the last surviving local participants in Exercise Tiger.

In addition, the Northeast United States Navy Band and WWII era re-enactors British Red Devils will participate in the ceremony. Organizers will also remember that World War II ended over 70 years ago with a special speaker, Mr. George Mendonsa of Middletown, RI, who is widely recognized as the “kissing sailor” in Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photograph in Times Square on VJ Day 1945.

In addition, members of the US Army Brotherhood of Tankers will also be in attendance. The volunteers repaired, repainted, and re-stenciled the M4 Sherman Tank that is the centerpiece of the Exercise Tiger Memorial and mirrors the memorial erected to the fallen at Slapton Sands, Devon, England.

The City of New Bedford Veterans Advisory Board will also remember the many WWII veterans who worked to create New Bedford’s Exercise Tiger memorial and led the effort to relocate it to the Fort Taber Fort Rodman Military Museum at Fort Taber Park especially, Joseph Theodore, Jamye Rego, Norman Chartier, Robert Fredericks, John Sarkes.

All veterans are invited to attend and are asked to proudly display their service insignia. Refreshments will be available inside the Military Museum following the service.

For more information about the ceremony, please contact Bob Bromley, Chair of the Veterans’ Advisory Board at (774) 357-9591 (rbromley@juno.com) or Peter Clark, Chairman of the Exercise Tiger Service at petewclark@hotmail.com.

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