Memorial Coach Features DeMarsico, Petithory
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The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority passenger car traveled from Boston with a host of MassDOT and Pan Am Railways officials to Western Gateway Heritage State Park. The train was expected to arrive by 9 a.m. but showed up a lot sooner — at about 7:30 — and sat at the park until leaving for a tour of the Hoosac Tunnel nearly three hours later.
In an unusual last-minute move, PanAm officials invited everyone gathered at Building 4 aboard the train for trip, including
The names of all Baystaters killed in action labeled with rank and year are featured on gold stars on the sides of car — Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) on one side, and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) on the other.
The stars for Petithory and DeMarsico (who is listed as a private but was posthumously promoted to specialist) are quite close to one another, although their sacrifices were 11 years apart.
Marcia Weaver of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail system created the design. Weaver drove to North Adams for the event, likely the only time the car will be in Western Mass., in case there were questions about it.
Weaver told us the rail agency had wanted to come up with a way to recognize the service of the Bay State citizens. The train car seemed an appropriate "rolling memorial" that could reach every area that the MBCR serviced.
"We created the train with the MBTA's permission," said Weaver, who credited PanAm and MBTA officials for ensuring the car made it this far west.
The memorial is a wrap that was placed on the passenger car in late April; any stars added after that are decals. They're set so that when the train rolls into a station, the stars are above the floor so they can be read.
Most wraps last about four to six months, but Weaver said this one was in very good shape. "We've really taken very good care of it."
While those killed in combat situations are on the exterior, others who died in Iraq and Afghanistan are listed on a plaque inside to recognize "they still gave the sacrifice of their lives," said Weaver.
But she doesn't want to keep adding to it. "Let's hope there aren't going to be anymore stars," she said.
Tags: DeMarsico, MBTA, memorial, Petithory, train,
