CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town field will be dedicated on Saturday to the memory of Peter A. Cook, the last Clarksburg resident to sacrifice his life for his country.
"This is the final step in making sure we get something out there to keep Pete's name alive," said Edward Denault, one of the last members of Peter A. Cook Post 9144 Veterans of Foreign Wars. "The new sign was step one, and the plaque was step 2. The actual dedication to the field will be the final step."
The VFW Post 9144 has been slowly dwindling. It sold its post home across from Town Hall a few years ago and set its sights on the field — not far from where members meet at the Senior Center — as a way to keep the memory alive.
Last fall, a large green sign proudly proclaiming it as the Pfc. Peter A. Cook Veterans Memorial Field was installed and a bronze plaque was installed on a nearby stone with the story of Cook.
The field was renamed "Veterans Field" in the 1980s although most people continued to call it Town Field. It has a basketball court, a pavilion and the Christmas tree, as well as a small bridge linking to a parking lot. The VFW for years has sponsored an egg roll at the field every Easter.
Peter Allan Cook was a graduate of McCann Technical School in North Adams and had worked at the former Sprague Electric and for a tree service. He was only 20 years old and a new husband when he was drafted and sent to Vietnam as part of the 101st Airborne Division.
He was killed in action with six of his comrades on May 7, 1970, when their position was attacked.
Members of the Richard A. Reuther Post 152 American Legion in Williamstown will provide the color guard for the event. Denault said a Massachusetts Medal of Liberty will be presented to one of Cook's family members in his honor. His sisters, nieces and nephews and former bride are expected to attend.
The dedication will be followed by a community cookout hosted by the VFW with hot dogs and hamburgers to celebrate the day.
"Everybody in town is inivted," said Denault. "Any veteran, anybody who wants to show up."
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Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.
Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.
There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.
Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries.
"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.
"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."
Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder.
Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.
According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.
Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.
Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.
The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.
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