Clarksburg World War II Casualty Returns Home for Burial

Print Story | Email Story
Marine Pvt. Erwin King
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Marine Pvt. First Class Erwin S. King returns home on Friday, more than eight decades after he marched to war.
 
King, who grew up on West Road, was killed in action during the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. He remains had been buried temporarily with nine of his comrades on the island. There were several unsuccessful attempt to recover the bodies and it was not until 2018 that King's gravesite was uncovered. 
 
His family was notified in May that his remains had finally been identified.
 
The 18-year-old had enlisted only six weeks after Pearl Harbor and never returned home. On Friday, his body will be escorted by veterans organizations and police from Bradley International Airport in Connecticut to Clarksburg Town Hall, where a wreath-laying will be observed at approximately 3 p.m. 
 
The procession will then proceed to Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home on West Main Street, passing Veterans Memorial Park at Center and Eagle Street. Those wishing to pay respects should be there between 3 and 3:15 p.m. 
 
The wake will be held at Flynn & Dagnoli's West Chapels on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. 
 
King will be buried next to his parents, Erwin C. and Emelia LaFountain King, in Southview Cemetery on Tuesday, 82 years to the day he was killed.
 
A group including King's family members will be at the airport when he arrives from Hawai'i around 1 p.m. The wake on Monday will be open to the public and a funeral service will be held Tuesday beginning at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.  
 
A graveside service will include full military honors beginning at noon at the cemetery. 
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search. 
 
The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.
 
The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term. 
 
The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.
 

David Jenemann
David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research. 
 
An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.
He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
 
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories