Wilmington VFW, Post 2458

12/24/2025

The Wilmington VFW will be open Christmas Eve day from 1-5PM and on Christmas day after 6PM. Have a great holiday.

Jack McCune
Commander
Wilmington VFW

04/15/2025

Enclosed is a great story regarding Wilmington native CPL John Edwinson who was killed in action at Guadalcanal in September 1942. The Wilmington VFW, Post 2548 and Wilmington American Legion, Post 136 will be posted at the cemetery or along the marching route to pay our respects to John, his family and the United States marine Corps. Our post will be open after the ceremony. It is located at 5 Bay Street in Wilmington.

OBITUARY: CPL John E. Edwinson, Jr., 21
Below is an obituary from Nichols Funeral Home:

WILMINGTON, MA — United States Marine Corporal John E. Edwinson, Jr., a Wilmington, MA, native, age 21 at the time of his death, was killed in action during WWII on September 24, 1942, when his unit was ambushed at Guadalcanal.

John was born in Lowell, MA, on March 17, 1921; he was the cherished son of the late John E. Sr. and Vera M. (Britton) Edwinson and the eldest of six siblings. John was raised and educated in Wilmington and a graduate of Wilmington High School with the Class of 1938. John and his family lived on Taplin Ave.; he along with his siblings and friends spent many summers swimming at Silver Lake or skating in the winters. John lost his mom in 1936 at the age of 15; always the responsible one he stepped up to help his dad raise his younger siblings. John and his brothers also worked hard alongside their father who was a stone mason; they constructed countless stone and block foundations around town, they also did stonework at the Wildwood Cemetery, and following World War II John’s dad and brothers did the block foundation for the VFW Hall on Main Street in Wilmington, to honor all fallen or disabled Veterans.

John was the beloved brother of the late Christine Holland and her husband Marion, the late Merlin Edwinson and his wife Harriet, the late Sarah Carter and her husband Charles, the late Carl Edwinson and his wife Harriet, and the late Dottie Blaha and her husband John. He is survived by three generations of nieces and nephews and their families.

John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. on October 22, 1940; he was proud to join the War efforts going on across the country and do his part to keep America safe. In 1942 he was serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment on Samoa, they were undertaking jungle warfare training, when his platoon was called up as reinforcements. The Seventh Marine Regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller landed on Guadalcanal on September 18, 1942, to reinforce the beleaguered 1st Marine Division commanded by General Alexander A. Vandegrift. On September 24, 1942, six days after arriving on Guadalcanal the First Battalion, 7th Marines departed from the Lunga Perimeter and headed out into Guadalcanal’s backcountry. General Vandegrift ordered the Regiment to conduct patrols southwest toward Mount Austen and west to the Matanikau River in the Japanese held area of the island. After an exhausting day-long hike, the battalion reached a stream bed and began searching for a suitable bivouac; as Edwinson’s platoon was patrolling along a Japanese held roadway in the jungle foothills, the point unit was ambushed by Japanese machine gun fire. The ensuing firefight cost the lives of ten Marines and gravely wounded an additional two dozen men. Facing difficult terrain, Lt. Col. Puller ordered his men to carry the wounded back to the perimeter and the following day they returned to bury their fallen comrades interring them in Hills X and Y. Cpl. Edwinson was interred alongside several of his fellow Marines in the graves on Hill Y.
Although many ensuing searches went on during 1947 and 1949 the search teams were unable to locate these graves. Search efforts went on throughout the years and in early 2016 a Recovery Team unearthed military issued artifacts and a dog tag that was consistent with another missing Marine that was reportedly buried at Hill Y. Searches continued through the years, more remains were unearthed, and on September 11, 2024, the remains of Corporal John E. “Eddie” Edwinson, Jr., were positively identified.
John’s family never gave up hope for his recovery and his return to their hometown; his siblings continued to communicate with the Marine Corps. and stayed on top of retrieving information every time there was a new development in the search efforts. Unfortunately, none of his siblings lived long enough to see him recovered, but they instilled that sense of duty and family into their children to continue the search. The family was thrilled to get the phone call that his remains were identified and they started planning his return home to Wilmington and lay him to rest with his parents.

John gave the ultimate sacrifice for our Country and now it is time that we as a community welcome him home and return him to his family.

All are welcome to gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Ave. (Rte. 62), Wilmington, MA, on Saturday, April 26th for Visitation from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon with a Service at 12:00 noon. John will be interred with Military Honors in the family lot at Wildwood Cemetery in Wilmington, MA, all are welcome to gather along Wildwood Street between Nichols Funeral Home and Wildwood Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. as we honor our hometown Hero. (Parking will be available at Wilmington High School, Wilmington Fourth of July Building, St. Thomas Church, The Arts Center, and the Wilmington Congregational Church).

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04/15/2025

Enclosed is a great story regarding Wilmington native CPL John Edwinson who was killed in action at Guadalcanal in September 1942. The Wilmington VFW, Post 2548 and Wilmington American Legion, Post 136 will be posted at the cemetery or along the marching route to pay our respects to John, his family and the United States marine Corps. Our post will be open after the ceremony. It is located at 5 Bay Street in Wilmington.

OBITUARY: CPL John E. Edwinson, Jr., 21
Below is an obituary from Nichols Funeral Home:

WILMINGTON, MA — United States Marine Corporal John E. Edwinson, Jr., a Wilmington, MA, native, age 21 at the time of his death, was killed in action during WWII on September 24, 1942, when his unit was ambushed at Guadalcanal.

John was born in Lowell, MA, on March 17, 1921; he was the cherished son of the late John E. Sr. and Vera M. (Britton) Edwinson and the eldest of six siblings. John was raised and educated in Wilmington and a graduate of Wilmington High School with the Class of 1938. John and his family lived on Taplin Ave.; he along with his siblings and friends spent many summers swimming at Silver Lake or skating in the winters. John lost his mom in 1936 at the age of 15; always the responsible one he stepped up to help his dad raise his younger siblings. John and his brothers also worked hard alongside their father who was a stone mason; they constructed countless stone and block foundations around town, they also did stonework at the Wildwood Cemetery, and following World War II John’s dad and brothers did the block foundation for the VFW Hall on Main Street in Wilmington, to honor all fallen or disabled Veterans.

John was the beloved brother of the late Christine Holland and her husband Marion, the late Merlin Edwinson and his wife Harriet, the late Sarah Carter and her husband Charles, the late Carl Edwinson and his wife Harriet, and the late Dottie Blaha and her husband John. He is survived by three generations of nieces and nephews and their families.

John enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. on October 22, 1940; he was proud to join the War efforts going on across the country and do his part to keep America safe. In 1942 he was serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment on Samoa, they were undertaking jungle warfare training, when his platoon was called up as reinforcements. The Seventh Marine Regiment under the command of Lt. Colonel Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller landed on Guadalcanal on September 18, 1942, to reinforce the beleaguered 1st Marine Division commanded by General Alexander A. Vandegrift. On September 24, 1942, six days after arriving on Guadalcanal the First Battalion, 7th Marines departed from the Lunga Perimeter and headed out into Guadalcanal’s backcountry. General Vandegrift ordered the Regiment to conduct patrols southwest toward Mount Austen and west to the Matanikau River in the Japanese held area of the island. After an exhausting day-long hike, the battalion reached a stream bed and began searching for a suitable bivouac; as Edwinson’s platoon was patrolling along a Japanese held roadway in the jungle foothills, the point unit was ambushed by Japanese machine gun fire. The ensuing firefight cost the lives of ten Marines and gravely wounded an additional two dozen men. Facing difficult terrain, Lt. Col. Puller ordered his men to carry the wounded back to the perimeter and the following day they returned to bury their fallen comrades interring them in Hills X and Y. Cpl. Edwinson was interred alongside several of his fellow Marines in the graves on Hill Y.

Although many ensuing searches went on during 1947 and 1949 the search teams were unable to locate these graves. Search efforts went on throughout the years and in early 2016 a Recovery Team unearthed military issued artifacts and a dog tag that was consistent with another missing Marine that was reportedly buried at Hill Y. Searches continued through the years, more remains were unearthed, and on September 11, 2024, the remains of Corporal John E. “Eddie” Edwinson, Jr., were positively identified.

John’s family never gave up hope for his recovery and his return to their hometown; his siblings continued to communicate with the Marine Corps. and stayed on top of retrieving information every time there was a new development in the search efforts. Unfortunately, none of his siblings lived long enough to see him recovered, but they instilled that sense of duty and family into their children to continue the search. The family was thrilled to get the phone call that his remains were identified and they started planning his return home to Wilmington and lay him to rest with his parents.

John gave the ultimate sacrifice for our Country and now it is time that we as a community welcome him home and return him to his family.

All are welcome to gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Ave. (Rte. 62), Wilmington, MA, on Saturday, April 26th for Visitation from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon with a Service at 12:00 noon. John will be interred with Military Honors in the family lot at Wildwood Cemetery in Wilmington, MA, all are welcome to gather along Wildwood Street between Nichols Funeral Home and Wildwood Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. as we honor our hometown Hero. (Parking will be available at Wilmington High School, Wilmington Fourth of July Building, St. Thomas Church, The Arts Center, and the Wilmington Congregational Church).

Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email [email protected].

12/12/2024

Our dear friend Bob Veno passed away. Please see the below information regarding Bob's life and funeral arrangements.

Robert H. Veno, fondly known as “Bob”, age 84, of Wilmington, formerly of Revere and Somerville, passed away peacefully on December 8, 2024, at home, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Bob was born on October 2, 1940, in Revere, MA. Bob was the cherished son of the late Arthur and Mary (Butler) Veno. Bob was raised in Revere, with his sister, Mary Veno Kehoe and the late Arthur Veno, Jr.

Bob lived a life defined by strength, love, and perseverance. A proud veteran of the United States Air Force, Bob served his country with honor, including during the Vietnam War. His dedication to service left an indelible mark on all who knew him. After leaving the service, Bob maintained a career with Petro Oil Services as Senior Credit Manager. In his retirement, Bob gave back to his community by delivering Meals on Wheels to senior citizens in Wilmington, MA. Although a senior himself, he always made sure that “his seniors” were taken care of. His generosity and compassion shone through in this role, as he formed meaningful connections with those he served, offering a helping hand and a friendly smile to many in need.

Bob married the love of his life, Laura DeBrase Lyons, on May 16th, 1986, with whom he shared almost 39 years of cherished companionship.

His family was his greatest pride. He is survived by his wife, Laura; his children, Eric Veno and his wife Laura; Jae Veno Bailey and her husband David; and his stepdaughter, Cheryl Lyons LeBlanc and her husband Steven. Bob was preceded in death by his beloved daughter Marie Veno Turavani and beloved Grandson, Timothy Veno, their memory he carried with him every day. As a devoted grandfather, Bob was adored by his five grandchildren, Joseph Veno, Kimberly Veno, Bobby Veno, Kelly Bailey and Eric Turavani and ten great-grandchildren, Naveah, Nikolas, Lilly, Joey, Aiden, Natalia, Olivia, Azalea, Audrina and Phoebe of whom will remember him for his wisdom, humor, unyielding encouragement, and undying love. He leaves behind his step-granddaughter, Emily LeBlanc, of whom he shared a special love and bond; and his niece Maryanne Guillemette, who with love helped him through his cancer journey. He leaves behind five nieces and nephews, Stephen Veno, Daniel Veno, Maryanne Kehoe Guillemette, Frank Kehoe, Jr. and Lisa Kehoe Falanga and his best friend, John Wallace, as well as many cousins and friends.

Bob and his wife Laura, co-owned Antiques at 285 Derby Street, Salem, MA. They loved the hunt to find great antiques and would take rides throughout New England often stopping at B&B’s or inns along the way.

An adventurous and disciplined spirit, Bob had a passion for horseback riding and a lifelong dedication to karate. He trained at Revere Karate Academy, Revere, for over 40 years, earning the esteemed rank of seventh black belt, a testament to his perseverance and focus. His love for these pursuits reflected his belief in living fully and embracing challenges. Bob’s warmth, resilience, and unwavering love for his family and friends will be deeply missed. His legacy of kindness and strength will continue to inspire all who were fortunate to know him.

Family and friends will gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Avenue, (Rte. 62) Wilmington, MA, on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Visiting hours will be from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Graveside services with Military Honors will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery, 302 Elm Street, Everett, MA, Section Resthaven, Lot 9205 at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 16, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in Bob’s honor to Boy Scout Pack and Troop 136, c/o John Wallace, 73 Clark Street, Wilmington, MA 01887 reflecting his values and lifelong commitment to making a difference. Rest in peace, Bob. You will forever remain in our hearts.

Services
Visitation
Sunday
December 15, 2024
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Nichols Funeral Home
187 Middlesex Ave
Wilmington, MA 01887
Graveside Service
Monday
December 16, 2024
11:00 AM
Woodlawn Cemetery
302 Elm Street
Everett, MA 02148

12/07/2024