Mission accomplished: Worcester soldier recognized for WWII service 77 years after death

WORCESTER — Bob Bazinet wasn’t going to give up.

He believed his late uncle, U.S. Army Pfc. Bernard Roland Bazinet, deserved to be recognized publicly in Worcester for making the ultimate sacrifice for his country during World War II.

Seventy-seven years later, it happened.

Bazinet and other relatives gathered Nov. 6 at Grafton Street and Warner Avenue afternoon to witness the unveiling of the Bazinet Square memorial marker, one of many memorial squares that dot the city.

“Finally, we’re getting a monument after all these years,” said Bazinet.

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Arduous effort

The story of how it all came about is is an arduous one.

It started about seven years ago, Bazinet said, when Worcester placed a monument behind City Hall honoring city residents who died serving their country overseas during World War II.

As Bazinet tells it, the city told him that his uncle’s name would be on the monument. But when it was unveiled, Bernard Bazinet's name was nowhere to be seen. It appears he didn't meet a Worcester ordinance that those eligible for recognition on a war memorial in the city are veterans killed in action, missing in action, lost at sea or died within 120 days of wounds, physical injuries or illnesses incurred or diagnosed in a defined combat zone.

Bazinet’s death falls outside the criteria because the military classified his death as died non-battle (DNB). While stationed in France roughly two months after Germany's surrender, Bazinet was killed when a fellow soldier’s gun accidentally discharged.

He died July 28, 1945, at 24 in Sisonne, France, shortly before he was scheduled to come home to Worcester.

Having served for over three years in North Africa, Italy, England, France and Germany as a member of the 142nd Military Police Escort Guard Company, Bernard Bazinet was awarded the Army's Good Conduct Medal.

"We wanted his name recognized somewhere in the city of Worcester. It's as simple as that," said Bazinet. "Since his name was not on the memorial at City Hall, we took the next step, to get our own memorial."

Petition for recognition

Bazinet petitioned the City Council for a separate memorial for his late uncle and roughly 18 months ago the council said he could do it. But the Bazinet family had to pay for it, at a cost of more than $1,000.

"We didn't have his name anywhere, so there was no choice but to have a memorial," said Bazinet.

Over the past 18 months, Bazinet worked with others to iron out the details to get the monument built. It wasn't easy because there were delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and it took awhile to get the monument's materials including the granite and plaque.

Bazinet credits Alex Arriaga, the city's veterans' services officer, and City Councilors George Russell and Morris Bergman for their support in making the monument a reality.

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Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty attended Sunday's unveiling and Bazinet Square is located diagonally across the street from where Bernard Bazinet grew up.

The multistory building where the family had an apartment on the second floor is still there. It's where Bernard Bazinet lived with his three brothers — Richard, Leo and Robert — and their parents, Alida and Ludger Bazinet.

All four brothers served in World War II and Bernard Bazinet was the only one who didn't come home.

His mother was so distraught, Bob Bazinet said, that her husband asked the Army to send their son’s personal belongings to his business so his wife wouldn’t be reminded of the tragedy.

Relief

Relatives who attended Sunday’s unveiling acknowledged it was a relief to have Bernard Bazinet’s military service recognized. None had every met him because he died before they were born.

In fact, Bob Bazinet had never seen a picture of his uncle until he recently read his obituary on file at the Worcester Public Library.

"I appreciate (my great-uncle's) dedication," said 10-year-old Lucy Decaire of North Grafton, Bernard Bazinet's grandniece who recorded the entire dedication on her computer tablet.

“It’s a great remembrance,” said Paul Bazinet, 68, of Charlton, one of Bernard Bazinet’s nephews.

Tapping on his mobile phone, Paul Bazinet pulled up a photo of his uncle’s grave at the Epinal American Cemetery in Dinoze, France, where more than 5,000 American soldiers are buried.

That prompted Bob Bazinet to go to his car and return with a framed photograph of the cemetery where his uncle is buried.

Big birthday and ultimate goal

Bob Bazinet turned 70 Saturday, the day before the unveiling of Bazinet Square.

He hopes the long slog it took to get his late uncle's name on a memorial will motivate others who lost loved ones serving their country in World War II, but fall outside the city's ordinance, to lobby city officials to get their own memorials.

There are 265 Worcester dead, including Bernard Bazinet, who fall in that category. Bazinet wants the city to build a separate memorial that displays all 265 names.

"They were fighting for their country and died in service," said Bazinet. "I'm not trying to take away anything from those who were killed in action, missing in action or lost at sea. I'm not trying to get in a big battle with the City Council or veterans.

"Now that we have brought this to light, maybe it would be nice to have a monument for those (265 military service members) who died for their country. That is the bottom line."

Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @henrytelegram

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: A World War II soldier recognized 77 years after his death