The four heroes that will be featured this year at Memorial Day 2025
Nine years ago, I shared my experience at the Cranford Memorial Day Ceremony, which eventually grew into what many now recognize simply as the Cranford 86. The tablets bearing the names of 85 men (Father Watters is missing) who went to war and never returned have become a powerful symbol of our town’s respect and gratitude for those brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Our team takes great pride in knowing that our research and writing have brought these heroes' life stories to light, detailing how their military service led to their loss. In 2014, when we first started, a Google search of their names would yield little to no information. Today, that same search will lead you to our stories and photographs that document these heroes' lives.
Initially, I wrote each story, with facts provided by Steve Glazer and Stu Rosenthal. Over time, we’ve expanded our team to include other voices for different perspectives. Janet Ashnault, a Gold Star family member, joined us during the writing of her husband’s brother’s story, Vietnam War Cranford 86 honoree Raymond Ashnault. Starting as a skilled proofreader, Janet has since evolved into a co-writer and now a talented storyteller in her own right, bringing a unique empathy that adds the compassion our Cranford 86 stories are known for. Vic Bary, a decorated Vietnam veteran who previously served as our Military Expert, now leads the writing on Vietnam hero profiles. His emotional connection to his fallen comrades gives his stories a distinct and poignant perspective. Lastly, Barry Mazza, our newest team member, has brought expertise in the latest technologies, providing us with a better platform to deliver our mission to readers.
Each year after Memorial Day, our team gathers to assess the research ahead and the interest in specific stories from our project’s supporters. Together, we decide which of our currently anonymous heroes will be unveiled to our readers in the Cranford Monthly and on our website, Cranford86.org. This year, we found inspiration in the Apple TV series Masters of the Air, which depicts the WWII flight crews of the Army Airmen of the 100th Bomber Squadron, the B-17 Flying Fortress-powered "Bloody 100th". Remarkably, our list of Cranford 86 soldiers and airmen includes 25 pilots or crew members—co-pilots, navigators, bombardiers, aerial gunners, and electronic warfare officers. The series resonated with us not only because it portrays real WWII heroes, but also because it highlights the brotherhood among these men, offering insights into the relationships our 25 heroes likely experienced as well.
The series also showcases the engineering marvels that these incredibly young airmen had at their disposal, from the B-17 itself to the top-secret Norden bombsight, which has been featured in some of our past stories. For those planning to read our upcoming four stories in the Cranford Monthly, we recommend watching the nine hours of this series either before or after reading, as it may provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of the profiles of our 2024-2025 heroes.
