THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 7, 2025 Page 7 classmates) and hopes to attend the School of IBM Machines and become a computer operator. • Karen Marie Bergeron of 123 Webster St. has a large record collection, and her fave is (Revere’s most famous son) Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon. • Gary Bruce Behens of 43 Glenwood St. spends his time at the Oak Grove Stables (Malden had stables in 1963??) and watching his favorite TV show, “Mr. Ed.” My note: Growing up, I loved Mr. Ed also! • Francis Borelli of 15 Warren Ave. is a “zealous rock and roller” and enjoys listening to Ricky Nelson records in his spare time. • Susan Anne Adams of 68 Elwell St. works at Nelson’s Bakery and likes “twisting to Ray Charles records.” • Aug. 9: The annual San Rock Festa starts on Pearl Street at 5 on Saturday, August 10, and ends Monday, August 11, at Devir Park. On Saturday Boston’s famous Roma Band, under the direction of Guy Giarraffa, will lead the parade and will give a concert at Devir Park on Pearl Street during the evening. That is correct, Pearl Street Park was called Devir Park in 1963 (or “Little Devir,” as some remember); I will do some additional research on this. Stay tuned. • Aug. 9: On Monday evening at 8 p.m. a “concert” will take place on Bruce Field at Devir Park followed by a fireworks display set for 10 p.m. • Aug. 9: Joe Denoi DeNovellis is president of the San Rock Society, Donato DiScipio general chairman, John DiGiantommaso vice chairman, Joe Amicone secretary, and Gaetano Umile serves as treasurer. • Meanwhile at Malden High School... The 1963 Maldonian was dedicated to the late, great Arthur Boyle: teacher, coach, class master, husband to Peg and father to Arthur Jr., Michael, David and Kathleen. Dedication to AB: “You are not only a teacher, counselor, and coach, but also a friend to all who know you. Your understanding attitude, your hardworking ways, and your conscientious manner make you dear to all of us at M.H.S.” • And speaking of the times they are a changin’... On a less earth shattering but nonetheless still significant 1963 moment, the Levines — straight outta Carney Court in Charlestown — shook things up in Edgeworth when they planted roots on Charles Street! Think “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” but different. Insert smiley face. As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character Columbo would say, “Just one more thing, sir” — I ain’t no historian (I just play one in The Malden Advocate), but I’m gonna give this a shot anyhow... 1963 was a year that shaped us in ways we may not have fully understood at the time. It was a year of reckoning, of change — of history unfolding before our eyes. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, his voice ringing with the hope of a nation in his “I Have a Dream” speech. The tragic assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Medgar Evers sent shockwaves through the country, altering the course of our collective future. It was, without question, one of the most defining years of the modern Civil Rights Movement and society at large. Even in Malden, far from the epicenters of these seismic events, we felt the ripples. Young men from Linden all the way over to Edgeworth were sent off to distant conflicts (thank you, John Waden, Paul Trainor, Tom Moore, Sam Rumson, amongst many other Maldonians) while many of us found ourselves swept into the struggle for civil rights, standing for the belief that “freedom and equality were not privileges, but promises.” Meanwhile, the America we had known — the familiar rhythms of the past — rapidly began to give way. As Bob Dylan so hauntingly prophesied, “the old road” was vanishing, and whether we were ready or not, the times were indeed changing. Postscript: In Memory of Leo Francis Moro (1920–1992). This column is dedicated to the memory of Leo Francis Moro — a proud member of the Greatest Generation and a true American hero. Like his father Charles before him, Leo answered the call to serve his country in the United States Navy during World War II. Service clearly ran in the Moro bloodline: Charles had worn Navy blue in both World Wars and was awarded the Navy Cross for valor in World War I. That’s family tradition! Leo carried on that legacy across four war theaters — European, African, Middle Eastern and Asiatic — aboard two mighty attack transporters, the USS Harry Lee and the USS Thomas Jefferson. Between them, those ships racked up an amazing 17 battle stars, and Leo was right there in the thick of it. Then there was the night of July 11, 1943, off the coast of Scoglitti, Sicily. A German Messerschmitt swooped in low, engines screaming toward the USS Harry Lee. But Gun Captain Leo Moro, BMI Class, and his crew didn’t flinch. With nerves of steel and hands steady as anchors, they opened fire — and sent that enemy plane into the drink before it could unleash its deadly cargo. That act of courage earned Leo and his fellow gunners a citation and a recommendation for the Legion of Merit. But truth be told, medals or no medals, their bravery spoke for itself. So today (every day actually in my book) we salute Leo Moro and his brothers and sisters of the Greatest Generation. They faced that wicked storm so the rest of us could live in the calm seas that we all enjoy today. “Fair winds and following seas,” Leo. —Peter is a longtime Malden resident and a regular contributor to The Malden Advocate and can be reached at PeteL39@aol. com for comments, compliments or criticisms. Lawrence A. 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