THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, AUGUST 2, 2024 Page 3 ~The Advocate Asks~ Carol Nadeau says she knows who “the unknown” was who was buried in the Civil War plot at Riverside Cemetery Editor’s Note: For this week’s column, we sat down with Carol Nadeau, a Saugus native who recalled being troubled when she read an article in The Saugus Advocate that mentioned the possibility of an “unknown soldier” being buried in the Civil War Plot at Riverside Cemetery. Not long after reading the article, Nadeau bought an old press photo from eBay that depicted a military funeral of an aviator from Saugus who was killed in a training accident in Texas during World War I. Once she received the photo and inspected it closely, she discovered that the graveside services for Sergeant Willard Frederick Swan took place in the Civil War Plot, in the same location where space was reserved for the “unknown soldier.” That prompted Nadeau to embark on an intense research project to find out all she could about the aviator who grew up in Saugus whose remains were later moved to his family’s burial plot in Camden, Maine. Nadeau is the longtime secretary at St. Margaret’s Church in Saugus – since 1985. She grew up on Route 1 in the last house on Broadway near Felton Street. She is a 1964 graduate of Saugus High School. She got married out of High School to Ronald Nadeau, who is a 1962 Saugus High graduate. The Nadeaus have two sons: David, of Saugus, and Michael, of Amesbury. Michael’s son, Kyle, who lives in Amesbury, recently graduated from UMass Lowell with a master’s degree. Carol Nadeau loves to collect old postcards and photographs relating to Saugus. Highlight’s of this week’s interview follow. Nadeau contacted The Sautook his body back to Maine for family burial in the spring of 1918. I also found a two volume set of New England flyers which had a write up and full page picture of him. Sorry this is so long, but without your article, we would never know who the “unknown “ was. Since then, the unknown marker has been removed and another one put in its place. Thank you again for the article. Carol. Q: It really bothered you to read that there might be an ASKS | SEE PAGE 11 A CATALYST FOR RESEARCH: This press photo enabled Carol Nadeau to identify Willard Frederick Swan as a World War I aviator who received a military funeral and burial in the Civil War Plot in Riverside Cemetery. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) gus Advocate last week with the following email: My name is Carol Nadeau and I am the secretary of St. Margaret’s Church in Saugus. I have been meaning to get in touch with you to thank you for the article of a while ago that was in the Advocate about Gordon Shepard’s renovation of the Veterans graves here in Saugus. He has done a wonderful job and each section is stunning. During his interview he was asked about an unknown grave. I do not think anyone should be unknown and it bothered me to know that. I also collect Saugus “stuff” including Press Photos. I do a lot of searching on Ebay to find things of interest about Saugus. A month or so after your article appeared, I came across an Ebay auction with no picture, just a brief write up that it is a picture of a veteran being buried in RivAluminum Everett 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Free Estimates •Fully Licensed •Roofing • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! Everett Aluminum erside. I bought the photo and when it arrived (it is stunning) when I turned it over I was shocked to read that it is Willard Swan’s burial. The more I looked at the picture, something was wrong with it. Apparently, Willard who is from World War 1 was buried in the Civil War section exactly where the marker for the unknown person stood. Williard wanted to be a flier. He would fly planes (Wilbur and Orville vintage) from Marblehead to the race track on the Saugus marsh. He enlisted when World War 1 broke out even though he wasn’t old enough to do that. Flight training took him to Texas where he died in a plane crash. Through Ancestry we found his death certificate. There was an inquest and the body was shipped to Saugus for burial. This happened in February 1918. His parents were from Maine and they Eastern Bank Building on Rte. 1S 605 Broadway, #301 * Saugus (781) 233-6844 www.bostonnorthdental.com Dr. Priti Amlani Dr. Bhavisha Patel * Restorative Dentistry * Cosmetic Dentistry * Implant Restoration * Zoom Whitening * Teeth in a Day - All on 6 * Invisalign * CEREC Crowns (Single Visit Crowns) * Root Canal Treatment * Sedation Dentistry ~ Full Mouth Rehabilitation ~ Before After Celebrating 66 Years in Business! Summer is Here!
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