A small contingent of city officials later this month will be taking residents by bus to Bourne so they can visit the gravesites of relatives at the national veterans cemetery there.
Councilor at Large Sally Collura, who is organizing the trip, said she got the idea from Waltham resident Elaine Hay, whose husband - an Army and Korean War veteran - is buried there. Collura said Hay told her that a lot of Waltham residents have loved ones at the Bourne cemetery, but aren't always able to make the hour-long trip there.
Collura said she believes that's the case as well.
"You can read a lot of times in the obits that a person is going to be buried in Bourne," Collura said.
Collura contacted the mayor, who OK'd the trip to Bourne, free of charge for those residents who want to go - provided they had relatives buried at the veterans' cemetery.
A bus will leave from the parking lot of Sacred Heart Church on Monday, Nov. 30, at 9 a.m.
Those who have loved ones buried at the cemetery in Bourne and want to ride the bus can call the mayor's office today to reserve a seat, Collura said.
She said there are about 30 seats on the bus. Collura, McCarthy and Ward 7 Councilor Joe Giordano, who is chairman of the council's Veterans Committee, will all be making the trip as well.
Hay said yesterday that she doesn't drive often, and usually asks her sister- and brother-in-law to take her to the veterans' cemetery in Bourne.
She said the city-organized trip is a nice gesture by local officials to help those who may not be able to make the journey on their own.
"I just thought this would be an opportunity for people who don't drive or people who don't have any family members," Hay said yesterday.
Hay said when she has been able to visit the cemetery in the past she's seen veteran's jackets from Framingham and several from Waltham.
Collura said people who have reserved a seat, but then find out they can't make the trip are encouraged to call and cancel so that it can free up a seat for somebody else.
"If people want to take a wreath they can," Collura said.
Collura said the trip would probably last until 4 p.m.
Richard Conn can be contacted at 781-398-8004 or rconn@cnc.com.
