The Bedford Citizen
Bedford will kick off Memorial Day this year in a special way, as Gov. Charlie Baker and Congressman Seth Moulton will come to town to honor two fallen heroes, Pfc John Hart and Lance Corporal Travis Desiato, by naming a bridge in their honor. The ceremony will commence at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 25, at the boat launch beside the bridge on State Road 225 that spans the Concord River.
The dedication was arranged by Senator Mike Barrett (D-Lexington) and Rep. Ken Gordon (D-Bedford), who carried the bill dedicating the bridge in honor of these heroes through the legislature. Governor Baker signed the bill into law in December.
The soldiers were killed within 13 months of each other in Iraq, fighting the war on terror. Hart, who served in the Army, lost his life in an ambush in Tikrit on October 18, 2003. He graduated from Bedford High School in 2002. Desiato joined the Marines after his graduation from Bedford High in 2002. He was lost on November 15, 2004, in Fallujah.
“Each year we remember our fallen heroes on Memorial Day, but this year will be special in Bedford,” said Rep. Gordon. “This year we will pause to be with a family and recognize a town that has given so much. As Memorial Day weekend approaches and the tumult of travel begins for some, Bedford will slow down and reflect.”