Becket, Massachusetts, honors its war veterans with a collection of monuments in an historic park.
Ballou Park, located at the intersection of Main Street (Route 8) and Prentice Place, features three large monuments honoring the town’s war veterans as well as a number of historic markers.
An undated monument honoring Becket’s World War I veterans bears the names of 35 residents.
A similar monument lists about 78 Becket residents who served in World War II, and denotes three residents who died during their WWII service.
Becket’s three World War II heroes are further honored with replica headstones located between the two World War memorials.
Another monument honors Becket’s Korea and Vietnam war veterans. The Korea section lists 26 names. The Vietnam section lists 41 names, and highlights one veteran who died during his Vietnam service.
The park, part of the North Becket Historic District, was the former site of the Ballou family homestead and grist mill. The home and mill were destroyed by a flood in 1927, and the site was deeded to the town in 1935 for use as a park.
Historic markers on the site describe nearby buildings, and commemorate the arrival of local railroad service in 1842.
