Local woman adds holiday touch to vet memorials

Wreaths on the veterans memorials are courtesy of Canton resident Laureen Doloff-Jasmine.

One of the tasks that Veterans’ Agent Tony Andreotti performs each year is to decorate the veterans’ memorials near the Canton Corner Cemetery with wreaths at the holidays. The memorials honor those who served in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq. Several years ago, a Canton family called Andreotti and asked if they could decorate the memorials. Andreotti agreed.

The following year, Andreotti headed out with wreaths and found the memorials already decorated. He called the family to thank them for their generosity, but quickly discovered that they were not responsible for the work.

“I called them and thanked them,” said Andeotti, “and they said, ‘Oh, we didn’t do it. We came up to do it and they were all done.’”

Andreotti wasn’t sure what would happen the next December, but when he went to check on the memorials, the wreaths were already in place. It wasn’t until 2011 that Andreotti finally solved the mystery of who was taking care of the decorations.

“The third year I go to check,” he said, “and there she was putting them up.”

“She” is Laureen Doloff-Jasmine. She started decorating the memorials as a way of honoring the memory of her partner, the late Robert Redmond, a veteran who served for two years in Vietnam. He was declared 100 percent disabled due to his exposure to Agent Orange and died at the age of 64 from a number of health issues.

Doloff-Jasmine was living in Stoughton when she met Redmond in Randolph. They moved to Canton nearly 25 years ago. Redmond worked for Dannon Yogurt after he left the service.

“He was a great guy,” she said of Redmond. “He loved his country, he loved my daughter, who is disabled, and treated her like his own. He was outgoing and loved to have fun. He enjoyed spending time at the Legion (Post 24).”

There is a bench at Veterans Memorial Park that is dedicated to military service members who served in Vietnam. When Redmond passed away, Andreotti had his name added to the plaque. “He was a longtime member of the Legion,” he said.

Doloff-Jasmine said she decided to take on the responsibility of decorating the memorials simply because she wanted to do her part.

“I just decided to honor everyone who served and remember them,” she said. “Somebody’s thinking of them. Somebody hasn’t forgotten them. As long as I’m in the area, I will continue to do it.”

Doloff-Jasmine’s father, who is still living, served in Korea. Each year, Doloff-Jasmine takes six wreaths to the memorials around December 1 and goes back in January to remove them.

“To me, it’s very seldom that you get a citizen that steps up like that and doesn’t ask for anything,” Andreotti said. “Knowing that she’s going to be doing that, it’s just a great thing.”

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Dec 20 2012. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.