Swampscott scout to clean war monument

SWAMPSCOTT – A local Boy Scout is rolling up his sleeves and tackling the daunting task of sprucing up the World War II Honor Roll Memorial on Monument Avenue.William Travascio, 17, who is a member of the Yankee Clipper Council Troop #53, pointed out the back of the monument is covered with graffiti and there is not a flag near the monument.”For far too long, the Swampscott World War II Memorial has been in a state of disrepair,” he said. “It has a dying flower bed, overgrown trees and bushes and it is graffiti-ridden. There are no flag poles to mark its location.”Travascio is doing the project to receive his coveted Eagle Scout award. Nationally, it is estimated that less than 5 percent of all Boy Scouts attain the rank of Eagle but Travascio, who will be a senior at Swampscott High School this fall, said this is much more than just an Eagle Scout project – it has deep personal significance.”My grandfather Mario Travascio and his brothers Antonio and Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor,” he said. “My inspiration for this project came from the many stories my father told me about his father and Philip LaBonte, who was my great-grandfather on my mother’s side, about the war and their service to our country.”Travascio said he is working with the state police graffiti removal unit to get the graffiti removed from the back of the monument. He said he would plant Firethorn bushes in back of the monument, which would deter future vandalism by making it difficult for graffiti artists to access the rear of the monument.Travasio said the second phase of his project would be the installation of a flagpole near the memorial. He said the flagpole would have a downward solar powered flagpole light at the top, which would ensure the flag is properly illuminated at night.To complete the project, Travascio said he would work with fellow scouts and other volunteers to trim the existing bushes, clean the face of the monument and spruce up the area around the monument.The project has already been approved by the Swampscott Historical Commission and the Board of Selectmen. His project also has the support of Veterans Agent James Schultz, the Swampscott VFW and American Legion. Travascio said he expects the project would cost $1,500 and he is working on organizing fund raisers and approaching area businesses for donations. He said he expects to have the project complete by Labor Day.