NAHANT — The town is preparing to celebrate being designated a Purple heart Community with an event Aug. 7 to honor those who sacrificed in service to their country.
“We’re very honored to recognize these brave servicemen for their courageous duty during wartime and combat. … We’re happy to be there as a community to support them and their families in any way we can,” Veterans Service Officer Jon Lazar said.
Here is the list of Nahant’s Purple Heart recipients:
Martin Athy (CPL – 23rd Infantry, Army, WWI)
Martin Athy, an Irish immigrant driven by a sense of duty and adventure, enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War I. Though he had not yet become a U.S. citizen, he wore the uniform and served with distinction on the front lines in Europe. Martin fought in numerous major battles including the Battles of Chateau-Thierry, Champagne, Verdun and Soissons.
Athy’s bravery was recognized when he was wounded in combat and awarded both the Purple Heart and Oak Leaf Cluster for his sacrifice. After the war, grateful for the opportunities and freedom he had fought to defend, Martin became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Richard J. Davis (Sgt., Army, WWII)
Sgt. Davis was a man who bore the weight of two wars – one as a soldier, and one as a father. Davis suffered excruciatingly painful wounds in the chaos of war, answering the call when the world stood at the edge of darkness. He embodies the grit & determination that helped turn the tide on one of history’s darkest hours.
Years later, he endured a loss no parent should face – the death of his son, Marine Lance Corporal Richard R. Davis, who was killed in the Vietnam War. In Sgt. Richard J. Davis, others can see the quiet heroism of not just a soldier, but a father who carried both pride and sorrow in his heart.
James J. Devereaux Jr. (PFC, Army, WWII)
James J. Devereaux Jr. was the son of the Chairman of the Board of Selectman in Nahant. At age 20, he gave his life during the Battle of the Bulge — one of the most pivotal & bloodiest engagements of WWII when German forces launched a massive surprise offensive through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium in December, 1944.
His sacrifice in the Battle of the Bulge was part of a struggle that helped hasten the end of the war in Europe. His bravery stands as a testament to the courage and resilience of an entire generation.
Thomas M. Dooley (Fire Man 2nd Class, Navy, WWII)
Dooley gave his life for his country on the destroyer USS Colhoun, a high-speed transport and anti-submarine warfare vessel. In this role, it carried units of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion in the initial assault landings, which led to the beginning of the Guadalcanal Campaign.
On the morning of August 30, 1942, leaving port in the Solomon Islands to undertake anti-submarine patrols, the USS Colhoun was repeatedly attacked by Japanese bombers. Fifty-one men were killed and 18 wounded when it sank off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, Tulagi, South Pacific. It was there that Tom Dooley gave his life to save his family and serve his country.
Thomas C. Johnson (Lt., Navy, WWII)
Lt. Johnson’s life was marked by his love for the sea. The youngest son of Charles Cabot and Esther Johnson, he was a four-star athlete at Lynn English High, a graduate of the University of Maine and a descendent of early Nahant settlers. After college, he enlisted as an aviation cadet in the Naval Reserve and became a Naval Aviator.
He served as part of the Fighting Squadron Seven on the USS Wasp and commanded a squadron flight from Pensacola to the West Coast. He participated in the Midway & Coral Sea Battles and air fighting in the Solomon Islands Fighting Squadron 72, attached to the USS Hornet.
Edward C. Moleti (Sgt., Army Air Corps, WWII)
Sgt. Edward Moleti was the holder of a Distinguished Flying Cross for bombing flights over North Africa, Sicily, Greece and Austria, and was the armorer-waist gunner of the Flying Fortress B-17 “Miss Prim.”
The 49th Bomb Squadron was involved in a devastating mission to Steyr, Austria on February 24, 1944. The squadron lost all seven of its B-17 aircraft on this mission which targeted the Steyr Aircraft Factory. The “Miss Prim” was shot down and Edward was reported Missing in Action.
Christie J. Stamos (Cpl., Army, WWII)
Cpl. Christie J. Stamos, 3rd Army Infantry Division, fought in the Battle of Anzio, a significant WWII engagement in the Italian Campaign. It began with the Allied amphibious landing in a reclaimed marshland surrounded by mountains in the town of Anzio, 35 miles south of Rome. The goal was to force the Germans to retreat and capture Rome.
Stamos passed away on June 27, 2025, two days before his 102nd birthday. He served his country with honor and courage, leaving behind a legacy of bravery, sacrifice and unwavering patriotism.
Louis J. Letourneau, Jr. (PFC, Army, Germany/Korea)
Letourneau was a native Nahant son, born on Bass Point Rd., and a lifelong resident. He shipped out with the U.S. Merchant Marine Corps before enlisting in the Army in 1950. As a Combat Rifleman with the Army Rangers Paratroopers 7th Infantry Division, he was part of the famed “Fighting First” Infantry Division in Germany.
In the Battle of Korea he volunteered as a Combat Infantryman. Letourneau was severely wounded in Korea by a concentration of Red artillery fighting for “Triangle Hill.” He was Honorably Discharged and awarded The UN Service Medal, The Korean Service Medal with One Bronze Service Star, The Combat Infantrymen’s Badge, and Two Purple Heart Medals.
Arthur I. Sheehan (Sgt. Army, Korea)
Sgt. Arthur I. Sheehan was awarded the Purple heart for injuries received while fighting in the Korean War. During the bitter cold 3rd Korean Winter Campaign of 1952-53 US and UN defensive positions were regularly attacked by the Chinese Army using “human wave” assaults.
After discharge from active duty, Sheehan returned to Nahant with his wife Phyllis Maxwell Sheehan. All five of the couple’s children were later born in Nahant. He continued service for many years with the Mass National Guard.
Richard R. Davis (LCPL, Marines, Vietnam)
On July 7, 1967, in the dense, congested terrain of Con Thien, Quang Tri province, Vietnam, Marine Rifleman Lance Cpl. Richard R. Davis lost his life to an artillery rocket mortar strike. Positioned near the DMZ, Con Thien was a strategic outpost constantly subjected to intense bombardment by the North Vietnamese.
The highest number of Marines lost in a single battle in Vietnam occurred during Operation Buffalo. Richard’s death underscored the high human cost of holding the line in one of the war’s most dangerous and fiercely contested zones.
