By Liz King
Staff writer
November 08, 2008 12:17 am AMESBURY — Just nine days before the last shot was fired in what at the time was the bloodiest war in world history, Amesbury lost its first son to the mud-choked battlefields of France. The town honored Cpl. John J. Thornton by naming a prominent corner of downtown in his name. But as the years since World War 1 have rolled by, memories of Thornton and the meaning of his square have faded. That changed yesterday, when Thornton's relatives joined members of the community and veterans for a rededication of Thornton Square, at the corner of Main and Friend streets. "This means a lot," said John Thornton of Haverhill, whose grandfather was the brother of the corporal's father. "I remember the sign in the square. My father showed it to me every time we went through Amesbury." Mike Thornton of East Kingston, N.H., the corporal's second cousin, has similar memories of the square. "I lived in Haverhill, and whenever my dad, Dan Thornton, brought us through Amesbury, he'd point it out," Thornton said. "It's quite poignant. As a veteran, I always like to see dedications and remembrances; it's part of my patriotic gene." Amesbury Veterans Agent Kristen LaRue led the dedication. Mayor Thatcher Kezer III told the attendees about Thornton's life and military career. "I'm a student of history, and I enjoy learning about the lives of individuals who have served," said Kezer, who has served in the Air Force for 29 years. Paul Jancewicz, history teacher at Amesbury High School, led the Pledge of Allegiance and read a poem by Archibald MacLeish called "The Young Dead Soldiers." A veteran himself, Jancewicz told the crowd that it was important to remember the fallen. "I was reminded by a friend who went to North Carolina for the anniversary of the Beirut bombing, which I wasn't able to go to," Jancewicz said. "I take it personally to be here with my students, friends and others in my life." Jancewicz's history class at Amesbury High School helped research and compile a biography on Thornton, on whom information is limited. They say he was born Nov. 25, 1891, to Margaret and Patrick Thornton. He went to Camp Devens with the first squad of selected servicemen, was transferred to Camp Merritt and assigned to Co. A, 302nd Machine Gun Battalion, upon which he was promoted to corporal. His final transfer was to Co. D of the 34th infantry. As stated in the article provided by Jancewicz's class: "Thornton had been in France but a few weeks when he was killed by a German shell, while in command of a machine gun strongpoint at 'Hill 312' Nov. 2, 1918." The original dedication of Thornton Square took place nearly 100 years ago, in May of 1919. "In the early '80s, the sign was run over with a snowplow, and since then, the plaque and memory were put in the back of a warehouse. It's important to bring it back to the forefront," Kezer said. "We're bringing back a piece of Amesbury's history that was lost for so many years." The idea to rededicate the square came to Richie Eaton, president of the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank, after attending an open house in June and hearing someone talk about the sign. Eaton thought it was important to remember the local veteran and get the word out, so he joined forces with LaRue and Jancewicz, and the group made the sign dedication happen. "It's incredible what the Newburyport Five Cents Savings bank has done with the building on the corner and the restoration," Kezer said. The rededication ceremony served as a reminder of the sacrifices made by generations of veterans. "When soldiers go off to battle, they all know the danger," Kezer said. "What keeps people going back is the fact that they know we'll never forget their sacrifices. This dedication shows that we're fulfilling that promise. We will remember."
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