The family of fallen United States Marine Cpl. David Massa were the honored guests at the 2026 Warren Veterans Day remembrance held Wednesday morning, Nov. 11, on the town common.

Massa was among nine Marines from Rhode Island alone killed when their barracks in Beirut, Lebanon was bombed in a terrorist attack. In total, 241 Marines and US Navy sailors were murdered when the bomb struck at 6:23 a.m. on October 23, 1983.

The town unveiled a memorial stone Wednesday, which will be placed near the East Warren Bike Path, honoring Massa's memory. Councilor Louis Rego, a childhood friend of Massa, was noted as the driving force behind the effort.

As has become tradition, Dave McCarthy, commander of American Legion Post #104 and a member of the Warren Association of Vietnam Veterans, served as master of ceremonies.

After the unveiling of the Massa memorial stone, McCarthy admitted to becoming  a bit emotional as it was honoring a fellow Marine.

McCarthy quipped he's usually "neutral" during like events when it comes to the service branches, but in this case took off his usual cap and donned one with "Marines" inscribed as his own personal tribute to Massa.

The Massa family was welcomed to the ceremony by Town Council Vice President Keri Cronin, who was the liaison for the body in the stead of Council President Joseph DePasquale, unable to attend for personal reasons.

Cronin acknowledged the support both Rego and DePasquale gave to the effort, adding, "It's the culmination of years of hard work and I think a very appropriate and fitting honor to a fallen member of our community."

Anna Massa Beard spoke on behalf of the family, saying "I'm not a big public speaker, but I will speak from the heart. I just want to thank everyone that was involved in creating this monument in memory of my brother David. It's an honor that this is being done. My family and I appreciate it very, very much.

"I'm speaking from the heart. I want to thank everyone that was involved, Councilman Rego and Councilman DePasquale, who is not here, and everyone else that I'm sure had a lot to do with it. So I'm just, again, very grateful. Thanks, everyone, for being here today and supporting our family and all the veterans."

Rego recollected his connection to the Massa family initially occurred because their fathers worked together. He later became friends with Massa upon meeting him some "55 years ago."

He continued, "It was a beautiful sunny day, and we were on our bikes. And the one thing about David, he always had a perfect smile, always smiling. And a couple months ago when we were talking about dedicating the 'Broken Bridge' (the new pedestrian/bike span over the Kickemuit River) I mentioned to Joe how for years I've been thinking about to how to recognize David Massa and he thought it was a great idea. And the first time I met him, we were riding bikes so how appropriate is it to name a bike path after him."

State Senator and town native Walter Felag, on the town council at the time, recollected the "shock" the community felt upon learning of Massa's passing and how it came out in support of the family in that heart-breaking moment. Felag, along with his peers in the General Assembly, previously memorialized the victims of the Beirut bombing from Rhode Island with a plaque placed along the Providence River in 2020.

The ceremony also highlighted the achievements of historic Warren heroes. More well-known is Lt. Col. William Barton and his famous raid that captured a British general and a lesser-known soldier referred to as the “Fighting Fool,” Samuel Cranston, who was present at the first and last shots of the Revolutionary War.

In addition, prior to the close of the remembrance McCarthy, himself a Vietnam veteran, announced after many years of attempting to do so, all pertinent parties around the state have finally agreed on a fitting site to place a state-wide memorial honoring those who served in the war.