1,500 attend – More than 1,500 people packed into St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church on Monday to honor East Bridgewater World War II veteran John Bernard Arnold III, who died May 6 at age 98 and left no known family members behind. The turnout, which stretched outside th
When more than 1,500 people gathered Monday morning outside St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in East Bridgewater, it wasn’t just a funeral. It was a response—wildly larger than anyone involved had expected for a World War II veteran who died earlier this month and left no known family members.
John Bernard Arnold III, of East Bridgewater, died May 6 at age 98. He had fought in World War II with the U.S. Navy and was living at the Garrison Home for Veterans.
Shortly after Arnold’s passing, Terrence O’Keeffe, an officer for Hanover/Hanson Veteran Services, received a call from Arnold’s caretaker. O’Keeffe learned Arnold had no known living family members left and wanted to make sure the veteran received the sendoff he deserved.
With help from Hanson’s police and fire departments, the town’s Department of Public Works, and several fellow veteran service officers, O’Keeffe organized the service. He said a simple Facebook post turned into a call to action that “went across the country, as far as California.”
Even before the day of the funeral, O’Keeffe could feel the scale building. But Monday morning brought a surprise. The line waiting at the church “went around the corner and down the street,” O’Keeffe said. “We had max capacity at the church.”
Funeral service workers later told him the tribute to Arnold’s life drew around 1,500 people. O’Keeffe also remembered that the support wasn’t limited to locals—he recalled a group of bikers who said they had come all the way from Long Island.
After the funeral Mass, Arnold was brought to his final resting place at Cedar Knoll Cemetery in Taunton. O’Keeffe and veteran service officers Christopher Buckley, Christine Callahan, and Declan Ware served as pallbearers and helped carry Arnold to rest.
“The world responded, and it was incredible,” O’Keeffe said.
In a Facebook post following the funeral, O’Keeffe shared a picture of roses that someone had placed on Arnold’s casket. He said the flowers symbolized “what today’s effort was all about.”
O’Keeffe wrote in the post: “We celebrated a man that we did not know, and yet, touched so many lives. Today we brought a Veteran the love and support he more than deserved. By all accounts, he was a wonderful human being and we made sure his spirit felt our presence.”
East Bridgewater John Bernard Arnold III World War II veteran U.S. Navy Garrison Home for Veterans St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church Cedar Knoll Cemetery Hanover/Hanson Veteran Services Terrence O’Keeffe pallbearers