Dorchester Banner/Graham Slaughter
“Time shall not dim the glory of their deeds,” in a memorial dedicated at Long Wharf in Cambridge on Saturday.[/caption] CAMBRIDGE — On Saturday, a monument dedicated to five WWI heroes was unveiled at Long Wharf, a tribute to the five Dorchester soldiers who won the Distinguished Service Cross in World War I. The names of Lt. Henry Barber Jr., Pvt. Harry Insley, Pvt. James Miller, Sgt. Carl Horseman, and Cpl. Harford Smith are engraved in the dark stone that came from India and was etched in Georgia. More than 150 people attended the ceremony to await the unveiling and hear the deeds of the five heroes recounted. All five soldiers displayed extraordinary bravery while under heavy fire, destroying enemy positions and helping wounded comrades in the brutal trench warfare of WWI. The families of the honored men were part of the ceremony. Hal Barber and his wife Laura came from Denver to be a part of the ceremony at Long Wharf. The Barber family history is a history of the United States. Their men have fought in battles dating back to the Pequot Wars in Colonial Massachusetts, the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War, the Civil War (on both sides), alongside Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War, and through both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam plus other actions like Desert Storm. That was their men. One Barber woman was in the second co-ed class at West Point and today her daughter is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and serving on active duty. Theodore Barber, however, also served as Rector of Christ Church on High Street and is buried in the cemetery there. A highlight of Saturday’s program was the presence of the Chorus of Dorchester, led by Virginia (Cookie) Brohawn. The chorus performed songs of the WWI era for a nostalgic yet cheery touch. You can find the new monument right by the 77-year-old fountain that is dedicated to the WWI dead. According to the July 1, 1938 edition of The Banner, that memorial took 19 years to get built. Saturday’s program and unveiling resulted from the efforts of the Eastern Shore Post #88, 29th Division Association, with attorney Ray Simmons providing the leadership. A visitor today can find a seat for contemplation on heroism and sacrifice because two new benches complete the memorial at Long Wharf.