4 decades later, Topsfield pays tribute to war hero
The only Topsfield resident killed in the Vietnam War was honored yesterday during a dedication ceremony at Veterans Memorial Green in the North Shore town.
First Lieutenant John “Jack’’ David Lawson was 26 when his plane was shot down over Thua Thien Province in South Vietnam on Sept. 1, 1970, during a mission. Lawson was missing in action for three months before his body was found.
A memorial stone bearing his name was dedicated after a parade through the downtown.
“It was wonderful,’’ his sister, Lyn Cunningham of Peachtree City, Ga., said about the ceremony. “I was absolutely overwhelmed.’’
The family did not have a part in the planning of the dedication, said Cunningham; they were notified by one of the organizers that the events were scheduled.
“I just thoroughly appreciated it,’’ said Cunningham.
Lawson graduated from Masconomet Regional High School in 1962. He attended Lehigh University in Pennsylvania before he transferred to Boston University, which he left to join the Marines. He went to officer candidate school in Quantico, Va.
“When he joined the Marines he found his niche,’’ said Cunningham. “He enjoyed being a pilot.’’
