Lukasevicius was killed in 1943 when his ship was sunk by the Germans
Gardner News
GARDNER — The former Pleasant Street bridge has been renamed in honor of a local World War II hero who was killed in 1943 when his ship was sunk by the Germans.
The Corporal Lawrence L. Lukasevicius Memorial Bridge was officially unveiled during a ceremony attended by state and city lawmakers, and members of the Lukasevicius family, on May 31. The recently reopened bridge had been closed for several years for repairs.
“We are here for a number of reasons, but mostly because our family never knew what happened to Larry, so this is sort of a funeral for him, ”said James Kraskouskas, owner of Anthony’s Liquor Mart and Lukasevicius’ nephew, at a ceremony at City Hall. “It is the responsibility of all of us who are relatives (of those lost on the HMT Rohna) to remember them.”