Matthew Bashore, Brighton Veterans Memorial in Buckland Park, 11/11/20 [Photo: Maya Giron, RIT Photojournalism ’23] See At his boyhood home site, Historic Brighton dedicates Marker to Edward Crone, Brighton War Hero and Famous Fictional Protagonist
2020 has been the year of Edward R. Crone Jr.
As seen in At his boyhood home site, Historic Brighton dedicates Marker to Edward Crone, Brighton War Hero and Famous Fictional Protagonist, a few weeks ago Historic Brighton dedicated a marker on Crone’s home site at 1627 Monroe Ave. (M&T Bank). The marker explains that Crone, a Brighton High School graduate, was the inspiration for the “Billy Pilgrim” character in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Slaughterhouse-Five.

10/25/20. (l-r) Grant Holcomb, Historic Brighton Board member, Matthew Bashore, President, Historic Brighton and William Moehle, Town of Brighton Supervisor. (Historic Brighton facebook page) From At his boyhood home site, Historic Brighton dedicates Marker to Edward Crone, Brighton War Hero and Famous Fictional Protagonist
Then, on Wednesday, Crone’s service was honored at the Veterans Day ceremonies at the Brighton Veterans Memorial in Buckland Park.

(left) Congressman Joe Morelle. In the background, Sarah Clark, representative elect in the 136th Assembly District seat. [11/11/20 Photo: David Kramer]; (right) at podium Brighton Town Supervisor William Moehle, behind him, Historic Brighton President Matt Bashore [11/11/20 Photo: Maya Giron, RIT Photojournalism ’23] See also A snowy 100th Veterans Day in Brighton and the Battle of the Bulge
Nonetheless, the highlight of the event was Matthew Bashore’s discussion of Crone’s life. As described by Moehle:
At Brighton’s Veterans Day ceremony, Historic Brighton President Matt Bashore told the story of two WWII privates, Kurt Vonnegut and Edward R. Crone, Jr. Crone became the inspiration for the character Billy Pilgrim in Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five. Crone grew up in Brighton and died in a POW camp in Dresden where Vonnegut was also imprisoned. I presented the Town’s Veterans Day proclamation to Matt and it is on display as part of the Brighton Memorial Library’s Vonnegut display.

(left) Brighton Town Supervisor William Moehle and Historic Brighton President Matt Bashore [11/11/20 from Moehle’s facebook page]; (right) the Proclamation at the Brighton Memorial Library’s exhibit on Crone and Vonnegut [Photo: David Kramer]
Matt told the story of a gentle soul who felt he was doing his duty to liberate Europe. Matt talked of how Crone became a prisoner of war and a captive in Dresden during its firebombing in February 1945. After the bombing, Crone suffered from what Matt says today we would call PTSD. Crone stopped eating and died of malnutrition in a German hospital. Five years later, Crone’s parents managed to have his remains repatriated and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery. At this point, Matt mentioned that his remarks might actually be more fitting for Memorial Day, the day dedicated to those killed during their service.
Matt retold how in 1995 Vonnegut learned — to his astonishment as he saw Crone buried in Dresden — Crone was now interred in Mt. Hope. In Rochester to give a lecture, Vonnegut visited Crones’ grave, smoked a cigarette, spoke to Crone, and later said the encounter finally ended WWII for him.
In Moehle’s concluding remarks, he encouraged us to dust off our high school edition of Slaughterhouse-Five or borrow a copy at the Brighton Memorial Library where the novel is currently the featured work in its All Brighton Reads series.

Currently held at the Brighton Memorial Library. See At his boyhood home site, Historic Brighton dedicates Marker to Edward Crone, Brighton War Hero and Famous Fictional Protagonist

Brighton MemoriaL Library. Exhibit with works by Kurt Vonnegut and artifacts from the life of Edward Crone Jr. [Photo: David Kramer, 11/2/20] From At his boyhood home site, Historic Brighton dedicates Marker to Edward Crone, Brighton War Hero and Famous Fictional Protagonist
POSTSCRIPT
On Wednesday, I went to Buckland Park at the time the WWI armistice officially began: The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. (see clock) Customarily, two minutes of silence is held while taps is played. I brought my father’s old trumpet and did my best.

Brighton Veterans Memorial in Buckland Park, 11:01 am, (see clock) November 11th, 2020. Trumpet from Eugene Kramer’s collection. [Photos: David Kramer] See When all was quiet on the western front on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, 1918.
A snowy 100th Veterans Day in Brighton and the Battle of the Bulge