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05/06/2016

update 5/30/2016 - 6:45 a.m. - The event has been CANCELED due to rain

World War II Army nurse Frances Jordan Banks to marshal Memorial Day parade, ceremony May 30

Memorial Day 2016 will be observed in Cape Elizabeth with the traditional parade and memorial ceremonies on Monday, May 30.  This is an opportunity for the community to come together in remembrance of those who have died serving our nation.

The parade begins at 9 a.m.  Parade participants are asked to gather at the intersection of Fowler and Ocean House roads at 8:15 a.m.  The parade route begins at that intersection, continues north on Ocean House Road, turns left onto Scott Dyer Road and ends at the War Veteran’s Memorial. A brief ceremony and laying of the wreath will be held at the monument.

The 2016 Memorial Day parade marshal is *Frances Jordan Banks, a U.S. Army nurse during World War II. She is a Cape Elizabeth native and resident.

The parade will include members of the Cape Elizabeth police, fire and rescue departments, the Water Extrication Team, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Middle School Marching Band, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Veterans of previous wars, as well as active duty personnel, are invited to march.  Anyone who has a family member serving in the armed services is asked to notify event organizer Jim Huebener, 207-767-1754, or jhuebener56@gmail.com, so they can be recognized.  

Following the ceremony, residents and guests are invited to an open house at the Town Center Fire Station.

The event will be canceled only in the event of rain. No alternate location has been set.

* About our parade marshal

Frances Jordan was born in July 1918 in South Portland, but grew up in Cape Elizabeth. She lived on a 100-acre farm on Two Lights Road for nine years, then her family moved to a house on which now stands the Kettle Cove Creamery.

She is a 1936 graduate of Cape Elizabeth High School, and 1939 graduate of the State Street Hospital School of Nursing. She joined the Army in 1942 as a lieutenant and served for the duration.

She said she joined the Army to see the world, and where did they station her? Fort Williams for nine months.

She finally did see the western United States after that, and was then stationed at a B-29 base in Piardoba, India, as part of the Burma/China campaign, with the 94th Station Hospital. She was head nurse there, with nine other nurses. They served with the 462nd Bombardment Group, which flew the (then) new B-29 Super Fortress. The units were under the command of Gen. Curtis LeMay. Frances said she met him once. Frances said they lost a lot of B-29s, either from battle or when they flew "over the hump" (the Himalayas).

When the war ended, she had a choice to stay in the Army and serve in China, or return home. All the other nurses chose to go home, so she did too. They travelled to Casablanca, Morocco, where they stayed for 10 days waiting for a plane to take them home. When it arrived, there was only space for nine nurses, so she stayed behind two more days before departing. She did say Casablanca was nothing like the movie – a very drab city. She never did find Rick’s Café Americain. She returned to New York for out-processing, then back to Maine. She married a Athill Banks, a potato farmer in Aroostook County, and lived in Mars Hill for many years. She returned to Cape Elizabeth a year ago.

She had six siblings. Five of them (including herself) served in World War II, and one in Korea.

  1. Lloyd – Air Force, World War II, shot down and killed over Sardinia, Italy.
  2. Ernie – Navy, World War II
  3. Raymond – Merchant Marine, World War II
  4. Alvin – Army, World War II
  5. Lester – Army, Korean War
  6. Clara – was also a nurse, but the war ended before she could join the service.