Former Medway Police Chief William “Dave” Lambirth will serve as Grand Marshall at this year’s Medway Memorial Day Ceremony. Chief Lambirth is captured in this undated photo during his tenure on the MPD with the department’s then “new” computers.

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William “Dave” Lambirth recalls his move to Medway in 1945 and his first Memorial Day Parade
By Theresa Knapp
MEDWAY - Former Millis Police Chief William “Dave” Lambirth served as this year’s Grand Marshall at the Millis Memorial Day ceremony held at Matondi Square. He has lived in Medway since 1945, served as a Marine, worked at General Motors, then joined the Medway Police Department in 1966 from which he retired in 2002 as Police Chief.
Here is his story in which he writes about his move to Medway in 1945, gathering shell casings at his first Memorial Day Parade in town, his time in the Marines, his service on the Medway Police Department which he led as Chief for 23 years, and more memories of “the little town of Medway.”
In May of 1945, I moved to Medway with my family from West Roxbury MA. I was seven years old at the time (so not officially a “townie”). We moved to what was then “West Medway” and quickly learned that many considered it an entirely different community.  I was the youngest of three children and had moved with an older brother, older sister, and Mom and Dad.
I entered the third grade at the High Street School which was quite exciting for me because the building was brand new, and the four kids I had met in the neighborhood helped make the adjustment easily.
We arrived too late in the year to realize that the Medway Memorial Day Parade was a huge event in town, so it wasn’t until 1946 that I experienced my first parade. I couldn’t believe the turnout, including so many returning veterans participating and marching. My favorite part was watching the rifle squad conduct salutes to those present and past who had served our country then scrambling with the other kids to collect shell casings that fell to the ground from the rifles!
 My father was interested in animals and farming so, once we were settled in our home on Philips Street (there were only four houses at that time!), he started raising chickens and goats which grew from a few to many. As it turned out, because both of my parents worked as well as my sister and brother, I became the primary caretaker of the animals. Keeping up with this on top of my schooling was just fine, as my friends had gardens to tend to and animals to care for as well so playtime was limited. 
During the 1940s and 1950s in Medway, we didn’t have any organized sports teams, so we kept busy indulging in pick-up games in our back yards, or at the West Medway Park, now Choate Park.  Because of this, I can’t lay any claims to being a star athlete out of Medway, an achievement I have been honored to see unfold for others through the years in this community.
After grammar school, I moved to the Jr./Sr. High school (7th-12th) which is now the Anderson Village Condos. It was there that I learned that West Medway seemed to end around Charles River Road, and became Medway, and the place where I met many friends and acquaintances -- some that I still have to this day.
After my sophomore year, I moved on to the Norfolk Agricultural School because of my interest in farming. When I completed “the aggie” I, along with a close friend, enlisted in the US Marine Corps. In those days, for a lot of us, college wasn’t in our immediate future so serving our Country was a great option and an honor.
After four years as a US Marine, I was Honorably Discharged as a Sergeant and returned home to Medway. I had mixed emotions about leaving the service, and the friendships and loyalty of that organization that I experienced, are everlasting. After working a few odd construction jobs, I went to work for General Motors, where I stayed until 1966, when I accepted a position with the Medway Police Department. 
The Police Department was rather small back then, employing only five full-time officers, in addition to the Police Chief. I learned quickly how much I loved the job, in part due to the great coworkers and mentors that I had. The Medway Police Department had always enjoyed a great reputation and I was proud to be a member. 
In 1970, I was promoted to Sergeant, along with another officer, to fill a vacancy that had been created a few years previous. The years seemed to flash by, and the department grew to more members, and many of us started attending service schools to provide more professional services to the community. 
In 1980, following the retirement of my chief, William Giallonardo, I was appointed Police Chief to replace him. By this time, the number of officers had increased from five to 18. 
As new officers arrived, the ranks were being filled by young people I had seen growing up as young children, into smart and responsible adults. They were a great addition to the department. Some of those officers have already gone into retirement -- how time flies!
I can’t lay claim to any great accomplishments during my 23 years as Chief, but with the support of various boards and committees, along with a supportive town administration, we were able to build and move into a brand new facility on Village Street in 1990. This was a long-overdue change after years of being stationed in a small area of the Town Hall building.  
When my time came to retire in late 2002, it was with mixed emotions. However, because age dictates retirement, I was History. I am so thankful, even among all of the hardships in the world, that I am able to see and be in contact with many officers from the department, and with some who have already put in their time and retired. 
I am still enjoying my retirement, happy to be alive in 2021, and while limited in my daily activities, I treasure my life here in the little town of Medway. I have been blessed to be part of a special community, and loving family with a wife, seven children, 18 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, plus friends and neighbors.