Dunnigan took special notice this time because the name of his close friend and Swampscott High classmate Jared Raymond will soon be on a road sign. Swampscott selectmen last night approved the intersection of Burrill and Essex streets as Specialist Jared J. Raymond Square. Raymond, 20, was killed in Iraq last month while serving in the Army.

Naming streets and squares for military heroes is an old American tradition. The highways and byways of the North Shore are dotted with such memorials. Salem alone has 70 locations, from Arnold Corner to Vinnin Square. And they recall virtually every conflict in American history.

Beverly has a similar number, said Veterans' Agent Jerry Guilebbe, each with a poignant story. Kiniston Square in the downtown honors Ruben Kiniston, who left his wife of 11 months and went off to battle the British on April 19, 1775.

"He was the first Beverly man killed in the Revolution," Guilebbe said. "He was killed by British soldiers at Monotony. That's Arlington today. He was brought back on an ox cart, brought back to Beverly."

The few facts of Kiniston's service evoke powerful speculations, of small-town Beverly stunned suddenly by the price of freedom, wives widowed, a community's sense of security shattered. In context, the enormity of Kiniston's sacrifice becomes clear.

Moreover, it sets an example for those who follow. In Peabody, the Captain Samuel Brown School carries the name of a young teacher who was killed in the Civil War.

Salem residents passing Riley Plaza probably don't remember that it recalls a hero of the Spanish-American War. John Riley won the Medal of Honor for braving enemy gunfire to cut the transatlantic cable linking Cuba to Spain.

Many date back to WWI

The pattern of remembrances changed with the outbreak of World War I, according to Stephen Hall, director of the Beverly Historical Society. That conflict brought an explosion of memorials - the bulk of Salem's and Beverly's squares, for example, are dedicated to men killed in The Great War.

"Part of (the explanation) is America's attitude," Hall said. "World War I was the war to end all wars." At the same time, he noted, came the automotive age, with more people on the roads and more potential witnesses to roadside remembrances.

World War II, with its enormous death rate, saw fewer such memorials. Nevertheless, those fighting men were not forgotten - Innocenti Park in Beverly, for example, carries the name of sailor Alfred Innocenti, killed when his ship went down on Oct. 6, 1943. The names of every man from Ward 6 killed in the conflict are also listed.

Amazingly, in Peabody, World War II veterans are still being honored at streets and intersections. On Nov. 5, at the intersection of Paleologos and Center streets, a square will be dedicated to all Peabody residents of Greek origin who were killed in the struggle.

"All 25 names will be listed," Veterans' Agent Chris Tighe said.

Meanwhile, street signs dedicated to fallen soldiers across the Tanner City are being refurbished in black and gold, said Historical Society President Bill Power. The Veterans' Council urged the upgrade, and public works crews are doing the work.

In Beverly, Guilebbe said, the incredible heroism of Medal of Honor winner Joseph Vittori, who died holding off hordes of enemy soldiers in Korea, is remembered at Vittori Park.

Guilebbe stresses the importance of such memorials. "So they really are not forgotten. We will remember their names for generations to come."

Upkeep can be costly

Not everyone sees it that way. Salem Veterans' Agent Jean Guy Martineau believes better services for living veterans would be a more fitting remembrance. "I don't have enough money for the monuments I have now."

He gets complaints when signs have to come down during construction, he said, but he doubts that most people even care. "The only ones that call me are the relatives."

In Beverly, Hall reluctantly agrees. "We live in a motorized environment where people ride around with cell phones stuck in their ears."

Outside of Veterans Memorial Middle School in Marblehead, students every day stroll past a plaque for Duncan Sleigh Square, honoring a local U.S. Army lieutenant killed in Vietnam in 1968. It was also in Marblehead that the North Shore's first fatality of the Iraq/Afghanistan wars was buried in June 2005.

A few months after his death, the School Committee named the football field after Staff Sgt. Chris Piper, who had played football for Marblehead High.

"His name is right up on the scoreboard," Veterans' Agent Dave Rodgers said.

The gesture was quickly embraced by the town.

Likewise, the plan to honor Raymond has earned support even beyond Swampscott.

"I think it's wonderful that they are doing something over there," Guilebbe said.

"I think it's a no-brainer to name that square for that kid," Rodgers said. "How can you say no? Who can possibly disagree? ... These are people who gave their lives in service to this country. They gave the ultimate sacrifice. They did a little more than you and I have ever done."