LYNN — The St. Mary’s community, including more than 20 veterans, gathered on campus Thursday to commemorate Veteran’s Day and dedicate an on-campus garden honoring veterans.
“This is kind of part of what we do, to be grateful and thank them for their service,” Head of School John Dolan said.
St. Mary’s administration members, alumni, and students gathered to dedicate a new memorial garden featuring a bell to be rung once a year on Veterans Day.
The garden is named after Joseph Bukowski and was made possible through a joint effort of Jimmy Moore, Class of 1962, and Joseph Goyette, Class of 2024, who designed the project as part of his work in the Eagle Scout.
Ann Kelleher, Bukowski’s sister and one of the people who provided funding for the project, said it was beautiful not just to see her brother honored but all veterans, especially those from the school community, whom she said the garden is really for.
“It’s not just about my brother,” Kelleher, who credited Goyette and the Eagle Scouts for their work on the project, said. “It’s about St. Mary’s and all the good that they do.”
Moore read dedications to some of his classmates — Pfc. Frederick Atkinson, Lt. Rodney Alfano, and 2nd lt. Richard Cotter — who were killed in action in the Vietnam War.
“These men would not want you to be hurt,” Moore said. “They would want you to smile and think of them and enjoy the benefits that we have because of what they did.”
Multiple St. Mary’s students and alumni rang bells for conflicts St. Mary’s alumni have been a part of, going back as far as the Spanish-American War.
The day also featured a ceremony and performance from the Lynn English High School Color Guard and a guest speaker, Lt. Commander Mike Gulla of the Coast Guard reserve.
“We serve you,” Gulla, who served tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq as a member of the Navy, said. “When I see the flag, I really get choked up because I know what that flag means to me: It means freedom. It means safety.”
