On Nov. 11 the town will gather on the common for the annual Veterans Day remembrance to honor the 1,098 Lynnfield men and women who gave service to their country.
This year the remembrance will feature the dedication of the new Veterans Memorial, a project eight years in the making that pays homage to all of Lynnfield’s veterans. The ceremony promises to be especially meaningful for one veteran who has worked tirelessly to help bring that project to fruition – Ret. Col. Joseph Connell, who spent 30 years in the military.
“I think I have never seen a memorial that honored all veterans from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terrorism, at one location. This was needed,” said Connell, a 30-year Army veteran. “This project was an act of love for all those Veterans, past, present and in the future, that we live among the community, and have a great love for the constant support we have and are grateful.”
Considerate it mission accomplished for Connell, the chair of the War Memorial Committee since 2016. Under his leadership, the committee navigated its way from concept to creation. He is proud of the fact that the project didn’t cost Lynnfield residents a dime and acknowledged the contributions of the many whose volunteer efforts made that happen.
“Thanks to Rep. Brad Jones who secured three $50,000 grants, $108,000 in contributions, and the efforts of other volunteers, I am proud to say that there was no direct cost to taxpayers in our town,” Connell said. “I cannot say enough about Tony Tropeano. He saved us between $80,000 to $85,000 according to quotes we had for subcontractors to do the work on the granite welcoming post. These were enormous acts of volunteerism.”
Since the project was approved, Connell has been a daily fixture on site supervising the project to personally ensure it got done right. As late as last week, Connell was perched on a ladder with a caulking gun applying some finishing touches to the memorial.
Located adjacent to the Town Common off South Common Street, the memorial is oval-shaped. It measures 100 feet by 45 feet containing multiple etched plates depicting the names of every Lyunnfield veteran who served in 11 wars dating back to the American Revolution. The names of the 40 who were killed in action are noted with an asterisk.
The memorial also includes an educational piece with plates detailing historical summaries of each war including the number of casualties. There are several benches on the oval, a granite post upon which a bronze plaque reads, “All Gave Some, Some Gave All” and a 7,000 square-foot grassy area in front. A flagpole anchors the memorial with lighting to illuminate the memorial at night.
“Once you see the lights on at night time, between the Town Common always being lit up with the Meeting House, the library, the new Town Hall/Police Station/Fire Station, and now the new memorial, the common is truly a Norman Rockwell painting,” Connell said.
The project began in 2016 with the establishment of a nine-person committee chaired by Connell. Others on the committee included Thomas Bogart, Paul Donato, John Harrigan, Jason Kimball, Charles Leach, Ronald Nutter, Nicholas Secatore and Bruce Siegel. Connell commended the committee for spending its first two years reaching out to the community for input. Connell credited the committee for continuing “to lead the way in paying tribute to our nation’s veterans and their families.”
“The Veterans Memorial Committee works to honor, preserve, and educate to ensure that current and future generations never forget the service and sacrifice of those who came before them, who are currently serving, and future Veterans. This memorial is the best way to keep past events alive in public memory by putting them front and center,” Connell said. “This memorial offers a psychological benefit by assisting in the grieving process for those who have lost a loved one in war, offering a permanent place for veterans to be remembered, honored, and appreciated to help survivors.
“The memorial is dedicated to honoring the courage, sacrifice, and devotion to duty to the country of all who answered the call to serve during all the most divisive periods the country has ever faced.”
Connell said he has seen first-hand how the memorial is already, drawing interest among locals, many of whom have visited the memorial while under construction to read the inscriptions. He said the committee plans to provide complimentary informational brochures on-site for the public.
“I think, as I drive by it every day or am working on it, there are always people in the oval. What a great place for families to gather together and just talk,” Connell said. “I think once we put the tri-fold brochures at the site that people can take home, that will be a big draw. People are just gathering every day.”
Select Board Chair Dick Dalton said Connell is a “true leader.”
“As I think back to the early days of the War Memorial Committee, there were times when I was convinced the project would never become a reality. But Joe took command and was totally committed to seeing this through to completion,” Dalton said. “Referring to him as chair of the committee doesn’t do him justice. He was a project manager who spent hundreds of hours in the planning and designing of the memorial. Without Joe, we wouldn’t be dedicating this beautiful memorial on Veteran’s Day.”
Connell retired from the military in September 2014. At the time of his retirement, he was the Senior Advisor to the Massachusetts National Guard where he served at many levels, from a platoon leader at Fort Lewis, Washington, to the Chief of Staff for US-Forces Afghanistan. He did combat tours in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan and received 23 awards and decorations during his service, including The Legion of Merit w/ Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Sta,r and Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
A Wakefield native, Connell is a Norwich College graduate and holds master’s degrees from Central Michigan University and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
“The army over my career taught me one thing, once you leave the military, it’s up to each veteran to get back into the community, and serve them as you served the nation,” Connell said. “You have to make sure the image and reputation the community has for us, goes untarnished. Make an impact on your community in a positive manner.”
