LYNNFIELD — The Veterans War Memorial Committee presented Department of Public Works (DPW) Director John Scenna and his crew with a plaque thanking them for their work in bringing the monument to life.
Committee Chair Joseph Connell was joined by fellow committee members Bruce Siegel and Thomas Bogart, as well as Town Administrator Rob Dolan, to express their appreciation for Scenna and the DPW team.
“This project would not be what it is today, and it would not have been on time, and it wouldn’t have been on budget if it wasn’t for all you standing here,” Connell said. “It was all the DPW coming in as time went on. I didn’t expect to see the commitment and dedication — you guys were not being paid to do this, but just doing it out of a good spirit.”
Connell recalled the extensive work needed for the project since its beginnings in 2020, including installing the 100-foot-long curved stone wall in the desired area and the challenges of clearing trees and dead branches surrounding the monument.
Scenna and his department were there to help with all of these tasks, showing up whenever the committee needed their help.
One story Connell shared exemplified this readiness — when the benches and a 1,950-pound pedestal needed to be installed.
“The next day, I came down, and you guys put the bench together, the pedestal in, lasered it all in, and it was just sheer perfection,” he said.
Then, when the memorial was completed and ready for the inauguration, the DPW crew finished the landscaping.
“You guys were down here doing that every day. I don’t think there was a single leaf here the day prior. Literally, not a single leaf on the ground. This place looks spectacular,” Connell said. “The guest speaker we had, Admiral Merz, came in a week prior and for two days, stayed at my house, and I took him around town. He said, ‘This place doesn’t exist. I can’t believe it exists.’”
After Connell officially presented the plaque to the DPW, Dolan spoke about the department’s impact — not just on this memorial but on Lynnfield as a whole.
“One game we used to play is, ‘Everyone look outside and pick things that the DPW is responsible for,’” Dolan said. “And you know what they chose? Absolutely everything. Everything you see, you can trace back to the DPW.”
