BOSTON – Lynnfield resident and retired U.S. Army Col. Joseph Connell was honored Thursday for his military service and contributions to the community at the first-ever Massachusetts Military Appreciation Day.
“It was a terrific day,” said Connell, who attended the event with his wife, Kate Connell and House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading). “Without question, I was the youngest person honored today. There were guys in wheelchairs, guys from Korea and Vietnam and World War II so it was quite interesting what they did to see the state honor so many deserving veterans who did so much for our country. It was just a great day and a great honor. And I am so very grateful to have been a part of it.”
Sponsored by the Executive Office of Veterans Services, the event was held in the House of Representatives Chamber at the State House to “celebrate, honor, and recognize the sacrifices and contributions of our military community in Massachusetts.”
Connell was nominated by Jones, who cited Connell’s volunteer work and his instrumental role in creating the new Lynnfield Veterans Memorial, which was formally dedicated on Veterans Day in 2024. The memorial features the names of all 1,098 Lynnfield men and women who have served in the nation’s military, from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terrorism. It was completed with state funding assistance secured by Jones, community donations, and countless hours of volunteer work. Connell chaired the nine-member Veterans Memorial Committee that oversaw the project, working alongside fellow committee members Thomas Bogart, Paul Donato, John Harrigan, former Chair Jason Kimball, Charles Leach, Ronald Nutter, Nicholas Secatore and Lynnfield Veterans Agent Bruce Siegel.
The committee’s efforts were recognized with the Essex Media Group’s 2024 Lynnfield Persons of the Year.
“The construction of the Veterans Memorial was truly a collaborative effort involving the members of the Lynnfield War Memorial Committee and many other volunteers throughout Lynnfield, but there is no doubt that Connell was the driving force and impetus behind this project, from its initial conception in 2016 to its completion last year,” said Jones. “The Lynnfield Veterans Memorial is an inspiring, impressive, and moving memorial to all of Lynnfield’s veterans, and represents just one of the many ways Colonel Connell has given back to his country and to his community.”
Connell served in the U.S. Army for 30 years before retiring in September of 2014 as the Senior Advisor to the Massachusetts National Guard. He previously served as a platoon leader at Fort Lewis, Washington, and as the Chief of Staff for US Forces-Afghanistan. In addition to his combat tours in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Connell also served in Korea, and received 23 service awards and decorations, including The Legion of Merit w/Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star, and Iraq and Afghanistan Combat Campaign Medals.
The keynote speaker at the event was Ret. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the 19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer and the principal advisor to the U.S, president, Secretary of Defense and National Security Council from 2015-2019. Like Connell, Dunford served as Chief of Staff for US Forces Afghanistan a few years after Connell.
Since moving to Lynnfield in 2012, Connell has been an active member of the community, having previously served on the Lynnfield Select Board, as a boys’ youth lacrosse assistant coach, and as a girls’ youth soccer coach. He has also served as a board member of the town’s New Public Safety Building Committee, the Lynnfield Rail Trail Project, the New Lynnfield Cemetery Committee, and the Town of Lynnfield Strategic Planning Committee.
Connell said that his Army experience taught him the importance of giving back to the community.
“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 in an article published in the Daily Item and Lynnfield Weekly News. “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.”
Connell said he was grateful to Jones for nominating him.
“I’ve always been a huge Brad Jones fan, so it was great to be able to sit together and experience the day with him,” Connell said.
