A Proud Father Shares ‘Special’ Moment with Honored Son

Robert Meaney Jr. always wanted to share one Memorial Day parade march in Medfield with his son David before he retired as the town’s police chief.

It did not happen on Monday but what happened on May 27th may have been more than any father could ask for – including Chief Meaney.

The Veterans’ Plaque Committee, which , asked the chief if he would speak at the ceremony. At first, Chief Meaney objected to the request.

“When they asked me [Thursday, May 26] I was like ‘absolutely no, I’m not a veteran it’s not right, I can’t do this,’” Chief Meaney said.

While not a veteran himself, the chief is a son of one, Robert E. Meaney, who’s name is on the plaque that was rededicated, and a father of another, his son David, a veteran of the U.S. Army, who just returned from a tour in Afghanistan. The chief then made a suggestion to the plaque committee and his son.

“[David] had just come home and just finished his commitment to the military just this past weekend and I threw him right under the bus,” the chief said with a laugh. “As [David] mentioned, his sister is now responsible for any health care needs as I age because he’s not going to do it because he’s already paid me and he owes me nothing.”

Joking aside, Chief Meaney was proud and honored to be given the opportunity to introduce his son to speak at a ceremony full of family and local history.

“It’s really nice because my father’s name is up there [on the plaque] and I get to speak and David, you know has done two tours, two deployments and that’s a nice thing to have that done,” he said. “It’s pretty neat. We got a long history in Medfield and there’s a lot of family members that have been in the military and have done other public service and committees and it’s kind of what this family is all about. We are very tight and connected to this town and it’s a great place, we really like it.”

Superintendent of Schools, Bob Maguire, who led much of the planning and organizing behind the May 27th ceremony, said it was a “nice” added feature to the day to have that family connection made on stage.

“The whole inter-generational connections that were there with Bob’s father being on the plaque and his son [David] just back from Afghanistan,” Maguire said. “Was really neat.”

Chief Meaney spoke well of the nine veterans on stage being honored and ofthe 153 names, including his father, on the plaque outside of Dale Street School, who served in World War II.

“It is very appropriate for us to remember a group of Medfield veterans and members of the great generation, who put their lives and educations on hold, left Medfield and was sent around the world to serve our country during one of the most serious threats to freedom that we have ever known – World War II,” he said to the audience. 

After speaking of his family’s military history and a candid story about his father, Chief Meaney endured a proud moment – introducing his son to the audience.

“I mentioned being able to introduce one of Medfield’s veterans, so I will,” Chief Meaney told the audience. “I have known him for some 26 years and distinctly remember him playing his cello in the orchestra here, somewhat under protest if I remember correctly. My son David is also a Medfield High success story. He graduated from Norwich University in 2007, completed Ranger school in 2008 and then deployed to Iraq with Army’s 10th Mountain Division. In March of 2010 he deployed to Afghanistan and very fortunately he returned home to us a couple of months ago. Trust me, when I tell you, that it is with great pride that I introduce Captain David Meaney.”

A proud handshake exchanged between father and son to loud applause from the crowd captured a moment Chief Meaney described as “special.”

“You don’t often get to do that,” he said. “Really, the only thing I wanted was before I retired as police chief, I just wanted him to march in the Memorial Day parade with the veterans and I could say we did Memorial Day together, that’s all I wanted. So as I told him, he’s off the hook for the parade now, it’s off the chart, he doesn’t have to do that, this takes over for it.”

As David stood in front of the podium, the first words of his speech were directed to his father, before continuing on.

“Thank you Chief, dad, for the introduction,” he said.

A proud father looked on as his son, safely home from conflict in the Middle East, spoke of sacrifice and duty to family, community and country.

“World War II had begun and these men realized if they did not act now, there would be no reason for them to have a high school diploma, so they enlisted, took up arms and went to war,” David said to the audience. “The best part of their lives were spent in foreign countries, doing their part to ensure when they got back, there was an America to call their own. They left for war, left many family members and loved ones behind.

“Many families and communities spent those nights worrying only to get a knock on the door with a man in a uniform standing with a Chaplin. Those are the soldiers and the families that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. For the freedoms that we enjoy and for the way of life that we live. It is comforting and humbling to know that in a community like Medfield, dedications like this are made and times like this are shared together that we pay respect and appreciate the men and women that got our country to where it is today, secured our lives so that we may live them as we choose.”

As David returned to his seat next to his father, neither spoke, but quietly looked on to the stage as the ceremony continued. Both proud and both honored by the experience. Like father, like son.