Community Corner

Veterans Memorial Dedication at Former Medfield High School

The ceremony took place on June 15, 2013, and honored those students who attended Medfield High School and participated in some way in the Vietnam War.

 

One hundred and forty-four Medfield High School students participated in the Vietnam War in some way. Two of them -- Stephen Hinkley and Peter Kristof -- were killed in action. 

On Saturday, hundreds gathered outside the former Medfield High School, now the Thomas A. Blake Middle School, to unveil a memorial dedicated to those men and women.

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"There are 144 names on this memorial," said Ron Griffin, Medfield's Veteran Services Officer and a member of the Medfield Public Schools Veterans Plaque Committee.

While many did serve in Vietnam, others were needed elsewhere throughout the world or perhaps were needed right here at home. Those who served in direct conflicts have been changed forever, sometimes because of physical wounds but more often by memories that simply will not go away. Many of those on this Memorial have endured much suffering both physical and mental as a result of their service, two paid the ultimate sacrifice.

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The memorial was the Eagle Scout project of Sam Marble who knew he wanted to do something related to Veterans but was not sure what until he spoke with his uncle who told him about his experience returning from the Vietnam War.

He began telling me about his experience in the Vietnam War, specifically about how every soldier was treated upon returning home. He described how, instead of returning as heroes as his fathers and grandfathers had, the soldiers of Vietnam were looked down upon, were called 'war mongers' and treated as murderers. This struck me: 'How could someone who volunteered their life for their country, or was forced to do so by the Draft, be treated so horribly? After all, they were only carrying out orders.' It was at that point that I became inspired to dedicate my project to the veterans of the Vietnam War and the boys that never came home. 

Marble's uncle had attended the initial plaque dedication last fall but has since died. 

The 45-minute ceremony included the American Legion Beckwith Post 110 Color Guard, music by the Medfield Choral Group, remarks by Sen. James Timilty and Rep. Denise Garlick, acceptance of the memorial by Blake Middle School Principal Nathaniel Vaughn, and Taps played by Christian Newton and Liam O'Hara. 

Guest speaker was James Blake, son of Thomas A. Blake for whom the middle school (former Medfield High School building) is named.

Blake served as an ROTC reservist on the campus of Boston College where, he said, he was a "lightening rod" for conflict when he was dressed in his Army greens. 

"I wrote out a check to the United States of America in an amount to include everything and anything, including my life. All of us who enlisted, were answering our countries call and did the right thing when it was the right thing to do."

Blake spoke of the many soldiers who were killed in action and those who faced continued mental anguish when they returned home. He mentioned two childhood teammates -- Mike Donahue and Jim McNichol -- who "were never the same after Vietnam" and whose names ought to be on the Vietnam Wall in Washington DC "because they lost their lives there." The audience paused to remember those men. 

He asked people to also take a moment to thank Hinkley and Kristof when walking through the town's cemetery.

"When you go to Vine Lake Cemetery, please stop by the graves of Peter and Steve and let them know that they will never ever be forgotten."

Griffin shared these statistics:

  • Total number of American soldiers killed as a result of Vietnam was 58,282
  • Over 300,000 soldiers received physical wounds
  • An immeasurable number who came home suffered many years of mental pain as well as PTSD, TBI, and the after-affects of Agent Orange
  • During the year of 1968 when Stephen Hinkley was killed in action, so were 16,588 others -- that is more than 45 Americans per day.  
  • When Peter Kristof was killed in action in 1969, so where 11,613 others. 
  • To date, 7,000 Americans have been killed in the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq combined. 

Nathanial Vaughn, Principal of the Thomas A. Blake Middle School and a member of the committee, accepted stewardship of the memorial. 

To all of our Veterans and families who are here today, 'Thank you,' we cannot say that enough...The question we have focused on with our students throughout the year, and the one we should continue to keep in mind each year not only on Veterans Day or on Flag Day but throughout the year, is as follows: 'What can we do for our veterans so they never go unrecognized and unappreciated?' Again, we can say 'Thank you.' 

Those Recognized on the Plaque include:

  • Roger Adams
  • Kent Agven
  • Laura Arzberger
  • David Ashe
  • Michael Bak
  • Stuart Beebe
  • James Blake
  • Robert Bryan
  • Malcolm Bryce
  • Richard Buckley
  • Michael Burgess
  • William Callachan
  • Richard Carlson
  • Richard Catenacci
  • Robert Cheesbrough
  • Patrick Clancy
  • Thomas Clancy
  • Timothy Clancy
  • Wayne Clive
  • Jeff Cook
  • Rodney Cook
  • Jeff Coon
  • Kenneth Crowell
  • Richard Davidson
  • Charles Dennis
  • Richard Devens
  • Michael Dinapoli
  • John Donahue
  • Michael Donahue
  • Harold Economos
  • Jay Frank
  • William Franke
  • James Fraser
  • Thomas Gates
  • Paul Gattoni
  • Chris Geddis
  • Robert Gentili
  • William Gilbert
  • Ronald Goguen
  • Gerald Gottberg
  • Carolyn Goucher
  • Thomas Greenwood
  • Alan Hastings
  • Dan Hedges
  • John Henderson
  • Stephen Hinkley
  • Joe Horgan
  • Michael Horgan
  • Thomas Horgan
  • Gerald Houlihan
  • Lloyd Highes
  • Robert Hurd
  • Charles Huyler
  • Francis Iafolla
  • Richard Iafolla
  • Peter Iafolla
  • Ron Isis
  • Glenn Jackson
  • Gordon Jackson
  • Brian Jacobs
  • Steven Janney
  • Stephen Johannessen
  • Peter Johnson
  • Graeme Justice
  • Michael Keating
  • David Kenyon
  • Stephen Kenyon
  • David Kingsbury
  • Kevin Knehr
  • William Knowles
  • Harold Knowles
  • David Koenig
  • Michael Kristof
  • Peter Kristof
  • William Lacorte
  • Peter Langevin
  • John Laracy
  • Steven Larsen
  • Joe Lento
  • Willilam Lewitt
  • Stuart Little
  • Kraig Magnussen
  • Donald Mailing
  • Paul Mailing
  • Ronald Mailing
  • Al Manganello, Jr.
  • Walter Marr, Jr.
  • Robert Marshall
  • Robert Martin, Jr.
  • Frank Martino, Jr.
  • James McMahon, Jr.
  • James McNicholes
  • Philip Minnaert
  • James Motes
  • David Newhall
  • Edward Newhall
  • Gail Nyren
  • John O’Connell, Jr.
  • Joe Ouellette
  • David Paterson
  • John Quinn
  • Walter Reynolds, III
  • Robert Rodgers, Jr.
  • Donald Rogers
  • John Roman, Jr.
  • Steven Roney
  • Robert Ross
  • Robert Seaward, III
  • Robert Seeley
  • Paul Shea
  • Ernest Simpson
  • Bruce Sittig
  • David Sloan, Jr.
  • Thomas Sloan, III
  • Joseph Smith
  • Robert Souza
  • Peter Squires
  • Christopher Stagg
  • Bruce Stone
  • George Sweeney
  • Richard Timmerman
  • Richard Toubeau
  • Michael Tredeau
  • Robert Van Wart
  • Marvin Vliet
  • Joe Volk, Jr.
  • Arthur Walker
  • Walter Warchol
  • David Weir
  • John Weir, III
  • Paul Weir, Jr.
  • Gerald Wills
  • Jim Woodlock
  • Karen Woodlock
  • Robert Woodward


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