Patch Medfield, MA --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.
"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.
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 murders. This truck me. 'How could someone who volunteered their life for their country, or was forced to do so by the Draft, be called 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.
The names 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
· 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
· 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
· 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 Reported by Patch 18 hours ago.