Connecticut IV

The students at Nathan Hale Middle School in Coventry, CT. do not only honor Vietnam veterans, but all vets.

Throughout the building one is ever reminded of the service of our vets and the debt and honor we owe them.

The school auditorium

A veteran's quilt made by the students

Detail. Vietnam is heavily represented but by no means alone on the quilt

As I wandered the halls with Jean, I couldn't quite help but be reminded that we do not, yet, teach too much about Vietnam. I get that: it takes time and reflection to sort out truth from fiction, fact from hyperbole and to determine outcomes, but here is a school that has exceeded anyone's expectations for what can be done. They are not trying to teach, or revise, history so much as instill within their students an understanding of service, sacrifice,and honor. Good job, Nathan Hale!

Next time, October 2nd, we will visit Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Join me at the beach at 9:00am!

Connecticut III

Previously I wrote about the fantastic project undertaken by students at Nathan Hale Middle School in Coventry, Ct. You can find those posts by clicking on Connecticut to the left side of this site. If you have not seen them, they are worth your time and tell quite a story. While learning about their efforts I was blessed to meet one of the principals behind the Connecticut Vietnam memorial, Jean Risely. I returned to Connecticut and met Jean who took me to Nathan Hale to show me some of the other fantastic things the school has done.

Jean explained that the original teacher behind the project was no longer there, but that the legacy of his work, Vietnam vets and, in truth, all vets will be forever remembered in the halls and hearts
of this school, its students and staff.

At one time, before the building of the Connecticut Vietnam memorial this map, painted by students, was the only place in the state that listed all 612 names of the lost or missing.

 The names are listed by year, alphabetically. They begin in 1961 and end in 1979.

Detail

Detail

In addition, to the Connecticut remembrance the students also painted a memorial map honoring all who were lost in 'Nam.

This map lists the numbers from each state, as they were then known. Interestingly it includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Samoa. Beyond that it includes something I have never seen before: Nova Scotia and lists 1 as lost. Why this one person from Canada was included is a mystery to me.

Next time, on the 27th, I will post a few more interesting efforts from the students at this remarkable school. Join me then, as always, at 9:00am.



To see other posts from Connecticut, or any other state, click on the states name from the list on the left side of this page.

Connecticut 2

I like the story of the Coventry memorial so much that I thought I would include more details from the story.

The following is taken directly from the memorial site in Coventry.

"The History of the Memorial

In 2001, inspired by their teacher Thomas Dzicek the students at Captain Nathan Hale Middle School decided not only to identify, but to find out more about each of the Connecticut servicemen who died in the Vietnam War. The project took one and a half years and resulted in a book titled "612," a listing and biography of every State Vietnam Veteran who died in the war. One of those patriots was Spec. IV, Robert Tillquist, a Combat Medic and a Distinguished Cross recipient who died in the Pleiku Campaign on November 4, 1965.

His sister, Jean Risley, of Coventry had become personally involved in their project. She was stirred by their effort but felt a book should not be the final memory, and that a memorial needed to be created to honor these men, to thank them and to welcome them home.

She formed a group called the Connecticut Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee to raise money to establish a memorial to the 612 Connecticut men who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

While there had been a lot of support for a state memorial over the decades, most proposals failed to take hold. In July of 2006 the Committee started in earnest to contact various attorneys, accountants and Coventry Town Officials to determine the best way to proceed. At a Town Council meeting, she presented her thoughts, plans, and desires for a memorial. The Town Council gave their full support for the project and voted unanimously to provide a site for the memorial. The Town Manager then researched town lands and provided a list of possible choices. The final decision was made on March 13, 2007 to place Connecticut Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Veteran's Memorial Green in Coventry.

Donation letters were sent to various Veteran's organizations, businesses in Coventry and the general public, including those that had lost someone dear in Vietnam. The support was overwhelming, not only from those in Connecticut, but from other states as well. Fundraisers; including a motorcycle run, dinners given by The American Legion riders and the West Shore Middle School in Milford helped to raise enough funds to put a down payment on the memorial. As the year closed, the site for the memorial was being prepared.

The ground breaking ceremony in August of 2007 was attended by many and the support continued to grow. It is hoped that this memorial will make the Veterans, Coventry and the State of Connecticut proud and remind future generations of their sacrifices. Jean Risley and the entire committee would like to once again thank everyone for their support and to welcome home our Vietnam Veterans."

The newspaper reported that over 400 motorcycles, 1000 people, numerous state and local politicians and a helicopter flyover marked the dedication ceremonies.

Connecticut

I am posting this at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month; the day and time The Armistice was signed (and the day originated), ending WW l. Later it became known as Veteran's Day here in America.

The site in Connecticut has a wonderful story attached. It is located in Coventry, where a middle school teacher wanted his class to know about those who gave their all in the war. He assigned the class to research and write about every single hero from Connecticut, all 612. The class completed the project, which later became a book called 612. No one wanted the project to end. The sister of one of the men in the book carried it further and to eventual completion. The final chapter of the story is the "Wall" that now bears the names of Connecticut's war dead.

The site is located in a small war memorial park, called Patriot's Park or Veterans Memorial Green, which is home to a number of memorials including one to Nathan Hale, the great American patriot, and Coventry's own separate memorial to her own Vietnam dead.

The site, itself, consists of the Wall which is enclosed by etchings of the Vietnam Woman's Memorial and the statue of three soldiers from the site in Washington, D.C. There are flags and a couple of benches available for visitors. As you enter the town from one particular direction it is the first thing you see. Very beautiful and impressive in its dignity and grace.

Map this memorial.