Massachusetts XXI

Natick, Massachusetts is a suburb of Boston, about 25 minutes west and a little south.

The town has made it a priority to ensure that those lost in Vietnam will be honored and remembered forever.

Known at the Natick 11 they are remembered here on this memorial but also by the naming of town squares for each of them.

The Natick 11 include, and honor, Dennis M. Poteat who was actually from North Carolina but, he was posted here and considered to be a member of the group.

This is not unheard of at all. I have written about one soldier, a Medal of Honor recipient, that I have found in at least three, maybe four memorials around the country. This gladdens me, that after the way many of us were treated upon coming home, that now so many are honored in so many places.

Next time I write about Massachusetts I will include the several other interesting components of this site.

These and the future postings from Natick are pictures taken by my friend Jay Korff. Jay is reporter with WJLA, an ABC affiliate in Washington DC. He did a story about this effort a few years ago which won 2 Emmys, 2 Edward R. Morrow Awards, and a Top Prize from the Associated Press Awards. All of this thrilling to me as you might guess, but the best thing is that we have stayed in touch, he has maintained an interest in this project and I consider him a friend.

Thank you Jay for your ongoing support and these pics!

These pictures are opening another chapter of A Means to Heal. In the very near future I will be posting additional photos by other people. Hopefully this will expand the range of memorials available to post, direct attention to others doing similar work and help compensate for my inability to travel during the pandemic.

I invite any reader who has photos of memorials not found on this site to get in touch. If I use your photos I will certainly give you a photo credit. There is an email on the left side of the page.

Next time, on the 6th, we will return to New York, so meet me there at 9:00am.

To see other memorials from Massachusetts, or any other state, please click on the state name on the left side of this page.

New Jersey XIX

The memorial here is another of those with mixed information. It rests along the Cooper river in New Jersey in what I have seen called Memorial Grove.the confusion arises from where exactly this is. on some sites it is said ti be in Cherry Hill and on others, Pennsauken. Either way, they are not far apart from each other, so just get to Park Street and you will find it there among other memorials to the Holocaust and other sites.

I was on my way to the Vietnam memorial at the entrance to Veterans Island when I came across it. I am always happy to come across sites that i was unaware of. The Island was blocked off the day I was there and as I posted at the time it was horrible day, windy, cold, raining like hell, so I guess it was just as well. As posted elsewhere on this site , I did find the Vietnam memorial just outside the entrance to the Island and was able to get some pics, seen elsewhere here.

Standing alone, no signage of plaques of explanation, it honors those from a number of wars.

No names, but perhaps this is enough, no words necessary.

Next time, on the 11th, we will revisit New Mexico, so join me there, as always, at 9:00am.

To see additional memorials from New Jersey, or any other state, please click the state name on the left side of this page.