Veteran's Memorial

Inspired by a book, Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes, and their own interviews with World War II veterans at the Cole Land Transportation Museum, five 8th grade students at the Holbrook School formed a group called the "Kids of Liberty." Working with their teacher, the Kids of Liberty shared their written essays about the veterans and brainstormed ideas about what might be done to recognize them. Through these explorations, the students realized that their community did not have a memorial recognizing local veterans.

The students began contacting local town offices to locate lists of men and women who had served in the military. They discovered that no complete list existed, and worked with community members to document the names of Holden area veterans. As their idea for a memorial began to take shape, the Kids of Liberty introduced their idea to the rest of their 8th grade classmates.

Led by the Kids of Liberty, students prepared and hosted a presentation, using their technology skills, for their principal and school board requesting permission to erect a memorial on their school’s property. Their project was approved and students began raising money for the memorial by writing letters to taxpayers in their community and holding a spaghetti dinner and silent auction. At the same time, they researched various designs and drew blueprints for the memorial. Along the way, students reflected on their progress in journals and through PodCasts on the internet. They also wrote press releases about the memorial project and shared their ideas with local civic and government groups, including the Historical Society and Town Council.

The final memorial design included 60 paving stones, each one dedicated to a veteran from the community. Students also set aside space and funding for additional stones to be added in the future. Ground-breaking for the project was exciting and elicited much community interest and support. In addition to donating supplies, local businesses helped with construction of the memorial. The monument was finally unveiled at a community ribbon-cutting ceremony on Memorial Day. Students from other schools in the area were invited to perform at the event. Many community partners and members of the press were on hand and students filmed and photographed the emotional ceremony. The community has expressed deep appreciation for the students' contributions, especially veterans and their families.

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