Johnny Ro Veterans Memorial Park - Leominster, Massachusetts, USA
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N 42° 31.196 W 071° 43.611
19T E 276009 N 4711110
Named in memory of PFC Jonathan Roberge, this military memorial park honors all Massachusetts soldiers who gave their lives during the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and features a full-sized tank, sculptures, and a list of the fallen on blast walls.
Waymark Code: WMZMZM
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 12/04/2018
Views: 3
Leominster, Massachusetts native and tank driver PFC Jonathan R. Roberge was killed in Iraq on February 2, 2009. His family wanted to honor his memory and military service with a park. The idea grew to incorporate all Massachusetts soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The park features a decommissioned M-60A3 tank courtesy of a North Carolina National Guard Armory. A set of four sculptures with the helmets and boots of fallen soldiers hanging from rifles stuck in the ground line the short walkway to the tank. Continuing along the main sidewalk, visitors pass between parallel blast walls -- re-creation of a landing zone in Iraq used by government officials. One wall is covered with over 80 photos and 125 hand painted names of the fallen men and women. Beyond the walls, the sidewalk gently slopes and bends around to bring guests face-to-face with a life-sized statue of a kneeling Jonathan. As a tribute, his younger brother posed for the sculptor.
The park sits on about an acre of land situated along Mechanic Street and adjacent to the Nashua River. It is easily accessible via I-190.
Additional source: Sentinel and Enterprise