The final installation phase is underway at Goodwin College, leading up to the November 9 dedication ceremony for the “Connecticut Fallen Star” Memorial, which honors the more than 30,000 Connecticut men and women who have given their lives in military service.
The centerpiece of the memorial is an enormous star imbedded in the earth. Three bronze sculptures of a man, woman, and child pay tribute to Connecticut’s Gold Star families. The entire installation will be located in the center of a specially designed courtyard, adjacent to Goodwin’s newly constructed manufacturing program annex and visible from Route 2.
The cost of the physical structure, installation, and a fund for perpetual care is $300K, about half of which has been raised to date by a volunteer, non-profit committee of veterans, government officials, business representatives, Gold Star families, educators, and others.
The dedication ceremony will take place on the Goodwin campus, 3 Pent Road, in East Hartford on Saturday, November 9, beginning at 1 p.m. Craig Jordan, Veterans Coordinators for Student Affairs at Goodwin, will serve as master of ceremonies. Musical performances will include the 102nd Army Band Brass Quintet; Carolyn Grusse, national assistant soloist, VFW Auxiliary; Colonel James Shelmerdine, trumpeter and Korean War veteran; and Pat Whalen, bagpiper. In addition to the keynote address by Paul Bucha, U.S. Army, 1970 Medal of Honor recipient, remarks will be offered by Chaplain James Parnell; Thomas J. Saadi, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs; Paul Barry, steering committee member, Connecticut Chapter 120 Vietnam Veterans of America; and Helen Keiser-Pedersen, president, Gold Star Mothers of Connecticut.
Expected guests include sculptor Will Hemsley, Congressman John Larson, and Goodwin president Mark Scheinberg.
Members of the public — especially veterans, currently serving military personnel, and their families — are warmly invited to this free event. The viewing area of the memorial is handicapped accessible. The media is especially encouraged to attend. A reception is scheduled to follow at the College.
Questions about the dedication and ways to financially support the memorial may be directed to Rich McCarty, 860-727-6904 or rmccarty@goodwin.edu.
Check out these local stories on the arrival of the Fallen Star:
Hartford Courant
https://www.wtnh.com/top-news/connecticut-fallen-star-memorial-now-under-construction-in-east-hartford/
Goodwin University is a nonprofit institution of higher education and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), formerly known as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Goodwin University was founded in 1999, with the goal of serving a diverse student population with career-focused degree programs that lead to strong employment outcomes.