Local soldiers among the 7,000 remembered with new Weymouth art installation

WEYMOUTH – Near the entrance of Tufts Library, an array 7,000 dog tags form the shape of the American flag – stretching 28 feet along the library's soaring windows.

The tags – colored red, white and blue – are inscribed with the names of soldiers who have during the War on Terror, sparked by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City. Fifty gold stars represent the families in each state that have lost a loved one.

The memorial will have a home inside the library through Friday,  Aug. 19. Weymouth 400, the nonprofit in charge of marking the town's anniversary, partnered with the Veterans and Athletes United organization to host the installation, called the VAU Fallen Heroes Memorial. An opening ceremony was held Monday.

Among the 7,000 tags are the names of soldiers from Weymouth, Quincy, Rockland, Scituate and other South Shore towns.

"Our history is important and our gold star families are important," George Raymond, president of Weymouth 400, said.

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In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Mayor Robert Hedlund offered Weymouth residents a chance to "pause, reflect and remember."

"It's a way to honor those who served," Hedlund said. "And also help us to look at the magnitude and the number of dog tags here. It serves as a lesson too."

A statue representing a fallen soldier is set before the flag with a helmet resting on a rifle. A pair of boots sits before it.

The names of the soldiers who died are arranged in alphabetical order. At one end of the flag, there are columns of blank tags, leaving space for any names that need to be added.

George Pontes, director of veterans' services in Weymouth, said he hopes community members take a moment to appreciate the soldiers' commitment to their country and "their willingness to do anything and everything" to keep Americans safe.

"It's a little overwhelming. You can't help but look back," Pontes said about the names that he recognizes on the wall.

The memorial was recently housed at Ground Zero in New York City and then moved to the Mansfield. Next, it will travel to Piqua, Ohio, Raymond said.

The installation is on display until Friday, Aug. 19 during library hours. Tufts Library is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays.

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To reach Katherine Canniff, email kcanniff@patriotledger.com

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Memorial for war on terrorism open at Tufts Library until Aug. 19