What's in the water in Quincy? Documentary looks at city's history of patriotism, service
QUINCY – A laugh in memory of time spent as a Quincy Youth Hockey player.
A nod to a Quincy teacher who had a profound impact.
A memory of climbing on a playground in Merrymount.
They went on to hold the highest ranks in the nation's military, command thousands of soldiers and serve their country proudly, but the handful of United States military generals from Quincy say they often still see themselves as hometown boys.
In a recently released documentary called "City of Generals: Quincy's Modern Day Patriots," Mayor Thomas Koch tells the story of the seven military generals from Quincy and the downtown park and bridge recently dedicated in their honor. In the 36-minute film, Koch interviewed each of the living generals and tried to answer one pivotal question: What's in the water in Quincy?
"The idea of ordinary people doing extraordinary things is something that has made Quincy a special place since the settlement at Mount Wollaston," Koch says in the film's opening. "Our freedom has allowed us to evolve and celebrate what's new, while honoring those who came before us and whose character helps define us. It begs the question: who do we have to thank for our freedom?"
The documentary highlights Gen. James McConville, chief of staff of the Army; retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs; retired Army Gen. Gordon Sullivan, former chief of staff of the Army; Major Gen. Francis McGinn of the National Guard; retired Air Force brigadier general Ronald Rand; Air Force Major Gen. Stephen Keefe; and Massachusetts Air National Guard Major Gen. Charles Sweeney. All are natives of Quincy.
“I am very honored to be able to call Quincy my hometown, with so many patriotic heroes dating back as far as the American Revolution. Heroes who also called it home. Some ask me, what’s in the water in Quincy, it’s not what’s in the water, it’s about what’s in the people," McConville said in an email this past week. "Quincy is a place that takes pride in its military and its veterans. They honor the legacy of those who have gone before us to defend our nation. Watching the documentary reminds me of the reason I choose to serve our country and I hope it will inspire more young men and women to serve in the military.”
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The making of a film
City employees Mark Carey, Lisa Aimola and Kristen Powers spent the last year filming Koch's interviews with the various generals and their families, editing film, hunting down archive images and putting together the documentary.
"It's storytelling, that's what it comes down to, the ebb and flow of it," Carey said. "What really drove this idea of service was the same question the mayor kept asking: What's in the water in Quincy? What creates leaders like this?"
Interviews by the mayor took place in city hall, the Thomas Crane Library and even Washington, D.C., where the group traveled to meet with Gen. James McConville at the Pentagon.
Aimola said the film sets out to tell the history of Quincy's military service, the leaders the city has produced and the lives of the generals, past and present. Statutes and busts of the servicemen were unveiled downtown at a Sept. 11 ceremony last year that was attended by the living generals and the families of Sweeney and Keefe.
"You stand before statues in your travels and they're unattainable. You have no connection to them, but these are living, breathing people that are from Quincy and represent this city," she said. "We wanted people to know what it means."
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In addition, the film features the words of Richard "Dick" Stratton, a retired Naval Aviator who was a prisoner of war for seven years, a behind-the-scenes look at the sculpting of the Generals Park statues and archive photos from the generals' time in the service.
Powers said the film is "inspirational and motivational from a citizenship perspective."
"There is nothing like being in a uniform and serving the United States of America," Sullivan said.
The city plans to release the full interviews with each general over the next few months. They will be uploaded to quincygenerals.com.
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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'City of Generals' documentary looks at Quincy's history of service
