Wrentham's 9/11 Memorial to be Revealed Tonight

When Troy Neubecker takes the sheet off the 9/11 Memorial in front of Town Hall tonight, it will be the end of months of hard work for the young Xaverian sophomore. At 6:30 p.m. tonight, Neubecker and the rest of Eagle Scout Troop 131 will hold a special meeting to mark the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy and unveil the new memorial.

After tonight, Wrentham will join other neighboring towns such as Plainville and Foxborough with their own memorial. While those towns were getting their own memorials last year for the 10 year anniversary, some around town began to wonder why Wrentham didn’t have their own. Among those questioning this was Selectman Chairman Joe Botaish, who suggested the idea of a memorial to Neubecker.

"Someone was saying how we don’t have anything to remember 9/11 so he [Botaish] was kinda annoyed about that,” Neubecker told Wrentham Patch back in May.

Throughout the year, Neubecker has gotten support from almost everyone in town. Doing everything from movie nights, hot dog stands, and collection donation during the town elections to raise money, Neubecker has obtained the $20,000 needed for the memorial and them some.

The granite memorial, modeled after the World War II Memorial at Wrentham Common, will stand 5’8” high and nine feet wide and features a walkway with the names of the monument’s major sponsors engraved in the walkway.

The monument was constructed with help of the Tribute In Stone Monument Company with the actual granite coming from Vermont. The Wrentham-based company has a history of creating 9/11 memorials, designing the Plainville 9/11 Memorial that sits at the town's Public Safety building.

Running about 60 minutes, the ceremony will not only feature the debut of the new memorial but plenty of speeches too. State Senator Richard Ross will speak along with Botaish, Police Chief James Anderson, Fire Chief Jay McMorrow, and former WCVB anchor Gail Huff. Wrentham resident Elisha Bussiere, will also give a personal reflection at the beginning of the program.

After Neubecker reveals the monument, there will be a moment of silence along with a playing of Taps by fellow scout Nathan Perry followed by a salute from the American Legion’s Honor Guard. Father Bob Edmunds of Trinity Church will give the closing prayer to end the evening.

After the memorial dedication, everyone is invited to attend a reception down the road at St. Mary’s Church at 130 South Street.