Bryan McGonigle’s July 2nd article about Newton’s 1776 Town Meeting really struck a chord with me. I’ve always liked history, but what I found interesting was how local the actual story was. This wasn’t just some abstract about “the colonies” or “the Founders” in some textbook. These were actual Newton residents, in our community. They had decided independence was worth supporting with their “lives and fortunes.”

When you actually stop and think about it for a moment, that phrase is quite serious, and I think I’ve begun to understand why.

Over the past year, I’ve been fortunate to work on a project called Veterans’ Voices of Newton. I interview local Newton veterans and preserve their stories through recorded conversations and self-produced podcast-style episodes. I’ve also been lucky to get involved with American Legion Post 440 here in Newton. They have helped me understand that history is sitting right in front of us, in the people who lived it.

Talking with different veterans has shown me that service means a lot of different things. It can mean going to war, coming home and supporting other veterans. Or, it can simply mean continuing to serve your community long after the uniform comes off—much like Post 440 has done here in Newton.

Newton’s 1776 Town Meeting shows that our city has a long history of taking citizenship seriously. I think one way my generation can honor that is by listening to the veterans still in our community and making sure their stories are never forgotten.

Ethan Lee
Newton North High School, Class of 2027

Veterans’ Voices of Newton veteransvoicesofnewton.org