Oct 27, 2026
Brick by etched brick, members of VFW Post 1093 cemented the names of 1,247 local veterans into a pathway called the Walk of Heroes at their Veterans Memorial Park in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Spearheaded by Post 1093 Commander Larry Jordan, the project began in late 2025 to etch the names of every veteran dating back to the Revolutionary War, preserving their memory and, in doing so, the town’s own.
“People are very interested in it,” said Jordan, a Vietnam veteran. “It’s an overwhelming experience to see all these bricks with all our veterans dating back to the Revolutionary War, and then we also have family members of these veterans, too. Many families had five to eight members in the military, so it’s an extremely emotional experience.”
For Jordan and members of Post 1093, the project was an easy sell, and they raised more than $150,000 through contributions from Ipswich community members and local businesses.
The project also includes a documentary about the process and the history uncovered along the way, which began on Sept. 25, 2025, and is scheduled to air on May 15, 2027.
“We'll show the documentary we are making at a local auditorium here in town,” Jordan said. “The film will present the town's history and its residents’ stories from the Revolutionary War onward, which is something we are looking forward to sharing with the community.”
According to Jordan, the documentary will also be presented in goodwill to the local public school system and colleges to preserve and teach the town’s rich history to younger generations.
A larger version of this story will be featured in the March/April issue of VFW magazine.
This article is featured in the 2026 October issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.