Plaque At Evergreens Moorestown Honors Veteran Residents

MOORESTOWN, NJ — A plaque honoring residents who have served in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Merchant Marines and Coast Guard was recently unveiled at The Evergreens. It honors resident veterans both past and present at the continuing care retirement community in Moorestown. Resident Richard “Dick” Meehan spearheaded the efforts to have the plaque made.

“The real intention was to recognize the veterans that live and have lived here throughout the years,” said Meehan, a veteran of the Korean War. “In this day and age, I think it is important for people to know we have veterans right here at The Evergreens.”

Meehan has been an avid supporter and advocate for the veteran population at The Evergreens. He has bonded with many current resident vets and has befriended many prospective new residents as a Resident Ambassador for the community.

In July of 2008, Meehan began work on a book that included profiles of 67 resident vets currently living at the community. In putting together “Veterans Briefs,” Meehan knocked on more than 300 doors to personally collect the stories of the vets in the community.

He interviewed the vets and documented their background and experiences. Since the original book was published, he has expanded it to include 105 stories.

“It dawned on me," Meehan said. "I wonder how many of us are all here in the community. I never thought it would get this far. You would be surprised by how many of the relatives of these veterans would send me a message, saying ‘Thank you for doing this, we learned a lot about Dad/Mom and what he/she did in the service.’”

The Evergreens Veterans Plaque was dedicated during a formal gathering of residents and staff that included remarks from Meehan and The Evergreens’ President and CEO Doug Halvorsen. It was placed prominently outside LaMonte Hall, the community’s primary event and recreation space, close to the resident apartments.

“The sacrifice by members of the United States armed forces, both past and present, cannot be measured or properly recognized by mere words or a single action,” Halvorsen said. “We are blessed to have such a thriving veteran population here at The Evergreens. One small way we can continue to honor them is with this plaque, recognizing their service and remembering their bravery as they protected our nation.”

The attached images were provided:

Photo #1: Doug Halvorsen, President and CEO of The Evergreens with resident Richard “Dick” Meehan in front of The Evergreens Veterans Plaque. Meehan spearheaded efforts to have the plaque made in honor of all veterans who have lived at The Evergreens and served their country in various capacities through service in the United States armed forces. This is one of many efforts by Meehan and The Evergreens community to shine the light on the vibrant group of veterans currently residing at the community, and express proper gratitude for their service to our country.

Photo #2: The Evergreens Veterans Plaque, honoring resident veterans, both past and present, who have served in the United States armed forces – Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Merchant Marines and Coast Guard.