Nov 2, 2007
Plaque honoring Pfc. Nicholas Madaras dedicated at Middlebrook
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Under overcast skies early Friday evening, a group of 20 assembled outside Middlebrook School’s front entrance to celebrate Pfc. Nicholas Madaras’ life while dedicating a plaque honoring him.
The plaque was mounted on a rock that was dug up from underneath the school’s soccer field, where Pfc. Madaras once played.
William and Shalini Madaras and their son Christopher, 11, were on hand to honor their son and brother and this new memorial.
Middlebrook Principal Julia Harris welcomed those in attendance to the brief ceremony.
“This memorial was constructed with the hearts and the minds and the hands and the souls of Middlebrook School,” she said.
Andrew Cloutier, the social studies instructional leader at Middlebrook, said that the memorial was a “true community effort” and that it “speaks volumes about the impact Nicholas had on this community.”
The plaque quotes an excerpt from a letter Pfc. Madaras wrote in May 2006, five months before he was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb.
“Being here, it’s made me think and regret leaving without telling people exactly how I feel about them,” the plaque reads. “That’s one thing I’ve learned: To live without regret — live every day like it’s your last, so when you look back there is no ‘I shoulda’ or ‘I coulda done this.’”
Mr. Cloutier said that through this memorial, Pfc. Madaras is teaching Wilton an important lesson, to “take pride in your work and your legacy.”
Second Selectman Hal Clark spoke on behalf of First Selectman William Brennan and the town, saying that “time passes, and suddenly you realize” the magnitude of the loss.
“We grieve for that,” Mr. Clark said.
Also in attendance were U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, State Rep. John Hetherington and Dr. Gary Richards, superintendent of Wilton public schools.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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