Boston’s Old North Memorial Garden Honors Vets of War on Terror

Like all of Massachusetts, Boston is brimming with history, hidden treasures and surprises at every turn. The Old North Church in Boston's North End neighborhood is a great example.

The Old North Church is an Episcopal mission church built in 1723 and is Boston's oldest standing church building. It is a National Historic Landmark.

The Old North Church is famous for Paul Revere's midnight ride on April 18, 1775, in which Revere rode through the countryside to warn his fellow colonists that the British were on the march. A lantern placed in the steeple of the Old North Church was a signal that British troops were advancing.

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The church website says, "The Old North Church & Historic Site is delighted to house multiple gardens on its campus as spaces for reflection, contemplation and prayer."

The gardens include the 18th Century Garden, St. Francis of Assisi Garden, Washington Memorial Garden & Courtyard, the Third Lantern Garden and the Memorial Garden.

The site says, "In 2006, Old North Church and its neighbors created the nation's first public memorial honoring American lives lost in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the greater war on terror."

The original design used wooden "popsicle stick" crosses and Stars of David marked with individual soldiers' names glued to trellises. It evolved into blank dog tags hung on chains between fence posts. Each dog tag represents a fallen American soldier.

The garden includes a small garden, a walkway, and a bench for meditation.

When dedicated on Memorial Day 2007, the Old North Church Memorial Garden contained 3,500 dog tags. The dog tags chime when stirred by the wind.

To learn more about the Old North Church Memorial Garden, visit its website.