RISING NRHS freshman Liam Steele, an Eagle candidate from North Reading Boy Scout Troop 750, invites the community to attend a video presentation featuring the oral histories he created of military service members and veterans from all eras with ties to North Reading. “Heroic Reflections: Honoring The Stories Behind The Service,” will be shown next Thursday, Aug. 29, from 7-8 p.m. in the Library Activity Room. (Courtesy Photo)

 

 

NORTH READING — Liam Steele, a Life Scout in North Reading’s Boy Scout Troop 750, is nearing the completion of his Eagle Scout Project. Starting earlier this year, he interviewed United States military personnel, both current members and veterans, about their time in the service with the goal of capturing their oral history and recognizing everything they’ve given to their country. With this information revived from them, Steele created a historical book, an informational video, and posters that will be displayed at the Flint Memorial Library in the month of November.

Steele chose to complete this as his Eagle Scout Project after a visit with his great uncle, a Vietnam War veteran. They sat at a clam shack in Western Massachusetts as his uncle shared stories of his time in the service, stoking a desire to learn more untold stories. As he headed east and returned home, Liam reflected on the first hand accounts of stories that would be lost forever if not preserved correctly. This clam dinner quickly snowballed into the project that he created.  With the support of Troop 750, Liam embarked on the journey to document the stories of the town’s service members.

 

Before written language existed, family history was passed down from one generation to the next through storytelling. Liam will be presenting his completed project at the Flint Memorial Library Activity Room from 7-8 p.m. on Thursday, August 29. The community is invited to attend and learn more about our town’s heroes. The 45-minute video entitled “Heroic Reflections: Honoring The Stories Behind The Service,” will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

Liam, who will be entering his freshman year at North Reading High School in September, was an invited guest at Monday night’s Select Board meeting where he presented a shortened version of the oral history video featuring three of the 14 hometown heroes with ties to North Reading. The entire Select Board was very impressed with his abridged presentation and introduction and expressed their thanks to Liam for preserving the stories of these men and women.