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Eagle project to remember 9/11
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James Mullarkey, 16, of Canfield plans to build a 9/11 memorial at St. Michael Church in Canfield as his Eagle Scout project. Mullarkey plans to raise at least $4,000 to erect a 25-foot flagpole and memorial stone to honor those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
By Elise Franco
Canfield
As James Mullarkey moved up the ranks in Boy Scout Troop 115, an idea for the perfect Eagle Scout project began to take shape.
Mullarkey, 16, of Canfield, son of James and Michelle Mullarkey, said he decided about two years ago to erect a 9/11 memorial at St. Michael Church in Canfield.
“I originally wanted to remodel the landscaping at the church, but over the past two years, my ideas shifted,” he said. “The 10th anniversary of 9/11 and the exit of troops in Iraq played an important role in my decision.”
Mullarkey and his fellow troop members will build the memorial in front of St. Michael Church’s Family Life Center in Canfield.
He said it will include a 25-foot, illuminated flagpole, an engraved memorial stone and a piece of debris from Ground Zero to honor those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
“It’s important to incorporate the events of 9/11 wherever we can,” he said. “We are given this feeling that our future will be less than those of past generations, and I don’t believe that.
“This is a way to revive the American spirit and the spirit of Boy Scouting itself.”
Mullarkey said World Trade Center debris is kept at a shipyard in New York City. He said to obtain a piece, he plans to work with Pat Connolly, who oversees the 9/11 Memorial Park in Austintown and procured a piece for the memorial there.
Mullarkey, who was named Troop 115’s 2011 Scout of the Year, said the project is meant to honor and memorialize all veterans, as well as the victims of 9/11 and their families.
“The idea is to accommodate the interests of the 9/11 victims and also the veterans who have given their lives in the quest for and protection of freedom,” he said.
The Canfield High School sophomore said he’s in the fundraising stages of his Eagle Scout project but hopes to have the flagpole and memorial in place by July 4.
Mullarkey estimates that he’ll need to raise about $4,000 to complete the project and is asking local residents and businesses for help in achieving that goal.
“All the materials used will be 100 percent American to help support the local economy,” he said.
The Rev. Terrence Hazel, pastor at St. Michael Church, said he worked with Mullarkey to decide where the memorial would be built. He said it will be a great asset to the community.
“It’s a great Eagle Scout project and a great way to honor those who perished on 9/11,” Father Hazel said. “I think it will probably bring in some people who will come just to see it.”
Andy Welch, Scout master of Troop 115, said Mullarkey exemplifies what it means to be a Boy Scout, and his project is just one more example of that fact.
“It’s going to be a value added to the church,” Welch said. “James is the senior patrol leader, and the other boys respect him and listen to him.”
Welch said he will give any necessary guidance while Mullarkey carries out the project, but it falls on the Scout’s shoulders to lead his troop in the planning and labor.
“We look for him to run the project and lead the other boys,” Welch said. “It’s not as much the outcome as it is showing leadership skills throughout the process.”
For more information on making a financial or material donation to the project, contact James Mullarkey at 330-793-4984 or 330-774-9262.