Ret. Col. Joseph Connell Honored for Service to Country and Community

Lynnfield resident and retired U.S. Army Colonel Joseph Connell was honored recently for his military service and contributions to the community at the first-ever Massachusetts Military Appreciation Day.

Sponsored by the Executive Office of Veterans Services, the event was held on May 22 in the House of Representatives Chamber at the State House to “celebrate, honor, and recognize the sacrifices and contributions of our military community in Massachusetts.” Legislators were asked to recommend a service member, military spouse, or veteran from their district to be recognized for their contributions to their local community.

Colonel Connell was nominated by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading), who cited his volunteer work and his instrumental role in creating the new Lynnfield Veterans Memorial, which was formally dedicated on Veterans Day in 2024. The memorial features the names of all 1,098 Lynnfield men and women who have served in our nation’s military, from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terrorism, and was completed with state funding assistance, community donations, and countless hours of volunteer work. Colonel Connell chaired the nine-member Veterans Memorial Committee that oversaw the project, working alongside fellow committee members Thomas Bogart, Paul Donato, John Harrigan, Jason Kimball, Charles Leach, Ronald Nutter, Nicholas Secatore and Lynnfield Veterans Agent Bruce Siegel.

“The construction of the Veterans Memorial was truly a collaborative effort involving the members of the Lynnfield Veterans Memorial Committee and many other volunteers throughout Lynnfield, but there is no doubt that Colonel Connell was the driving force and impetus behind this project, from its initial conception in 2016 to its completion last year,” said Representative Jones. “The Lynnfield Veterans Memorial is an inspiring, impressive, and moving memorial to all of Lynnfield’s veterans, and represents just one of the many ways Colonel Connell has given back to his country and to his community.”

Colonel Connell served in the U.S. Army for 30 years before retiring in September of 2014 as the Senior Advisor to the Massachusetts National Guard. He previously served as a platoon leader at Fort Lewis, Washington, and as the Chief of Staff for US Forces-Afghanistan. In addition to his combat tours in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Colonel Connell also served in Korea, and received 23 service awards and decorations, including The Legion of Merit w/Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star, and Iraq and Afghanistan Combat Campaign Medals

Since moving to Lynnfield in 2012, Colonel Connell has been an active member of the community, having previously served on the Lynnfield Select Board, as a boys’ youth lacrosse assistant coach, and as a girls’ youth soccer coach. He has also served as a board member of the town’s New Public Safety Building Committee, the Lynnfield Rail Trail Project, the New Lynnfield Cemetery Committee, and the Town of Lynnfield Strategic Planning Committee.

In a local newspaper profile that was published just days before the Veterans Memorial dedication ceremony, Colonel Connell was quoted as saying, “The army over my career taught me one thing, once you leave the military, it’s up to each veteran to get back into the community and serve them as you served the nation. You have to make sure the image and reputation the community has for us goes untarnished. Make an impact on your community in a positive manner.”