Advertisement

Veterans Healing Garden Dedicated In West Roxbury

03:18
Download Audio
Resume
The 25th Marines Posting of Colors at a ceremony dedicating a new healing garden and sculpture for veterans and their families at the VA Medical Center's Fisher House Boston. (Lynn Jolicoeur/WBUR)
The 25th Marines Posting of Colors at a ceremony dedicating a new healing garden and sculpture for veterans and their families at the VA Medical Center's Fisher House Boston. (Lynn Jolicoeur/WBUR)

Veterans and their families gathered Saturday at Fisher House, on the grounds of the VA medical center in West Roxbury, to dedicate a new healing garden featuring a sculpture built by a wounded Iraq vet.

Staff Sgt. William Kleinedler and his sculpture, "Integro," in the new Fisher House Healing Garden at the VA Medical Center in West Roxbury (Lynn Jolicoeur/WBUR)
Staff Sgt. William Kleinedler and his sculpture, "Integro," in the new Fisher House Healing Garden at the VA Medical Center in West Roxbury (Lynn Jolicoeur/WBUR)

The steel and copper sculpture has a granite base to represent obstacles in life. Twisting roots grow up from it, carrying butterflies that represent transformation.

The sculptor, Staff Sgt. William Kleinedler, of New Braintree, suffered severe burns in an IED blast in Iraq that killed three soldiers in his truck.

"I think about them," Kleinedler said. "And I think more so that I need to do something with my life. I am hoping to inspire the wounded warriors, the families, to in their hard times, continue and to move on."

Directors of Fisher House, where families can stay while their loved ones are at the VA medical center, say they created the garden to help veterans heal through the power of nature.

This program aired on November 10, 2012.

Headshot of Lynn Jolicoeur

Lynn Jolicoeur Producer/Reporter
Lynn Jolicoeur is the field producer for WBUR's All Things Considered. She also reports for the station's various local news broadcasts.

More…

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close