Stoughton 8th Grader Pays Tribute to Late Father at Memorial Day Ceremony in Boston

The May 23rd field trip for team 8C at the O'Donnell Middle School to explore part of the Freedom Trail in Boston had been booked back in early October, but a phone call to teacher Patricia Lovering the day before the trip made the interactive social studies lesson all that more meaningful. 

Helon Wyllie, the Massachusetts Survivor Outreach Services Coordinator, invited one of Lovering's students, Corey Ingemanson, to a pre-Memorial Day ceremony this past Thursday morning on Boston Common at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, so that Corey could honor his father, . 

Making some last-minute adjustments to the field trip itinerary, Corey, his classmates, and his teachers were able to attend the ceremony, which featured remarks from Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino.  

Corey, 14, placed his flag in memory of his father among the 33,000 planted in Boston Common near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. 

Each flag within the garden honors fallen soldiers in Massachusetts, with the final 170 planted May 23 representing a service member killed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to Boston Magazine. 

A disabled Iraq War veteran, Theodore "T.J." Ingemanson, of Stoughton, died accidently on Nov. 9, 2011, at the age of 32, according to his obituary.

A decorated Army Reservist, T.J. served in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, in addition to taking part in relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina. He was an avid Harley Davidson rider and a longtime assistant store manager at Home Depot, according to his obituary. 

"I was proud," Corey said, of being able to place a flag in memory of his father. He said he got a lot of support from his classmates after the ceremony.

Corey said this and other Memorial Day ceremonies help to "reacknowledge the fact that Memorial Day is to honor fallen soldiers of this country." 

"We were honored to be invited," said Lovering, who added it was one of the most memorable days of her life.

While Corey said he thought the alignment of dates between the field trip and ceremony was a coincidence, Lovering couldn't help but think there was something more to having a field trip planned months ago end up coinciding with such a moving tribute to this state's fallen military heroes. 

"I don't believe in coincidence," she said. "I think things are meant to be."