Family wins battle to get plaque honoring fallen soldier on new scoreboard

DEERFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A local mother’s mission to keep her son’s memory alive at Frontier Regional High School is moving forward after school officials originally voted against placing his memorial plaque on the school’s new baseball scoreboard.

After an entire season of uncertainty and a heated school board meeting, the community has reached a resolution to continue honoring a fallen soldier’s sacrifice.

It was a story Western Mass News first began to follow back in June.

[READ MORE: Veteran’s mother reacts after vote against moving honorary plaque]

“Someday, Frontier students may see the memorial sign and ask, ‘Who was Sergeant Gregory Belanger?’ He was one of us. He walked these halls, he served his country, and he did not come home,” said Vincent Sarna, former Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force and Frontier Regional parent.

He made the statement before a packed crowd at a Frontier Regional School Meeting last Tuesday.

23 years ago Sergeant Gregory Belanger was killed in Iraq. His mother tells Western Mass News her son died in a roadside bombing while driving a Humvee — a seat he had volunteered to take.

As a graduate of the school as well as member of the Deerfield community his funeral was held inside the Frontier Regional Auditorium.

Since the Sergeant was a student athlete himself, soon after his death his former high school asked his mother, Kathleen Belanger, to help fund a scoreboard in his honor. She did. And his name has hung below it ever since.

However, this past may, his mother learned that scoreboard was broken — and no one had told her.

“‘Are you aware the scoreboard isn’t working?’ I said, no, no one, no one let me know,” Kathleen explained to us.

When she asked the school board to simply move Gregory’s memorial to the new scoreboard, they said no — citing newer rules on campus memorials.

For Kathleen, the rejection brought back more than grief.

“I was shocked. And also on top of that, I was hurt because what it did is it dredged up everything. It dredged up everything that myself, my family, and my community went through 23 years ago when Gregory was killed.”

Kathleen says the pain of losing Gregory has never fully left her — in more ways than one.

A week after she buried her son, she had a heart attack. She’s dealt with cardiac issues ever since, including a pacemaker placed just a year ago.

This summer’s fight over her son’s memorial, she says, brought back that same strain — her son’s death broke her heart, and she felt it cracking all over again.

“I’m happy. I’m less stressed. It was so stressful,” Kathleen shared with us.

But after a summer of fighting for her son to be remembered, she says her heart is full once again — thanks to the Deerfield community that rose up beside her.

“It’s a great town. I cannot say thank you enough to them for supporting Gregory and our family. I’m very blessed,” Kathleen explained.

Soon, Sergeant Gregory Belanger’s name will hang near the new scoreboard here at Frontier Regional High School. For generations, students will come to games and see his name. They may look him up, learn his story, and find out what he did for their freedom.”

This comes after an initial 2-7 vote back in June against the move which sparked outrage in the community.

Flash forward to September during the most recent school committee meeting, over 25 people shared emotional stories about Gregory’s life and service — including fellow veterans, like Frontier parent and commander of VFW Post 3295, Rachel Otto.

“Greg and I served in Iraq in 2003. I served when I arrived just after he was killed... So for me, this is very personal. This is my brother. The big difference between Greg and I is I came home. He didn’t,” Otto said at the packed School Committee meeting last Tuesday.

Following the emotional meeting, a new weighted vote cleared the way for the memorial to move to the field where Gregory once played.

The final tally: five “yes” votes, four “no” votes.

Kathleen is also donating $1,000 toward a new sign recognizing the current student-athletes who fundraised for the scoreboard.

“I’m happy. And, you know, he’s going to hang there long after I’m gone, which is wonderful,” she said.

Kathleen is now looking forward to a formal dedication ceremony with the local VFW once the sign is officially moved...something she says never happened the first time around.