By Katie Farrell Lovett
Staff writer
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SALISBURY — When Jordan Shay was growing up in Amesbury, his mother, Holly, would take him to Salisbury Beach State Reservation for time outdoors.
When he was a teenager and old enough to get a job, he went to work at the reservation, buying a car from a friend so he would be able to get there.
After he stopped working at the site, he kept in touch with the other employees and would often visit. When he enlisted in the military, his mother threw his going-away party at the reservation.
The place was an important part of Shay's life.
And now, it serves as a permanent memorial to the fallen soldier. Shay, 22, died last September in Iraq.
The Salisbury Beach State Reservation parkway was officially dedicated as "Army Sergeant Jordan Michael Shay Memorial Drive." It runs between Route 1A and the mouth of the Merrimack River.
Yesterday, a crowd of Shay's family and friends joined his mother; his girlfriend, Kelsey Chandonnet; Department of Conservation and Recreation officials; state reservation employees and elected officials for a dedication ceremony.
Officials included state Rep. Michael Costello, state Sen. Steven Baddour, Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington, Amesbury Mayor Thatcher Kezer and Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday.
The Salisbury Police Honor Guard, state police, and Rolling Thunder also attended.
"This is a meaningful honor, one of which we are certain Jordan would be proud of," Jordan's mother said.
Jordan Shay would often comment how working at the reservation was "the best job ever," she said.
The two would visit the reservation when he was a little boy, and when he got a job here as a teenager, his mother would often meet him at the reservation when he was done with his shift, she said. Again, the two would go for walks through the park, and Shay would tell his mother about his feelings for Chandonnet and his dreams of becoming a state trooper.
Her son made lifelong friends that he met at the reservation, Holly Shay said.
He was a loyal, generous, compassionate person, who had a talent for taking care of Chandonnet, his family and friends, she said. He lived his life in the moment and with adventure, and he had a gift for making others feel good about themselves.
"I will wonder forever what would have come next, the next chapter," she said.
Officials noted the importance of the reservation to Shay, as well.
Rick Sullivan, commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, said workers at the site relayed to him how mature Jordan Shay was and talked about the great ideas he would come up with.
"There wasn't a smile he wouldn't give to a visitor or a favor he wouldn't do for a friend," Sullivan said.
Costello, D-Newburyport, who, along with Baddour, sponsored the legislation to name the road in honor of Shay, called it "the perfect place to recognize and remember Jordan."
Driving down the road offers a "sense of peace" and a sense of "the bigger picture," Costello said.
The pathway connects two things Shay loved, the outdoors and the military, Costello said. During the Civil War, the government erected Fort Nichol to protect Newburyport Harbor, and the state acquired the property in the early part of the 20th century, Costello said. Under the Works Progress Administration and the Civil Conservation Corps, construction of the Salisbury Beach State Reservation began.
"Today, it is one of the jewels of the commonwealth's park system," Costello said.
Amesbury Mayor Thatcher Kezer told the audience how the State Reservation was a "place that touched Jordan."
"We are here because Jordan touched us," Kezer said.
Baddour called the event "bittersweet," saying it was a time to remember "a great American, a hero."
Driving down the road to the reservation will now serve as a remembrance of Shay's sacrifice and how that sacrifice ensures our freedom to do what we wish, Baddour said.
"Holly, Kelsey, thank you for sharing Jordan with us," Baddour said.
Shay lost his life on Sept. 2, 2009, while serving his second tour of duty, stationed in Baqubah, Iraq. A 2005 Amesbury High School graduate, he was a specialist in the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, based in Fort Lewis, Wash. Shay was promoted to the rank of sergeant following his death.
