On Sunday, August 24, the town of Holden held a ceremonial ribbon cutting to dedicate the new athletic fields on Industrial Drive in honor of Holden resident and highly decorated World War II Marine Corps veteran Stephen Nowak, who died in 2017. In addition to hundreds of excited residents, Nowak’s son Garry, daughter-in-law Patrice, and 91-year-old sister Irene Morin also attended the dedication. 

Throughout his life, Stephen Nowak received letters from crewmates who were aboard the USS Franklin that day in 1945 when the ship was bombed. At the field dedication, Garry read one of those grateful letters, putting into perspective the magnitude of his father’s heroic act.

 Also attending the dedication were a Marine Corps Honor Guard and the Holden Police Honor Guard. The Mountview Middle School Band performed the national anthem. Food trucks were available, and music played throughout the afternoon, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The newly dedicated Nowak playing fields are part of a larger $10 million project, about $3 million of which was paid for with federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act. The Industrial Drive project connects, via a footbridge and walking path, to the existing and recently renovated Dawson Recreation Area on Salisbury Street across from the Dawson School. In addition to the Holden town pool, that complex includes an improved tennis court, recently upgraded basketball courts, new pickleball courts, a newly constructed and fully inclusive playground, and a new synthetic turf baseball diamond and soccer field.

The Nowak fields include two synthetic turf fields for soccer, lacrosse, and other sports, which are equipped with lighting for night games. In addition, there is an outdoor covered pavilion, a walking trail that encircles the field, a concession/restroom building and outdoor workout/exercise stations. 

During the week following the ribbon cutting, the town updated the construction schedule, explaining that the Industrial Drive fields are not yet open to the public as contractors are still working on the complex. The town asks that folks stay off the area until October 1. The town will announce when the contractors have finished, and games and events will be able to be reserved. The Dawson Recreation Area is open for use.

 When asked about the fields being dedicated to his father, Garry stated his dad would have been “touched and so humbled. There could be no better way to honor him with his love for youth sports.” Garry and his wife Patrice agreed that the ceremony and afternoon had been well planned.

Dave White, chair of the Dawson Recreation Complex Committee, had suggested to the Holden Selectboard that the fields be named in honor of Stephen Nowak, given his commitment to the town as a police officer and letter carrier. “More importantly,” says White, “he was a recipient of the Navy Cross, the second highest medal someone in the Navy can receive.”

The citation for Private First Class Stephen Nowak, USMC, can be found here: https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-7745.

To read an account of that day in March 1945 when a young Holden man put his life in danger to save others, see the accompanying article.