Mass man swims from Weirs Beach to Hesky Park for veterans

MEREDITH — A Massachusetts man made the long swim between Weirs Beach and Hesky Park Thursday afternoon to help raise funds for a charitable organization dedicated to helping veterans.

Maurice Walsh has a penchant for such activities — he’d retired now, and he loves to swim long distances. He’d done a handful of charity swims and also completed the famed leg between the pier off Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco and Alcatraz, one of the nation’s oldest maximum security penitentiaries, a brutal stretch of open water. 

But on Thursday, Walsh wasn’t looking for an opportunity to bolster his own list of successes and long swims, but to help raise awareness and dollars for a charity organization which helps military veterans get back on their feet. Soldier On specializes in addressing veterans experiencing homelessness.

Hesky Park was arguably the perfect place to end such an effort. It’s the site where a prisoner of war and missing in action memorial stands and represents those lost while serving overseas — those who never returned home. 

Former Gov. John Lynch declared the memorial at Hesky Park to be “New Hampshire’s Original Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Memorial” in 2008 during a meeting of the governor and Executive Council, and numerous programs proceed there each year, notably on Memorial Day. This year, former Chief of Staff for the New Hampshire National Guard Col. Richard Duncan gave the keynote address at the site, and citizens have met there every Thursday night at 7 p.m. since 1989 for a vigil in honor of service members lost.

“It’s approximately four miles,” Walsh said of his route in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “I’m a slow swimmer, retired, just doing it for the challenge.”

And it was a challenge he proved successful in completing. Walsh, who set out at 8:30 a.m., washed up onto the boat ramp at Hesky Park at 12:10 p.m. Thursday, about half an hour faster than he anticipated.

Walsh and Lake Winnipesaukee Boat Tours owner Bill Verner connected about 10 days before the swim. Verner offered the services of his blue-topped pontoon boat and himself. Verner and a friend of Walsh, Joanne Briton of Manchester, Connecticut, followed along throughout the entirety of his swim.

“I feel that we have a debt to pay,” Walsh said, noting that homelessness and veterans homelessness are terrible tragedies. “I can’t imagine.”

Walsh didn’t serve in the military, but his father did in the U.S. Army. Walsh said he’s passionate about helping charities in general, not only those having to do with the military, but he was ecstatic to line this swim up with the Soldier On cause.

“I’m new to open-water swimming,” he said. “Six or seven years.

“If I’m to do it, might as well raise some money,” he said. 

Along his way between Weirs Beach and Hesky Park, Briton kept his time, noting he maintained an average pace of 56 strokes per minute, and fed him gel packs every 45 minutes or so. By the time he finished swimming, he said he was sore. 

“I felt like they put a piano on my back,” he said upon emerging from the Big Lake. “I’m sore but I feel good.”

It was a perfect day to complete the feat — just under 80 degrees in the air and the lake itself was warm.

“The lake was nice,” he said. “The water was great.”

When asked what he’d like to do next, Walsh put it plainly.

“Have a great lunch somewhere.”

Verner said Thursday he connected with Walsh through Facebook and offered to lend a hand. He served in the U.S. Navy for four years and is enthusiastic about supporting all of the veterans organizations in the Lakes Region.

“It’s about giving back,” he said. “And look at what this gentleman is doing.”

Verner said Veterans Count, another veteran-focused charity organization, does great work in New Hampshire. 

“It’s all about the veterans,” Verner said. “We all sleep very comfortably at night because of the work being done by others.”  

Those interested in supporting the fundraising effort can learn more by visiting wesoldieron.org/upcoming-events.