Under crisp autumn skies at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum on Thursday, local dignitaries broke ground on The Gateway to the Gardens, the first phase of an ambitious seven-garden sanctuary designed to offer peace, reflection, and renewal for veterans and their families.
The project — a partnership of Veterans Valor, the Morris County Park Commission, the Morris County Commissioners, the Rotary Club of Morristown, and other civic groups — also marks the start of a national Disarm PTSD campaign aimed at reshaping how service-related trauma is understood and treated.
“This is just a great space to allow them to breathe, to find peace, to find connection — and to be reminded that you are not alone,” state Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-25th Dist.) told the gathering.
Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw said the gardens will offer the solitude many veterans still seek, long after their military service.
“For so many veterans, the war may be over, but they’re still battling for their well-being,” Shaw said. “This is going to help that. It’s going to be a place of quiet and solitude, where you can come and reflect.”
Shaw noted the county has expanded its Veterans Services Office and is compiling a compendium of every county resident who has served since the American Revolution.
Marilyn Albanese of Morristown Medical Center also offered brief remarks.
A VISION TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING
Thursday’s ceremony builds on momentum from an October signing event that formally launched the Healing Garden initiative. At that gathering, Vietnam veteran and artist Peter Danchise spoke of living with post-traumatic stress for more than 50 years.
“The memories never go away, but I know I’m not alone,” he said. Trauma, he reminded attendees, touches not only soldiers but “one in 11 people,” through war, abuse, accidents, or other life-altering experiences.
SEVEN GARDENS, ONE MISSION
When complete, the site will comprise seven themed gardens tracing a journey “From Trauma to New Life”:
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Point of Sacrifice
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Medevac
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Triage
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Homeward
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Recovery
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Fallen
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New Life
Each garden will require its own fundraising effort. Gateway to the Gardens, fully funded, is expected to be completed by spring 2026. Work on the remaining gardens is hoped to begin within three years.
For Will Draper, Veterans Valor executive director, the project is about connection — and community.
“This is about helping veterans move from duty and hardship to a sense of belonging,” he told supporters at the earlier ceremony. “The entire county is coming together.”
Bill Lescohier contributed to this report.
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