Department of Human Services
DIVISION OF VETERANS SERVICES
One Bergen County Plaza ● 2nd Floor
Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076
201-336-6325 ● Fax: 201-336-6327
E-MAIL: [email protected]
VETERANS
NEWSLETTER
Jane C. Linter
Department Director
A.J. Luna
Director
Susan Krause
Editor / Secretary
James J. Tedesco III
County Executive
Board of Chosen Freeholders
Dr. Joan M. Voss
Chairwoman
Steven A. Tanelli
Vice Chairman
John A. Felice
Chair Pro Tempore
Maura R. DeNicola • David L. Ganz
Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. • Tracy Silna Zur
Quarterly Newsletter ● Summer 2015
Dear Veterans and Friends of Veterans:
The County of Bergen is pleased to present you with the Summer 2015
edition of the Bergen County Veterans’ newsletter. You will find important
information inside concerning a multitude of topics including programs,
benefits, and upcoming events.
As you may know, the county’s Division of Veterans Services provides
veterans and their dependents with information and assistance to obtain the
services and support earned through their years of service to our country.
Veterans Services can help direct requests for VA compensation, provide
information on pensions and available home loans, facilitate burial and memorial benefits, connect veterans to educational and training programs,
obtain lost military separation papers, and assist with forms for military
medals and records. Please contact Veterans Services at (201) 336-6325,
should you need assistance with any of these matters.
The County of Bergen helps residents, including veterans, connect with comprehensive mental health and
alcohol and drug treatment resources, regardless of ability to pay. If you or someone you love is in need of
mental health care or assistance, please reach out. If you would like more information, contact the Bergen
County Department of Health Services at (201) 634-2600 or visit www.BergenHealth.org.
It is an honor to serve as your County Executive. I promise that veterans are a top priority for this
administration and I look forward to working with you and for you. Do not hesitate to reach out to my office
at (201) 336-7300 with any questions regarding the services we provide.
Thank you for your service to our country. May God bless you and may God bless America.
James J. Tedesco III
County Executive
United We Stand
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
Dear Bergen County Veterans,
Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Ariel Jacob Luna; I currently serve as the Bergen County
Director of Veteran Services. I am also a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. I want to take the opportunity to make you aware of our division and what it can do for you. The Division of Veteran Services is here and
ready to serve you!
While we are not associated with the Veterans Administration, The Division of Veterans Services of Bergen County
is here to help you with any questions you may have regarding the benefits you have earned in the service of our
Country. I am also joined by my colleagues and fellow
veterans, Fred Hayo and Richard Daul who both served
during Vietnam. Both, Fred and Rich, understand the
needs of our community and work diligently to assist our
veterans. I am also fortunate to have Susan Krause, who
is a veteran’s dependent, work with me as my Administrative Assistant. Coming from a military family, Susan understands our needs and is always ready to support our
veterans. We also added three Operation Iraqi Freedom
veterans to our staff. Aroch Bolanos serves as our veteran
outreach intern. Tyisha Vail is our Mission Continues
fellow. Christian Bauer is our Homeless Veteran Liaison
Pictured is my photo taken while serving in the Green Zone
and works directly with our homeless veteran population.
back in 2004.
Whether you need to learn about VA educational benefits,
information on VA home loans, referrals to assistance on
VA disability claims, employment opportunities or any other local, state, or federal benefit, we are here to
help!
We are conveniently located at One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, NJ. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. I know many of you have other commitments such as family,
employment, and school, so we are accessible by e-mail too. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at [email protected].
We have two big events planned for this Fall. On September 18th
we will be honoring a WWII veteran from Little Ferry at our annual POW/MIA Recognition Ceremony. This will be a great event
that will highlight Bergen County veterans’ contributions to the
defense our great nation. On October 25th we will have our first
5K Run/Walk fundraiser benefiting our Tracers Program. The run
will take place at Overpeck Park, Ridgefield Park. The donations
will be used to support our homeless veteran population in Bergen
County. I have included some additional information in this newsletter regarding some of the other resources and benefits that are
available to you. Once again, thank you for your service and it is
an honor to be able to serve you!
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
SUGGESTED DATES AND
EVENTS TO REMEMBER
JULY 2015

UV Safety Month
looking for Marines, former or active, male
or female, and Navy Corpsmen to join this
detachment. For more information e-mail
the Commandant: [email protected].
– Elks Club Lodge 2167 will hold its
monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley
Road, Oakland (8 pm). For more
information please call (201) 337-2170.
Bingo every Tuesday at American Legion
Post 147 (7:00 pm) – 1 Legion Place,
Elmwood Park – 8 games, with 3 part big
game. Doors open at 5 pm and there is
never a door charge. Have your fundraiser
here. For more information call (201) 7969717 or visit www.al147nj.org.
Refreshments and food (available for
purchase) also the bar is always open to the
public on Friday evenings from 7-12 pm.
– Elks Club Lodge 2475 Palisades
Park/Fort Lee Lodge regular meeting at
536 10th St., Palisades Park (7:30 pm).
Every Tuesday: Wood-Ridge VFW Post
3616 & Post Ladies Auxiliary will meet
9:30-11:00 am at Paramus Veterans Home
every Tuesday for card playing and
socializing with the Veterans that reside at
the home.
3 – Fair Lawn American Legion SAL 171
meeting.
1 – Lebanon Crisis (1958).
– Rochelle Park American Legion Riders
170 regular meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Les
Derbyshire at (201) 843-9683.
– South Hackensack Anthony LoPresti
VFW Post 8005 meeting at Troast Athletic
Club, 74 Troast St., Hackensack (7:30 pm).
2 – Army Air Corps. In the first major step
toward an independent Air Force, the Army
Air Service was re-designated on July 2,
1926.
– Marine Corps League Gooney Bird
Detachment 434
meeting at the
Teaneck American
Legion Post 128 at
8 pm sharp. The
Gooney Bird
Detachment is
– Rochelle Park American Legion Post
170 (7:30 pm) regular meeting. Contact Bob
Salvini (201) 843-9683.
– VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County)
Party at Lyons VAMC (6 pm).
4–
Independence
Day
– Annual
Macy’s
Fireworks on
NBC (8 pm).
5 – New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498
hosts breakfast (9:00 am) at the Coach
Diner, Rt. 4 East, Hackensack. Contact
Stephen at (201) 692-1228.
– Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans Post
651 hosts a breakfast at the Fair Lawn Land
& Sea Diner. They are seeking descendants
or relatives of Jewish War veterans to
become patron members. For reservations or
information please call Commander Mel
Kaplan at (201) 796-3795.
– Fort Lee Jewish War Veterans Post 741
meeting (10 am breakfast followed by 10:30
3
4 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
business meeting). This meeting is subject to
change.
6 – John Paul Jones born (1747) – He
personified the fighting spirit and the neversay-die attitude of the United States Navy.
– Lyndhurst American Legion Post 139
meeting (8 pm).
– Fort Lee Post 2342 meeting at Post home
on 250 Main Street, Fort Lee. Refreshments
will be served after the meeting.
– Final Battle for Pork Chop Hill begins
in Korea (1953).
– American Legion Alexander Stover Post
37, located at 222 River Road in North
Arlington, will hold its monthly meeting (8
pm). All Veterans are invited to attend. For
more information call (201) 214-8253 or
e-mail [email protected].
Thank You, Antonio Alho Jr., Post
Commander.
– Waldwick
American
Legion Post 57
Walter
Nightengale
Ladies
Auxiliary Unit
regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike,
Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit:
www.legionpost57.org.
– Cliffside Park American Legion Post
126 is seeking new members. The monthly
meeting will be held at the Cliffside Park
Fire Department Building, 525 Palisade
Avenue. For more information please
contact Carl Raincourt at (201) 522-6466 or
e-mail [email protected].
– Paramus VFW Post 6699 will have its
monthly bus trip to Atlantic City. The bus
will leave from 6 East Winslow Place,
Paramus at 7:45 am. Cost: $30. This trip is
open to all; you do not have to be a post
member or a resident of Paramus to attend.
There is ample onsite parking available. If
you have questions or would like to reserve
a seat, please call Paul Thompson at (201)
320-3210.
7 – Rutherford American Legion Post 109
Auxiliary Unit meeting (7:30 pm).
– Bogota VFW Post
5561 meeting (7:30 pm)
member meeting. All
Veteran’s eligible for
memberships in the
VFW are welcome to
attend. New Vets can come in and validate
their DD214 for eligibility and receive an
introduction of what the VFW has to offer
them. Visit us at 241 West Shore Ave.,
Bogota or call (201) 343-9693. Post
Commander: Alexander Hernandez, contact
number: (201) 906-7292.
- Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 Ladies
Auxiliary will hold its monthly meeting at
321 South Washington Avenue (1:30 pm).
For more information call (201) 384-6484 or
e-mail [email protected]. This
is Ladies Auxiliary also on Facebook.
8 – Waldwick American Legion Post 57
Walter Nightengale American Legion
Sons of the American Legion Detachment
of New Jersey Squadron No. 57 regular
meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick
(7:30 pm). Visit: www.legionpost57.org.
– Rochelle Park
American Legion
SAL Squad 170
meeting (7:30 pm).
Contact Joey
Connors: (201) 8439683.
– VFW Post 192 meeting (7:30 pm).
Located at 620 Cliff Street in Ho-Ho-Kus
and welcomes as members all active duty or
veterans of all wars, conflicts, and military
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
actions, if qualified. For more information
visit: www.vfwpost192-nj.com .
13 – Battle of the Kumsong River Salient,
Korean War (1953).
– Bergen County New Jersey American
Legion Department Bingo Paramus Vs
Home (7-8 pm – be there at 6:30 pm).
Contact Vic Ruggiero at (917) 416-9221.
– Anniversary of the creation of the
Army’s Medal of Honor (1862).
9 – Waldwick American Legion Post 57
Walter Nightengale regular meeting at 46
Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:00 pm).
Visit: www.legionpost57.org.
– Rochelle Park American Legion
Auxiliary Unit 170 meeting (7:30 pm).
Contact Madeline Madden (201) 843-9683.
– VVA Chapter
800 (Bergen
County) Bingo,
East Orange
VAMC (6:308:00 pm).
10 – Adm. Nimitz orders
Adm. Ghormley to invade
and capture Guadalcanal
and Tulagi (1942).
– Rutherford American Legion Post 109
meeting (7:30 pm).
– Teaneck American Legion Post 128
hosts the monthly meeting of SAL Squadron
128.
– Catholic War
Veterans of
Bergen County
Bingo at the
Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm).
14 – Bogota VFW
Ladies Post 5561 meeting (7:30 pm). If you
are the wife or daughter of a qualified VFW
Veteran, come in to talk to the Ladies
Auxiliary.
– Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 will hold its
monthly meeting at 321 South Washington
Avenue (6 pm). For more information call
the Post at (201) 384-6467.
15 – Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans
Post 651 bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm).
– Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171
Auxiliary meeting (8-9 pm).
– Rutherford American Legion SAL 109
meeting (7:30 pm).
– Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171
meeting (8-9 pm).
16 – Elks Club Lodge 2167 will hold its
monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley
Road, Oakland (8 pm). For more
information please call (201) 337-2170.
12 – The District 2 meeting will be a
breakfast held at Harley's Irish Pub located
at 366 River St- Hackensack (10:00 am).
11 – Northern Valley Chapter 32 of the
DAV regular meeting at 8 Veterans Plaza,
Bergenfield (10 am). For questions call
(201) 384-0001.
– Elks Club Lodge 2475 Palisades
Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular
meeting at 536
10th St., Palisades
Park
(7:30 pm).
– VFW Post 4697
5
6 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
North Arlington meets at 222 River Road,
North Arlington (8-9 pm). Call (201) 4015193 or e-mail at [email protected].
18 – Sons of the American Legion
Squadron 310 Art Jensen Annual Pig
Roast (3-7 pm). Ticket donation: $25.
Under 12 free. Music by “The
Woodpeckers,” 50/50, burgers, hot dogs,
BBQ Chicken, 100 lb. pig roast, London
broil, fresh corn, mussels, salads, beer &
soda. 100 Liberty Street, Little Ferry.
– Paramus VFW Post 6699 will hold its
monthly meeting at 6 East Winslow Place,
Paramus (10 am). For more information
please call (201) 843-9642.
19 – Elmwood Park American Legion
Post 147 will hold its 3rd Sunday of the
Month Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), at
1 Legion Place, Elmwood Park. Contact
(201) 796-9717.
20 – VVA Chapter 800 - Bergen County
(8 pm) meeting at VFW Post 809, Little
Ferry. The E-board meets at 7 pm.
21 – Anniversary of the First moon
landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin (1969).
21 – Rutherford American Legion Post
109 Ward Party East Orange (6 pm).
– Lyndhurst American Legion Post 139
meeting (8 pm).
– Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171
bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home
(7 pm).
– U.S. troops complete the capture of
Okinawa, providing a secure base for the
final assault on Japan (1945) – 70th
Anniversary.
23 – Pompton Lakes Marine Corp League
Detachment 744 will hold its monthly
meeting at the Oakland Elks, 33 Ramapo
Valley Rd, Oakland, NJ (7 pm). For more
information please call (973) 839-5693.
– Wood-Ridge Post VFW Post 3616
meeting at Carlstadt AL Post meets every
4th Thursday at 7:30 pm.
26 – The U.S., Britain, and China issue
the Potsdam Declaration which gives an
ultimatum to Japan: unconditionally
surrender immediately, or face "prompt and
utter destruction." In Britain, Clement Atlee
replaces Winston Churchill as Prime
Minister (1945) – 70th Anniversary.
27 – July 27 of each year is designated as
"Korean War Veterans' Day" in New
Jersey in recognition of the courage and
unwavering patriotism of those men and
women of this State who served in the
armed forces during the Korean War.
(Statute 36:2-20).
– Armistice signed in Korea: 38th Parallel
reset as boundary between communist North
and anti-communist South (1953).
– DAV Chapter 49 meets on the 4th
Monday of the month at the American
Legion Post #365, at 110 Anderson Ave.,
Fairview at 8 pm.
– New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498
sponsors bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm). For more information call
Stephen at (201) 692-1228.
– MOPH 522 Paramus at the Paramus
Veterans Home (7:30 pm).
28 – East District Elks Bingo at the
Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm).
____________________________________________
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
AUGUST 2015

National Immunization Awareness
Month
Bingo every Tuesday at American Legion
Post 147 (7:15 pm) – 1 Legion Place,
Elmwood Park – 9 games, some with
partners totaling 15 parts. Doors open at
5 pm. Info: (201) 796-9717.
Every Tuesday: Wood-Ridge VFW Post
3616 & Post Ladies Auxiliary will meet
9:30-11:00 am at Paramus Veterans Home
every Tuesday for card playing and
socializing with the Veterans that reside at
the home.
2 – The Iraqi army invaded Kuwait
(1990) – amid claims that Kuwait threatened
Iraq's economic existence by overproducing
oil and driving prices down on the world
market. An Iraqi military government was
then installed in Kuwait which was annexed
by Iraq on the claim that Kuwait was
historically part of Iraq. This resulted in
Operation Desert Shield, the massive Allied
military buildup, and later the 100-hour war
against Iraq, Desert Storm.
– New MilfordTeaneck JWV Post
498 hosts breakfast
(9:00 am) at the
Coach Diner, Rt. 4
East, Hackensack.
Contact Stephen at (201) 692-1228.
3 – American Legion Alexander Stover
Post 37, located at 222 River Road in North
Arlington, will hold its monthly meeting (8
pm). All Veterans are invited to attend. For
more information call (201) 214-8253 or email at [email protected]. Thank you,
Antonio Alho Jr., Post Commander.
– Waldwick American Legion Post 57
Walter Nightengale Ladies Auxiliary Unit
regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike,
Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit:
www.legionpost57.org.
– Cliffside Park American Legion Post
126 is seeking new members. The monthly
meeting will be held at the Cliffside Park
Fire Dept. Building, 525 Palisade Ave. For
more information please contact Carl
Raincourt at (201) 522-6466 or e-mail
[email protected].
– Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts
the monthly meeting of Teaneck VFW Post
1429 (7:30 pm).
– Paramus VFW Post 6699 will have its
monthly bus trip to Atlantic City. The bus
will leave from 6 East Winslow Place,
Paramus at 7:45 am. Cost: $30. This trip is
open to all; you do not have to be a post
member or a resident of Paramus to attend.
There is ample onsite parking available. If
you have questions or would like to reserve
a seat, please call Paul Thompson at (201)
320-3210.
– Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans Post
651 hosts a breakfast at the Fair Lawn Land
& Sea Diner. They are seeking descendants
or relatives of Jewish War veterans to
become patron members. For reservations or
information please call Commander Mel
Kaplan at (201) 796-3795.
– Fort Lee Jewish War Veterans Post 741
meeting (10 am breakfast followed by 10:30
business meeting). This meeting is subject to
change.
4 – U.S. Coast Guard established (1790).
7
8 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
– Rutherford American Legion Post 109
Auxiliary Unit meeting (7:30 pm).
by the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay.
70th Anniversary.
– Lyndhurst American Legion Post 139
meeting (8 pm).
– Congress approves “all necessary
action” in Vietnam (1964).
– Fort Lee VFW Post 2342 meeting.
Veterans may visit at 250 Main Street, Fort
Lee, NJ 07024. New members always
welcome. Post Commander: James Viola
contact number 201-944-8309.
– Rochelle Park American Legion Post
170 (7:30 pm) regular meeting. Contact Bob
Salvini (201) 843-9683.
– Bogota VFW Post 5561 meeting (7:30
pm) member meeting. All Veterans eligible
for memberships in the VFW are welcome
to attend. New Vets can come in and
validate their DD-214 for eligibility and
receive an introduction of what the VFW
has to offer them. Visit us at 241 West Shore
Ave., Bogota or call (201) 343-9693. Post
Commander: Alexander Hernandez, contact
number: (201) 906-7292.
- Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 Ladies
Auxiliary will hold its monthly meeting at
321 South Washington Avenue (1:30 pm).
For more information call (201) 384-6484 or
email [email protected].
Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 6467,
Bergenfield, NJ is on Facebook.
5 –Operation Big Switch, Aug. 5 – Dec.
23, 1953, was the final exchange of
prisoners of war by both sides of the Korean
War, and like Little Switch, was marked by
controversy over voluntary repatriation and,
later, by allegations of brainwashing and
torture of U.N. POWs by the Communists.
5 – Rochelle Park American Legion
Riders 170 regular meeting (7:30 pm).
Contact Les Derbyshire (201) 843-9683.
– South Hackensack Anthony LoPresti
VFW Post 8005 meeting at Troast Athletic
Club, 74 Troast St., Hackensack (7:30 pm).
6 – The first Atomic Bomb was dropped
over the center of Hiroshima at 8:15 a.m.,
– Marine Corps League Gooney Bird
Detachment 434 meeting at the Teaneck
American Legion Post 128 at 8 pm sharp.
The Gooney Bird Detachment is looking for
Marines, former or active, male or female,
and Navy Corpsmen, to join this
detachment. For more information e-mail
the Commandant: [email protected].
– Elks Club Lodge 2167 will hold its
monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley
Road, Oakland (8 pm). For more
information please call (201) 337-2170.
– Elks Club Lodge 2475 Palisades
Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular
meeting at 536 10th St., Palisades Park (7:30
pm).
– Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 will host
Hospital Party at the Paramus VA Home
(2 pm).
– VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County)
Party at Lyons
VAMC (6 pm).
7 – Operation
Desert Shield
(1990) – 25th
Anniversary – Just
five days after the
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, President George
Bush ordered Operation Desert Shield, a
massive military buildup to prevent further
Iraqi advances.
– The Battle of Guadalcanal – In the six
months between Aug. 1942 and Feb. 1943,
the U.S. and its Pacific Allies fought a
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
brutally hard air-sea-land campaign against
the Japanese for possession of the
previously-obscure island of Guadalcanal.
The Japanese were harshly shoved into a
long and costly retreat, one that continued
virtually unchecked until their August 1945
capitulation.
– Fair Lawn American Legion SAL 171
meeting.
8 – Northern Valley Chapter 32 of the
DAV regular meeting at 8 Veterans Plaza,
Bergenfield (10 am). For questions call
(201) 384-0001.
9 – The second Atomic bombing of Japan
occurred – an American B-29 bomber
headed for the city of Kokura, but because
of poor visibility then chose a secondary
target, Nagasaki (1945).
– U.S. combat troops leave South Vietnam
(1972).
10 – Rutherford American Legion Post
109 meeting (7:30 pm).
– Teaneck American Legion Post 128
hosts the monthly meeting of SAL Squadron
128.
– Catholic War Veterans of Bergen
County Bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm).
11 – Bogota VFW Ladies Post 5561
meeting (7:30 pm). If you are the wife or
daughter of a qualified VFW Veteran, come
in to talk to the Ladies Auxiliary.
– Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 will hold its
monthly meeting at 321 South Washington
Avenue (6 pm). For more information call
the Post at 201-384-6467.
12 – Waldwick American Legion Post 57
Walter Nightengale American Legion
Sons of the American Legion Detachment
of New Jersey Squadron No. 57 regular
meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick
(7:30 pm). Visit www.legionpost57.org.
– Rochelle Park American Legion SAL
Squad 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Joey
Connors: (201) 843-9683.
– Ho-Ho-Kus VFW Post 192 meeting (7:30
pm). Post 192 is located at 620 Cliff Street
in Ho-Ho-Kus and welcomes as members all
active duty or veterans of all wars, conflicts,
and military actions, if qualified. For more
information visit: www.vfwpost192-nj.com.
– Bergen County New Jersey American
Legion Department Bingo Paramus Vets
Home (7-8 pm – be there at 6:30 pm).
Contact Vic Ruggiero at (917) 416-9221
– District 2 Meeting at Post 2867, located
at 340 Outwater Lane, Garfield (7:30 pm).
13 – Waldwick American Legion Post 57
– Walter Nightengale regular meeting at 46
Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:00 pm).
Visit: www.legionpost57.org.
– Rochelle Park American Legion
Auxiliary Unit 170 meeting (7:30 pm).
Contact Roberta O’Dowd at (201) 913-0437
or e-mail [email protected].
– VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County)
bingo East Orange VAMC (6:30-8 pm).
14 – Japan surrenders (1945) – Following
the two Atomic Bomb drops and believing
that continuation of the war would only
result in further loss of Japanese lives,
delegates of Emperor Hirohito accepted
Allied surrender terms originally issued at
Potsdam on July 26, 1945, with the
exception that the Japanese Emperor's
sovereignty would be maintained.
– National Navajo
Code Talkers Day –
The code the
Japanese or Germans
could not break in
WWII. This was first
9
10 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
recognized in 1982 by President Reagan.
meeting (7:30 pm).
14 – Fair Lawn American Legion Post
171 Auxiliary meeting (8-9 pm).
20 – Elks Club Lodge 2167 will hold its
monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley
Road, Oakland (8 pm). For more
information please call (201) 337-2170.
– Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171
meeting (8-9 pm).
15 – Paramus VFW Post 6699 will hold its
monthly meeting at 6 East Winslow Place,
Paramus (10 am). For more information
please call (201) 843-9642.
16 –National Airborne Day" in New Jersey
in
recognition
of the first
official
Army
parachute
jump on
Aug. 16,
1940 (Statute 36:2-62).
– Elmwood Park American Legion Post
147 will hold its 3rd Sunday of the Month
Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), at 1
Legion Place, Elmwood Park. Contact (201)
796-9717.
17 – VVA Chapter 800 - Bergen County
(8 pm) meeting at VFW Post 809, Little
Ferry. The E-board meets at 7 pm.
18 – Rutherford American Legion Post
109 Ward Party East Orange (6 pm).
– Lyndhurst American Legion Post 139
meeting (8 pm).
– Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171
Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home
(7 pm).
19 – Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans
Post 651 bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm).
– Rutherford American Legion SAL 109
– Elks Club Lodge 2475 Palisades
Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular
meeting at 536 10th St., Palisades Park
(7:30 pm).
– VFW Post 4697 North Arlington meets
at 8-9 pm at 222 River Road, North
Arlington. Come check out all of the new
high-definition TV's. Our Post is open to
members and their guests all day Sunday
and Monday nights. Hall rental available
Call (201) 991-9597 for information.
Contact Commander Ed McDonough at
(201) 401-5193 or [email protected].
22 – District 2 Picnic- The annual District 2
Picnic will be held at Post 809 Little Ferry
from 1 pm.
24 – DAV Chapter 49 meets on the 4th
Monday of the month at the American
Legion Post 365, at 110 Anderson Ave.,
Fairview at 8 pm.
– New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498
sponsors bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm). For more information call
Stephen at (201) 692-1228.
– MOPH 522 Paramus at the Paramus
Veterans Home (7:30 pm).
25 – East District Elks Bingo at the
Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm).
27 – Battle of
Haiphong
Harbor or
Operation
Lion’s Den,
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
was a naval engagement fought in 1972
during the Vietnam War. Vice Admiral
James L. Holloway III took with him his
ship, the heavy cruiser Newport News, the
guided missile cruiser Providence, and the
destroyers Robison and Rowan conducted a
brief night raid against the North
Vietnamese forces protecting the port of
Haiphong. After the bombardment, the ships
were threatened by four Russian-built
torpedo boats. Joined by two aircraft from
the USS Coral Sea, three of the four torpedo
boats were sunk. It was one of the few shipto-ship naval battles of the war.
27 – Pompton Lakes Marine Corp League
Detachment 744 will hold its monthly
meeting at the Oakland Elks, 33 Ramapo
Valley Rd, Oakland (7 pm). For more
information please call (973) 839-5693.
– Wood-Ridge Post VFW Post 3616
meeting at Carlstadt AL Post meets every
4th Thursday at 7:30 pm.
30 – NATO begins Operation Deliberate
Force by beginning heavy and continuous
bombing of the Bosnian-Serb military
(1995) – 20th Anniversary.
SEPTEMBER 2015

Fruit and Veggies Month
Bingo every Tuesday at American Legion
Post 147 (7:15 pm) – 1 Legion Place,
Elmwood Park – 9 games, some with
partners totaling 15 parts. Doors open at
5 pm. Info: (201) 796-9717.
Every Tuesday: Wood-Ridge VFW Post
3616 & Post Ladies Auxiliary will meet
9:30-11:00 am at Paramus Veterans Home
every Tuesday for card playing and
socializing with the Veterans that reside the
home.
1 – World War II begins when Germany
invades Poland (1939).
– Rutherford American Legion Post 109
Auxiliary Unit meeting (7:30 pm).
– Teaneck American Legion Post 128
hosts the monthly meeting of Teaneck
VFW Post 1429.
– Lyndhurst American Legion Post 139
meeting (8 pm).
– Fort Lee VFW Post 2342 meeting at 250
Main Street, Fort Lee.
– Bogota VFW Post 5561 meeting (7:30
pm) member meeting. All Veterans eligible
for memberships in the VFW are welcome
to attend. New Vets can come in and
validate their DD-214 for eligibility and
receive an introduction of what the VFW
has to offer them. Visit us at 241 West Shore
Ave., Bogota or call (201) 343-9693. Post
Commander: Alexander Hernandez, contact
number: (201) 906-7292.
- Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 Ladies
Auxiliary will hold its monthly meeting at
321 South Washington Avenue (1:30 pm).
For more information call 201-384-6484 or
email [email protected].
Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 6467,
Bergenfield, NJ is on Facebook.
2 – Formal Surrender of Japan (1945).
– Hours after Japan’s surrender in World
War II, Vietnamese communist Ho Chi
Minh declares the independence of
Vietnam from France. The proclamation
paraphrased the U.S. Declaration of
Independence in declaring, “All men are
born equal: the Creator has given us
inviolable rights, life, liberty, and
happiness!” and was cheered by an
enormous crowd gathered in Hanoi’s Ba
Dinh Square. It would be 30 years, however,
before Ho’s dream of a united, communist
Vietnam became reality.
– Rochelle Park American Legion Riders
170 regular meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Les
Derbyshire (201) 843-9683.
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12 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
– South Hackensack Anthony LoPresti
VFW Post 8005 meeting at Troast Athletic
Club, 74 Troast St., Hackensack (7:30 pm).
3 – VFW District 2 Bingo at Paramus VA
home (2 pm).
– Rochelle Park American Legion Post
170 (7:30 pm) regular meeting. Contact Bob
Salvini (201) 843-9683.
– Marine Corps League Gooney Bird
Detachment 434 meeting at the Teaneck
American Legion Post 128 at 8 pm sharp.
The Gooney Bird Detachment is looking for
Marines, former or active, male or female,
and Navy Corpsmen to join this detachment.
For more information e-mail the
Commandant: [email protected].
– VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County)
Party at Lyons VAMC (6 pm).
– Elks Club Lodge 2167 will hold its
monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley
Road, Oakland (8 pm). For more
information please call (201) 337-2170.
– Elks Club Lodge 2475 Palisades
Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular
meeting at 536 10th St., Palisades Park (7:30
pm).
4 – Fair Lawn American Legion SAL 171
meeting.
6 – The Sunday before September 11th of
each year is designated as "Freedom
Walk Day" in New Jersey in support of the
service men and women and veterans of the
United States Armed Forces, the Reserve
components thereof, the National Guard, the
emergency responders of this Nation, and in
memory of the victims of the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks in New York City,
Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
(Statute 36:2-130).
– New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498
hosts breakfast (9:00 am) at the Coach
Diner, Rt. 4 East, Hackensack. Contact
Stephen at (201) 692-1228.
– Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans Post
651 hosts a breakfast at the Fair Lawn Land
& Sea Diner. They are seeking descendants
or relatives of Jewish War veterans to
become patron members. For reservations or
information please call Commander Mel
Kaplan at (201) 796-3795.
– Fort Lee Jewish War Veterans Post 741
meeting (10 am breakfast followed by 10:30
business meeting). This meeting is subject to
change.
- Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 & Ladies
Auxiliary will host Horse Racing at the
Paramus VA Home (2 pm).
7 – Labor Day
8 – Bogota VFW Ladies Post 5561 meeting
(7:30 pm). If you are the wife or daughter of
a qualified VFW Veteran, come in to talk to
the Ladies Auxiliary.
– Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 will hold its
monthly meeting at 321 South Washington
Avenue (6 pm). For more information call
the Post at (201) 384-6467.
9 – Waldwick American Legion Post 57
Walter Nightengale American Legion
Sons of the American Legion Detachment
of New Jersey Squadron No. 57 regular
meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick
(7:30 pm). Visit: www.legionpost57.org.
– Rochelle Park American Legion SAL
Squad 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Joey
Connors: (201) 843-9683.
– Ho-Ho-Kus VFW Post 192 meeting (7:30
pm). Post 192 is located at 620 Cliff Street
in Ho-Ho-Kus and welcomes as members all
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
active duty or veterans of all wars, conflicts,
and military actions, if qualified. For more
information visit: www.vfwpost192-nj.com.
10 – Waldwick American Legion Post 57
Walter Nightengale regular meeting at 46
Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:00 pm).
Visit: www.legionpost57.org.
free. All you can eat
hamburgers, hot dogs,
sausage & peppers,
clams on a half shell,
corn on the cob,
Manhattan clam
chowder, salads, beer and soda. DJ and
50/50 drawing. All proceeds go to support
Veterans and children's programs. Rain or
shine. Please bring your lawn chair.
Address: 100 Liberty Street, Little Ferry.
For additional information please call (201)
641-9774.
– Rochelle Park American Legion
Auxiliary Unit 170 meeting (7:30 pm).
Contact Roberta O’Dowd at (201) 913-0437
or e-mail [email protected].
– Northern Valley Chapter 32 of the DAV
regular meeting at 8 Veterans Plaza,
Bergenfield (10 am). For questions call
(201) 384-0001.
– VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County)
bingo East Orange VAMC (6:30-8 pm).
14 – Rutherford American Legion Post
109 meeting (7:30 pm).
– Bergen County New Jersey American
Legion Department Bingo Paramus Vets
Home (7-8 pm – be there at 6:30 pm).
Contact Vic Ruggiero at (917) 416-9221.
11 – September
11th National
Day of Service
and
Remembrance
– Patriot Day
occurs on
September 11 of each year, designated in
memory of the
2,977 killed in the
September 11,
2001 terrorist
attacks.
– Operation
Enduring
Freedom (2001).
11 – Fair Lawn
American Legion Post 171 Auxiliary
meeting (8-9 pm).
– Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171
meeting (8-9 pm).
12 – American Legion Post 310 will hold
its 33rd Annual Picnic (1:00-5:00 pm) –
$25 per person and children under 12 eat
– Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts
the monthly meeting of SAL Squadron
128.
– Catholic War Veterans of Bergen
County Bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm).
– VVA Chapter 800 - Bergen County (8
pm) meeting at VFW Post 809, Little Ferry.
The E-board meets one hour before at 7 pm.
15 – Rutherford American Legion Post
109 Ward Party East Orange (6 pm).
– Lyndhurst American Legion Post 139
meeting (8 pm).
– Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171
Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home
(7 pm).
16 – Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans
Post 651 bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm).
– Rutherford American Legion SAL 109
meeting (7:30 pm).
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14 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
– Fort Lee Post 2342 picnic at Whitey Lang
Field on Anderson Avenue (11:00 am).
– The Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest
day in American history, stopped the first
Confederate invasion of the North (1862).
17 – Mahwah American Legion Post 531
will hold its monthly meeting at 7:00 pm at
Holy Cross Lutheran Church at 125
Glasgow Terrace, at Route 202, Mahwah.
Any questions please contact Frank M.
Calandrillo, Jr., Past State Cmdr. and
Commander at (201) 818-9668.
– Elks Club Lodge 2167 will hold its
monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley
Road, Oakland (8 pm). For more
information please call (201) 337-2170.
– Elks Club Lodge 2475 Palisades
Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular
meeting at 536 10th St., Palisades Park (7:30
pm).
– VFW Post 4697 North Arlington meets
at 8-9 pm at 222 River Road, North
Arlington. Come check out all of the new
high-definition TV's. The Post is open to
members and their guests all day Sunday
and Monday nights. Hall rental available.
Call (201) 991-9597 for information.
Contact Commander Ed McDonough at
(201) 401-5193 or [email protected].
19 – Paramus VFW Post 6699 will hold its
monthly meeting at 6 East Winslow Place,
Paramus (10 am). For more information
please call (201) 843-9642.
20 – Elmwood Park American Legion
Post 147 will hold its 3rd Sunday of the
Month Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), at
1 Legion Place, Elmwood Park. Contact
(201) 796-9717.
23 – East District Elks Bingo at the
Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm).
– District 2 meeting for September will be
held by Post 6192 Washington Twp. The
meeting will be held at the Knights of
Columbus at 79 Pascack Road in the
Township of Washington.
24 – Pompton Lakes Marine Corp League
Detachment 744 will hold its monthly
meeting at the Oakland Elks, 33 Ramapo
Valley Rd, Oakland, NJ (7 pm). For more
information please call (973) 839-5693.
– Wood-Ridge Post VFW Post 3616
meeting at Carlstadt AL Post meets every
4th Thursday at 7:30 pm.
– Teaneck American Legion Post 128
monthly meeting.
27 –Parents of Fallen
Military Sons and
Daughters Day – in tribute
to all parents whose sons
and daughters died as a
result of their service with our Armed
Forces, and in acknowledgment of the
contributions, commitment, and sacrifices
made by those parents individually and
through the American Gold Star Mothers..
Please set the date and time aside to attend a
Gold Star Mother's Day Ceremony near you.
Locations will be announced during the
summer.
– Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission (1982).
– The Baylor Massacre was a surprise
attack on Sept. 27, 1778, against the 3rd
Regiment of Continental Light Dragoons
under the command of Col. George Baylor
during the Revolutionary War. It is a
Bergen County Historic site in River Vale,
on Rivervale Road & Red Oak Drive.
– American Legion Post 53 will conduct a
Gold Star Mother’s Day event. It will take
place on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Van Neste Park
in downtown Ridgewood starting at 7 pm.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
– Bergenfield VFW Post 6467 Ladies
Auxiliary town wide garage sale (9 am –
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
4 pm). Please pick up the maps at the Post
321 South Washington Ave. For more
information call 201-384-6484 or e-mail
[email protected].
28 – Native American Day
– DAV Chapter 49 meets on the 4th
Monday of the month at the American
Legion Post 365, at 110 Anderson Ave.,
Fairview at 8 pm.
– New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498
sponsors bingo at the Paramus Veterans
Home (7-8 pm). For more information call
Stephen at (201) 692-1228.
– MOPH 522 Paramus at the Paramus
Veterans Home (7:30 pm).
________________
The
Postscript
Corner…..
Bergen County American Legion
MLB Pitch, Hit and Run
Contest
The Bergen County American
Legion is proud to announce that
Andrew Cronin competed on June 13th at
CitiField in the Mets Team Championship
stage of the Contest and won in the boys 1112 age group. His scores will not be
compared with the 30 other teams with the
top 3 scores going to the All-Star game to
compete for overall champion. This is a
huge accomplishment for Andrew and we
hope that his scores will qualify him for the
next round. Go Andrew!
Bus fundraiser
As you know the Legion kicked off a
Bergen County effort to raise $85,000 for a
much needed new bus for the Paramus
Veteran's Home. The project which started
off officially on October 25, 2013, has
raised $174,186.48 to date. The first bus was
delivered to the home in April 2014, and the
second bus was delivered March 4, 2015.
And we are now working on a third bus
which we are hoping to deliver on Veteran's
Day, November 2015. In order to reach this
goal, we need to collect an additional
$42,340 by August 2015.
Any organization that raises a total of
$5,000 will have their logo appear on the
bus. So far, the Elks, Rotary, and the Legion
will have their logo appear on the bus. In
addition, the two organizations with the
highest total donation will have their logo
appear in the front of the bus. All donors
will be recognized on a plaque presented to
the home at the time of donation (if you
donated previously, next time at the home
take a look at the two plaques already
presented for your name) and all who donate
$500 or more will be recognized on a plaque
mounted in the bus. This is a great
opportunity to recognize a deceased friend
or relative as we have had many donations is
memory of and will include your name as
well as the person you are donating in
memory of.
Again, anyone willing to make a donation
can send a check made out to Bergen County
American Legion Bus Fund, c/o Bob Salvini,
54 Thiem Ave., Rochelle Park, NJ 07662 .
In addition, for those who need to donate to
a 501(C) 3, you can donate to American
Legion Auxiliary Unit 170 at 33 W. Passaic
15
16 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
St., Rochelle Park, NJ 07662. Please insure
the donation is clearly marked for Bergen
County American Legion Paramus Vet's
Home Bus Fund.
And should you have any questions feel free
to e-mail me at [email protected].
For God and Country,
"We Continue to Serve"
Bob Salvini
Commander, BCAL
Mahwah American Legion Post 531
Our meetings will resume on the third
Thursday of each month, beginning in
September. We meet at 7:00 pm at Holy
Cross Lutheran Church, located at 125
Glasgow Terrace, at Route 202, Mahwah.
We are excited that we are sending 20 Junior
High School candidates from Mahwah and
Ramsey to attend NJ American Legion Boys
State! We will provide another article after
the session, which runs at the end of June.
We are also proud that one of our Mahwah
Police Officers, Travis Canning, was
presented with a Commendation Award
from the Bergen County American Legion
Organization. Officer Canning was
nominated by Mahwah Post 531 for his
actions in November 2014 while responding
to a noise complaint at a house in Mahwah.
Upon arrival, he observed smoke coming
from the home and he quickly evacuated 24
young adults having a party.
Have a great summer! Feel free to contact
me at (201) 818-9668 with any questions.
Frank M. Calandrillo, Jr.
Past State Commander and Commander
Post 531 Mahwah
Franklin Lakes VFW Post 5702
We are proud to have
had our new war
memorial plantings
completed for
Memorial Day. This
was an Eagle Scout
project by Chris
Cioffari, Troop 34,
Franklin Lakes. Chris,
along with scouts from his troop, worked
very hard removing all the old shrubs,
adding new soil, and placing the shrubs.
Scout Cioffari will be receiving his Eagle
rank in June. We congratulate Chris and
thank him for choosing our post for his
project.
The American Legion Alexander Stove
Post 37 and VFW Calo Sass Post 4697
Honoring Those Who Served
On behalf of the Officers and members, we
want to thank the students and staff for their
participation in the placing of flags on the
graves of those who served.
The photo above is of the students and staff
from North Arlington High School who
participated in the Flag Ceremony at Holy
Cross Cemetery on May 15, 2015.
Bergen County American Legion
The Patriots Brass ensemble will give their
concert at the Paramus Veteran's Home on
Thursday, July 23 at 2 pm (we are the
sponsoring organization). All are welcome.
American Legion Post 53
(Ridgewood)
Conducted its Annual Flag
Day Ceremony at Van Dyk
Manor, on South Van Dien
Avenue on June 14, 2015.
Erik Heflich, Activities
Associate at Van Dyk's,
and his staff, organized the
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
activity and aided the residents as they
assembled for the ceremony. Legion
Commander Bob Paoli and Legionnaires
Bill Leahy, Don Leibreich, Art Montegari,
Anthony Jannelli, and Joe Burns participated
in the ceremony.
American Legion
Post 128 Teaneck
When it's party time,
think the Teaneck
American Legion tables and chairs to
seat 90, a 32' buffet table, an adjacent
kitchen, and a BBQ grill. Call (201) 8363471 or e-mail [email protected].
American Legion Post 162 of Hillsdale,
Woodcliff Lake & Old Tappan
Commander Langner presented Pascack
Valley Senior, Allison Toledo, an American
Legion Oratorical Award Certificate of
Distinction for taking first place in the
American Legion Oratorical contest in
Bergen County, first place in the District,
and 4th in the State. The topics were on the
Constitution and Amendments. The
presentation was made at a Regional Board
of Education business meeting as well as at
the Hillsdale Town Council meeting.
Viet Nam
Veterans
Welcome
Home
feting and
Hillsdale 5
Plaque
Unveiling
The American Legion Post 162 of Hillsdale,
Woodcliff Lake, and Old Tappan, feted,
recognized, and honored through
proclamation all of its Viet Nam Service
Veteran members. It was also a special
occasion to unveil one of the 5 stunning and
poignant plaques memorializing the
Hillsdale 5 who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Post 162 did itself proud through the efforts
of the Luncheon Committee and the
members involved. A big Thank You goes
to: the Park Ridge Elks Lodge for the
generous donation and the helping hands of
their members, to the Bergen County
Executive and Board of County Freeholders
for the Certificates of Commendation; and
the many photographers for participating.
Hats off to Phil and the members of Post
162 for honoring their memories with those
amazing plaques and orchestrating such a
very special awards ceremony.
American Legion Auxiliary Post 365
President’s Message
Thank you to my family, my Legion family,
Fr. Peter from Our Lady of Grace Church,
and the parishioners who have supported our
Auxiliary this year. Even as a small group of
women we were able to help our homeless
veterans, and a female veteran set up her
apartment with kitchen, bedroom and living
supplies.
Sincerely,
For God and Country
Cynthia Spadola
VETERANS NEWSLETTER
AVAILABLE ONLINE
VISIT
WWW.CO.BERGEN.NJ.US
CLICK ON “SERVICES” AT THE
TOP AND THEN CLICK ON
“VETERANS SERVICES”
UNDER THE
HUMAN SERVICES CATEGORY
17
18 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
CONTENTS
Page
19
70th Anniversary of V-J Day: The Formal Surrender of Japan
20
September 11, 2001: Remembering the Lost – Max Beilke
21
The Dutch Have Never Forgotten
24
Third Annual “Tour for the Vets”
25
Vietnam War Accounting
25
VFW Salutes New Agent Orange Decision
26
The Legionnaire that Changed the World
29
116th VFW National Convention
29
600 Motorcyclists Raise Money for Veterans at Warriors Run in New Milford
31
Services Available for Veterans
32
Lt. Governor Salutes Veterans at 21st Mission of Honor Committal Ceremony
33
Distinguished Retired Marine Addresses Crowd at Bergen Military Appreciation Day
34
TRACERS
35
Bergen County Veterans Division Computer Outreach Program
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
70TH ANNIVERSARY OF V-J DAY:
THE FORMAL SURRENDER OF JAPAN
VJ Day, 2 September 1945,
commemorates the Allied victory
over Japan in World War II. On
this day the Japanese signed the
formal surrender documents
ending the war.
After Germany's defeat in May
1945, the United States embarked
upon a huge logistical effort to
redeploy to the Pacific more than
a million troops from Europe, the
United States, and other inactive
theaters. The aim was to
complete the redeployment in time to launch an invasion of Japan on 1 November.
The task had to be undertaken in the face of competing shipping demands for the demobilization
of long-service troops, British redeployment, and civil relief in Europe. By the time the war in
Europe ended, some 150,000 men had moved from Europe directly to the Pacific; but a larger
transfer from the United States had scarcely begun. In the Pacific, General of the Army Douglas
MacArthur and Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz had been sparing no effort to expand ports and
ready bases to receive the expected influx and to mount invasion forces. By midsummer of 1945
most responsible leaders in Japan realized that the end was near. In June, those favoring a
negotiated settlement had come out in the open, and Japan had already dispatched peace feelers
through the Soviet Union, a country it feared might also be about to enter the war in spite of a
nonaggression treaty between the two nations. As early as the Tehran Conference in late 1943,
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had promised to enter the war against Japan, and all agreed at Yalta in
February 1945 that the USSR would do so three months after the defeat of Germany. At the
Potsdam Conference in July 1945, the Soviet Union reaffirmed its agreement to declare war on
Japan. The United States, Britain, and China issued the Potsdam Declaration calling upon Japan
to surrender promptly; at about the same time, President Harry Truman decided to employ the
newly tested atomic bomb against Japan in the event of continued Japanese resistance.
Despite the changing climate of opinion in Japan, the still-powerful Japanese military blocked
negotiations by insisting on fighting a decisive battle to defend the empire's home shores. Thus
the Japanese government announced its intention to ignore the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.
Accordingly, on 6 August a lone American B-29 from the Marianas dropped an atomic bomb on
Hiroshima. On 9 August the Soviet Union entered the war, and a second bomb was dropped on
Nagasaki. The next day Japan sued for peace, and on 15 August Japan's surrender was
announced.
On the morning of 2 September 1945, the Allied and Japanese delegations met aboard the USS
Missouri in Tokyo Bay for the formal signing of the surrender documents. After finishing an
eloquent introductory statement, General MacArthur directed the representatives of Japan to sign
the two instruments of surrender, one each for the Allied and Japanese governments. They were
followed by representatives of the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union,
19
20 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. World War II had formally ended,
and President Truman declared 2 September to be the official VJ Day.
(Source: www.history.army.mil)
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: REMEMBERING THE LOST
MAX BEILKE, U.S. ARMY
He was the last American combat soldier to leave Vietnam
Max Beilke, deputy chief of the Army’s Retirement Services Division, of the Deputy Chief of
Staff for Personnel, was meeting with Lieutenant General
Timothy Maude and retired Lieutenant Colonel Gary Smith at
the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, when a hijacked jet
piloted by terrorists hit the outer ring of the building. The three
men and 71 other personnel were killed.
"I called my mom that day (September 11) and asked her if she
had heard from him. His office was in Virginia, but he spent a
lot of time in the Pentagon," Lori Wells, Beilke’s niece, said.
"She said she had called Lisa, Max's wife. Lisa said Max usually called her every morning, just to
check on her. And she hadn't heard from him. Even that night, they hadn't heard from him. And
then (Lisa) kind of knew.
"A general came and visited her and said they just couldn't find him."
But she said Lisa Beilke wanted to wait a while before holding funeral services. Lori Wells added
that DNA testing of some parts of the human remains found in the damaged section of the
Pentagon were identified as belonging to her uncle.
Closure for the family and relatives of retired Master Sergeant Max Beilke, United States Army,
came on December 11, 2001: he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military
honors, three months to the day following his death.
Beilke, a Minnesota farm boy who was drafted in 1952 and sent to fight in the Korean War,
retired from the Army in 1974. He was drafted during the Korean War, stayed in the Army until
his retirement in 1974, which was followed by a second career as a civil servant. During his 22
years on active duty, he served in Korea, Germany, and Vietnam. It was his tour in Vietnam
during 1972 and 1973 that brought him a unique place in the history of our long struggle there.
Max Beilke was the last official American combat soldier to leave Vietnam. And he did so with
his family watching on television.
A report following his death quoted his sister, Lucille Johnson, as saying, "We could see him
leaving (Vietnam) on television. We all just beamed, because we knew he'd soon be home safely."
He was last in the line moving up the ramp into a waiting C-130 at Tan Son Nhut air base—a tall,
husky man with an open Midwestern face who was about to step into history. It was March 29,
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
1973, in Saigon. And Master Sergeant Max Beilke was officially designated as the last American
combat soldier to leave Vietnam.
"March 29 always sticks with me," Beilke told an interviewer years later. "There are certain
things--like your wedding anniversary, the day you came into the Army, the first time I left the
country and shipped out for Korea in '53--you remember those dates."
For many who boarded the last plane, it was a bitter experience. As agreed to in Paris, observers
from the North Vietnamese army looked on, sometimes smiling and trying to shake hands with
American officers. The gestures were largely ignored, or rebuffed with curses.
In 1984, he returned to the Army as a civilian employee, focusing on the problems of Vietnam
War veterans.
"I've always felt that we brought these young men out of Vietnam and discharged them from the
Army and they lost their support group," he said later. "When they went out into civilian life, and
in some places a very hostile civilian life, it was tough for them to cope."
"That's what Max was there for. He traveled all across the country," urging veterans to get help,
his sister said.
His neighbors in suburban Laurel, Maryland, remember Beilke as a
quiet, friendly man who never talked about his military experience. The
kind of man who loved his flower beds and flourishing crepe myrtles,
who audited the books of the homeowners association for free, saving
his working-class neighbors $1,000 or so a year. The kind who kept doing so even after the
association turned down his request to put a flagpole by the driveway.
(Source: pbs.org and www.arlingtoncemetery.net)
THE DUTCH HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN
The Netherlands American Cemetery is the only American
military cemetery in Holland, where more than 8,300
servicemen and women are buried. For 70 years, the Dutch
have come to the cemetery outside Margraten to care for
the graves of Americans killed in World War II.
It is the only American military cemetery in the
Netherlands. The cemetery site has a rich historical
background, lying near the famous Cologne-Boulogne
highway built by the Romans and used by Caesar during
his campaign in that area. The highway was also used by
Courtesy of Frank Recanati of River Edge, NJ
Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and Kaiser Wilhelm
II. In May 1940, Hitler's legions advanced over the route of the old Roman highway, overwhelming
the Low Countries. In September 1944, German troops once more used the highway for their
withdrawal from the countries occupied for four years.
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22 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
The cemetery's tall memorial tower can be seen before reaching the site, which covers 65.5 acres.
From the cemetery entrance visitors are led to the Court of Honor with its pool reflecting the tower.
At the base of the tower facing the reflecting pool is a statue representing a mother grieving her lost
son. To the right and left, respectively, are the visitor building and the map room containing three
large, engraved operations maps with texts depicting the military operations of the American armed
forces. Stretching along the sides of the court are Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded
1,722 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.
Within the tower is a chapel. The light fixture in the chapel and the altar candelabra and flower
bowl were presented by the government of the Netherlands and by the local provincial
administration. Beyond the tower is a burial area divided into 16 plots, where rest 8,301 of our
military dead, their headstones set in long curves. A wide, tree-lined mall leads to the flagstaff that
crowns the crest.
Honoring the Liberators of southern Netherlands: Memorial Day 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015 – Arthur Chotin, whose father is buried in Netherlands American
Cemetery, served as a guest speaker during the 2015 Memorial Day Ceremony.
“Life started again,” said Hank Verouden, a 75-year-old Dutch man, as he stood on the grounds of
Netherlands American Cemetery explaining what it meant when the Americans liberated the town
where he grew up in September 1944. “We have to be thankful for what these boys did for us.”
Hank, and his wife Maria, were amongst the more than 6,000 people gathered at Netherlands
American Cemetery for the 2015 Memorial Day Ceremony.
“70 years after the end of World War II in Europe, we take time to pay tribute to the more than
10,000 Americans who gave their lives in the cause of freedom and are memorialized here on these
hallowed grounds,” said Superintendent Keith Stadler, as he offered opening remarks during the
ceremony. More than 150 next of kin from across the United States attended the event, including a
large group traveling as part of the American World War II Orphans Network (AWON).
Every moment of the two hour ceremony reflected the respect and honor, deserving of those men
and women that paid the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. From the perfectly pressed
uniforms of the active duty Dutch and American military participants to the moving and emotional
remarks delivered by the guest speakers, the ceremony brought the crowd to tears, and delivered
goosebumps during the missing man formation flyover.
“Today we, the people of the Netherlands, say thank you. We say it with the deepest respect and
from the bottom of our hearts,” said Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands. “We say thank
you to our liberators. Thank you for enabling us to stand here today in freedom.” Throughout the
ceremony, Americans and Dutch alike echoed the same themes of friendship, gratitude and the
unbreakable bond forged from the war between the United States and the Netherlands. “We hold a
very special place in our hearts for these unknown warriors," said Th.J.M. Bovens, the King's
Commissioner in the Province of Limburg.
Arthur Chotin, whose father SSgt. Max Chotin is buried in the
cemetery, served as a special guest speaker, thanking the
Dutch for their unending devotion to those buried and
memorialized in the cemetery. “By making these dead part of
your family, you have become part of our family. You have
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
created a bond between us that will never be broken,” said Chotin. “So, from this day forward,
from now until the end of time, hartelijk bedank, a heartfelt thank you.”
The feeling of appreciation between the Dutch and Americans is mutual, and it was most readily
apparent as Hank Verouden stood there in the cemetery after the ceremony, choking back his
words as he thought back to September 1944. Just five years old at the time, he carries with him a
permanent scar. “He’s missing part of an ear,” said his wife Maria. “It was during the liberation
time.” Missing the top quarter inch of his right ear, Hank was hit by a stray bullet during gun fire
exchange between the Americans and Germans, just before his village was liberated. “We had to
run and go home, and suddenly there was shooting,” said Hank. “Two centimeters and I wouldn’t
be here.” He and Maria stood there on those hallowed grounds as a way to show their thanks and
appreciation for what their American liberators had given back to their country 70 years ago.
Bergen County resident Frank Recanati traveled to the
Netherlands American Cemetery Margraten for the 2015
Memorial Day Ceremony. He accompanied his Uncle, Donald
A. Rosati, the son of fallen soldier Dominic Rosati, who was
killed in action on November 17, 1944 near BettendorfSchleiden, Germany. Together they visited the grave site and
attended the memorial events in tribute to those laid to rest at
Margraten.
Pfc Dominic A. Donald A. Rosati at Margraten.
Rosati
served
with the U.S. Army as an Automatic Rifleman in the
175th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 29th Infantry,
Division B Company, and was awarded the Purple
Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster.
“The experience of attending the 70th anniversary in
the Netherlands has left an everlasting impression on
me,” Frank Recanati said. “The meticulous
maintained grounds of Margraten Cemetery along
Gravesite of Dominic A. Rosati, U.S. Army, WWII
with the generosity of the Netherlanders that have
taken upon themselves to adopt the plots generation after generation is a generous devotion to be
emulated. As I attended this military ceremony on foreign soil, I was never more proud to be an
American.”
Prior to the ceremony, Netherlands American Cemetery had been buzzing with activity for days.
Because every headstone and every name on the Wall of the Missing has been adopted by a local
citizen, thousands of visitors came through the cemetery to lay flowers. “Because of these people,
we have our freedom,” said Colinda Partouns, a local Dutch woman. “Although it was 70 years
ago, we have to remember.” Partouns was visiting the cemetery with her father, her sister, and her
niece and nephew. Between the group they have adopted five gravesites and names on the Wall
of the Missing.
Along with the thousands of floral bouquets, an American flag and a Dutch flag adorned every
headstone at the cemetery as part of the annual Memorial Day weekend tradition. To assist with
this large undertaking boy scouts, girl scouts, active duty military, and local university students
volunteered their time at the cemetery to place flags at the 8,301 headstones. Nadine Boesten, a
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24 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
student from Maastricht University who grew up in the area, helped with the flags. “It’s really
important that our generation doesn’t forget about this, and how many people gave their lives
from our freedom.”
Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Runion, who participated in the ceremony, best summed up the
true meaning of the events. “I hope everyone remembers what this weekend is all about and that
everyone takes the time to remember those who never came home,” said Runion. “For those of us
who serve it’s nothing in comparison to those who have given their lives.”
(Source: www.abmc.gov)
THIRD ANNUAL “TOUR FOR THE VETS”
The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center is the first educational center and museum of its
kind in the United States. Dedicated in September 1998, the Museum is devoted solely to gaining
an understanding of the conflict in Southeast Asia and the surrounding political strife in America.
The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center enables all visitors to learn about the myriad of
forces that produced the conflict abroad and the dissension at home. It provides an atmosphere
where appropriate materials and exhibits help visitors understand the significance of the
Memorial, the reality of the conflict, and the social, political and cultural complexities of the war
years.
The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center welcomes more than 14,000 visitors a year. The
two largest audiences are veterans and school students. The Museum & Educational Center was
built to augment the Memorial and help visitors gain a better understanding of the war in
Southeast Asia and the surrounding political strife in America. It complements the solemnity of
the Memorial with a dynamic and lively learning environment.
The 10,000 square foot facility includes a number of key components.
3rd Annual “Tour for the Vets”
August 22, 2015  11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Join us for an afternoon of food and music at the Vietnam Era Museum presented by the South
Central District Veterans’ Committee and the Red Bank Elks.
Cost: $20. Children 13 & Under are Free!
Organizer: Eileen Brennan-Watts
Phone: (732) 741-2750  njvvmf.org
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial
1 Memorial Lane  Holmdel, NJ 07733
Contact us for information about our “Free Saturday Tours”
VIETNAM WAR ACCOUNTING
Since 1973, the remains of more than 1,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War have been
identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
For more than two decades the U.S. has conducted joint field activities with the governments of
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to recover the remains of missing Americans. Throughout these
countries, field teams continue to investigate crash and burial sites, as well as interview locals to
gain additional knowledge. The U.S. also continues to obtain access to historical wartime records
and archives that provide information relevant to the fates of missing Americans.
Today, more than 1,600 Americans remain unaccounted for from the conflict.
(Source: www.powmiaawareness.org)
VFW SALUTES NEW AGENT ORANGE
DECISION
Contaminated C-123 aircraft used years after Vietnam War
WASHINGTON (June 18, 2015) — The Veterans of Foreign Wars
of the United is saluting the decision by the Department of Veterans
Affairs to begin accepting disability claims from veterans potentially
exposed to Agent Orange-contaminated aircraft in the post-Vietnam era. The decision by VA
Secretary Bob McDonald could now benefit as many as 1,500 to 2,100 Air Force and Air Force
Reserve personnel who might suffer from any of 14 presumptive medical conditions that have
been determined to be related to Agent Orange exposure.
The VA secretary made the decision to expand benefits following a 2015 report by the National
Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine on Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent OrangeContaminated C-123 Aircraft. The report found evidence that those who served aboard or worked
on the C-123 aircraft were exposed to the herbicide, both during and after Vietnam, when many
of the aircraft remained in service for aeromedical transportation or in a mosquito abatement role
back in the U.S.
“The VFW has been pushing for this decision for years,” said VFW National Commander John
W. Stroud, “because something inside these aircraft was making people sick years after the plane
last flew a defoliating mission in Vietnam. We thank the Institute of Medicine for determining a
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26 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
contributing link between exposure and the 14 medical conditions, and Secretary McDonald for
making a quick call to care for more veterans.”
All airmen who were assigned to flight, ground or medical crew duties at
Lockbourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base in Ohio (the 906th and 907th Tactical Air Groups or
355th and 356th Tactical Airlift Squadrons), at Massachusetts’s Westover AFB (the 731st
Tactical Air Squadron and 74th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron), or with the 758th Airlift
Squadron in Pittsburgh, during the period 1969 to 1986, and who may have developed an Agent
Orange-related disability, are encouraged to file a disability compensation claim through the
VA’s eBenefits web portal (www.ebenefits.va.gov), or to seek the free and expert assistance of a
national VFW Service Officer at www.vfw.org/NVS.
Read more about the decision at www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/20825/va-expands-disabilitybenefits-for-air-force-personnel-exposed-to-contaminated-c-123-aircraft.
ABOUT THE VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a non-profit veterans service
organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard
and Reserve forces. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's
largest organization of war veterans and its oldest major veterans organization. There are nearly
1.9 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in more than 6,800 Posts worldwide. The VFW
and its Auxiliaries are dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and
community service programs. For more information or to join, visit www.vfw.org.
(Source: www.vfw.org)
THE LEGIONNAIRE THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
Harry Colmery was tailor-made to assemble the
original GI Bill.
Harry W. Colmery (1890-1979)
A 1937 magazine profile of American Legion
National Commander Harry W. Colmery contained
a prophetic observation: “In the preparation of law
cases, his associates say, he is at his best in
arranging complicated masses of detail and
dovetailing them to fit into a sequence that has, on
occasion, flabbergasted opposing counsel by the
thoroughness by which it was assembled.”
Six years after the article appeared in The American Legion Monthly, that particular Colmery
characteristic was employed in a way that would improve the lives of millions for generations to
come, and change the course of U.S. history.
Colmery was called upon to assemble a collection of legislative priorities into one moral
imperative – a GI Bill of Rights – that would strike at the heart of a nation still awaiting the
outcome of World War II, at a time when communities across the map were filling fast with men
and women who had come home from military service wounded, sick, destitute and
psychologically reeling from the effects of their sacrifices.
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
Congress and the White House were fully aware that the U.S. government was unprepared to
handle the delayed costs of war. By the end of 1943, no fewer than 640 separate bills had been
introduced to address the needs and problems faced by veterans who had already come home, and
of GIs soon to be discharged, at a rate of about 75,000 per month. After all they had done and
were doing to free the world from Axis tyranny, little in the way of tangible opportunity awaited
them upon their return to civilian lives.
“Even a convict who is discharged from prison is given some money and a suit of clothes,”
American Legion National Commander Warren Atherton said in 1943. “The veteran, when he is
discharged from a hospital or separation center, is given neither.”
The lack of readjustment services, effective health care or career opportunities for returning
veterans soared to the top of the agenda of the nation’s largest veterans service organization that
year.
After he was selected by Atherton to serve on a special American Legion committee to help solve
the problem, Colmery was asked to put “all the complicated masses of detail” together into one
succinct bill and help convince a nation still deep at war on opposite ends of the planet that it
needed to invest in its veterans. It would be a tough, controversial and complicated proposition.
Harry Colmery was perfectly suited to take it on.
He had grown up in North Braddock, Pa., the son of a grocery store owner. Smart and athletic, he
finished a four-year high school program in two years, excelling in math and English. He was
valedictorian of his graduating class and a star athlete who went on to Oberlin College in Ohio,
where he started as a shortstop on the varsity baseball team. There, Colmery earned the nickname
“Hans” for his play’s resemblance to one of the greatest shortstops ever, Honus “Hans” Wagner
of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
While home from college in the summers, Colmery worked at a variety of jobs before he was
accepted to law school at the University of Pittsburgh.
After finishing his law degree, Colmery joined a friend in northern Utah, where he was first
admitted to the bar and began what became a long and illustrious legal career; he would
ultimately argue cases before the Supreme Court and was later selected to represent Robert F.
Stroud, the renowned “Birdman of Alcatraz,” in a 1959 motion to vacate a court judgment.
Colmery’s legal career, however, was interrupted soon after it began.
In late 1917, the United States was at war, and Colmery enlisted in the Army Air Service. He was
commissioned as a second lieutenant and served as an instructor of infantry drill regulations at
Kelly Field in Texas. Two months later, he was promoted to first lieutenant and trained to become
a pursuit pilot. A company and squadron commander, he logged more than 500 hours in the air
but was never deployed to a combat theater. His experience training pilots in less-than-safe
warplanes instilled in Colmery a lifelong passion to fight for adequate peacetime defense
readiness, an intractable plank in the American Legion’s platform of values. After the war and his
discharge from active duty, Colmery served another decade as a reserve officer, finishing as a
captain.
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28 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
In late 1919, he moved to Topeka, Kan., where his unique mix of intelligence, patriotism,
affability, legal skills, and commitment to service soon made him a prominent member of the
community, in particular the American Legion.
He readily assumed American Legion leadership roles not only at his local post and state
department, but at the national level as well. He managed the campaign of Ralph T. O’Neill, also
of Topeka, to serve as national commander of the American Legion in 1930 and 1931. As
chairman of the Legion’s National Legislative Committee, Colmery pushed Congress to provide
loans to World War I veterans against their long-awaited adjusted compensation – or bonuses – as
the country sank deeper into the Great Depression. He also marshaled the Rogers Act of 1931,
which funded hospital construction and medical services for veterans whose health-care needs
were not service-connected, a proposition of more than $20 million in federal investment, not
even two years after the stock market had crashed. Like the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act he
would later assemble and promote to enactment, the loans and hospital construction measures
faced long odds at a time of near bankruptcy for the United States. But, due to Colmery’s
determination, they passed.
In Topeka, Colmery was credited for reinvigorating a financially troubled chamber of commerce
when he served as its president in the late 1920s. He had similar success as commander for the
Department of Kansas. Along the way, he was involved in numerous civic, church, fraternal and
community leadership activities.
Colmery’s family – wife Mina and children Sarah, Harry and Mary – were supportive of his
active life of service and accepted his travel obligations and time away from home as sacrifices
necessary for the good of the nation.
In 1936, Colmery was elected national commander of the American Legion, which he saw as the
conscience of a nation whose past, present, and future all depend on the values of those who had
served in uniform.
“The burden of war falls on the citizen soldier, who has gone forth, overnight, to become the
armored hope of humanity,” Colmery said as he was working night and day in 1943 and 1944 to
draft what would become known as the greatest social legislation passed in the United States.
And when critics of the GI Bill later suggested that a year of unemployment benefits would turn
veterans into slackers, he simply said, “The American Legion has not lost faith in the veterans.”
David Camelon, a Hearst Newspapers
correspondent who covered the GI Bill from
inception to signing, later wrote of Colmery’s
conviction in assembling, writing and promoting
the bill: “The American Legion spoke, in a
voice of cold, calculated fury that shook
America.”
The voice did not come from one. It came from
many, a voice unified and amplified by Harry
Colmery.
Of all the classes he aced, baseball games he
played, cases he won, years he spent in uniform and successes he had in business, nothing would
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
matter more to Colmery’s legacy than the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, the American
Legion’s crown jewel of 20th-century achievements.
The G. I. Bill provided books, tuition, and a monthly stipend for
veterans who enrolled in colleges and universities. More than
two million veterans attended college on the G.I. Bill, and it is
estimated that in 1947, veterans accounted for 49 percent of
college students. Another 5 million veterans attended vocational
schools or participated in on-the-job training opportunities
funded through the G. I. Bill.
A U.S. postage stamp commemorating the
G.I. Bill was issued in 1999.
The Colmery-O'Neil Veterans Administration Hospital in
Topeka, Kansas, is named for him.
“He was a verifiable legend in our time,” American Legion Past National Commander James F.
O’Neil said in 1979. “His name will live forever in the history of the American Legion, the nation
and the world.”
(Source: Jeff Stoffer, The American Legion Magazine, June 1, 2015 - see more at www.legion.org.)
116TH VFW NATIONAL CONVENTION
Pittsburgh, Pa., “The Steel City,” is the host city for the 116th VFW National Convention.
Approximately 10,000 VFW and Ladies Auxiliary members will convene from all over the world
at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, July 18-22, 2015. VFW members will vote on
organizational by-laws, attend workshops, network with other veterans and attend business
sessions. Convention delegates will also enjoy addresses from several notable and distinguished
guests.
Although historically known for its steel industry, this year’s location is also now known as “The
City of Bridges,” surpassing Venice, Italy in the number of bridges possessed. Pittsburgh is also
the home of the first public television station, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Primanti Bros.
Sandwich, and a number of professional sports teams. With so much culture there is a little
something for everyone.
Please visit
information.
www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/Events/116th-VFW-National-Convention
for
600 MOTORCYCLISTS RAISE MONEY FOR VETERANS
AT WARRIORS RUN IN NEW MILFORD
NEW MILFORD (June 14, 2015) – Hundreds of
motorcyclists revved their engines underneath a large
American flag, eagerly starting a 48-mile drive
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30 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
intended to assist veterans of the United States military.
The second annual Warriors Run drew nearly 600 riders to New Milford High School, many of
whom said they were drawn to the event’s mission – to donate money to various veterans’
organizations throughout the country.
Police from around the area escort riders at the start of the ride. The event is designed to raise
funds for the Wounded Warrior Project, Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the USO.
The crowd of riders was much larger than the first Warriors Run last year, said Bob Nesoff, the
president of the non-profit organization that hosts the event.
Last year nearly 250 riders signed up for the run, and through the registration, raffles and T-shirt
sales the group donated between $12,000 and $14,000 to the Special Operations Warrior
Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Project and the USO. This year, nearly 600 riders were
expected to register, Nesoff said, which should lead to a larger donation to the various
organizations.
“People appreciate what our military does for us,” Nesoff said. “I think the amount of people here
today shows that.”
The event also featured an honored guest. Capt.
Samantha Rossi-Hoxha, an active duty officer who
served in Iraq and has been awarded a Bronze Star, the
Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation
Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, a Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.
Rossi-Hoxha spoke to the crowd of bikers before the
group left on the 48-mile ride and thanked them for their
donations to veterans throughout the country that need
assistance after returning home from duty. Rossi-Hoxha
sat in a convertible that led the police-escorted
motorcycle run.
Capt. Samantha Rossi-Hoxha is congratulated by her
father Peter Rossie at the Warriors Run Motorcycle Rally.
“I’m very humbled,” Rossi-Hoxha said. “It’s so encouraging to see so many people come out and
support the military. To see this entire community come together is pretty incredible.”
Originally, the group hoped to cross the George Washington Bridge and circle around Ground
Zero to pay their respects. However, after complications with the Port Authority they needed to
design a new route, Nesoff said.
Instead the riders snaked down River Road in New Milford, drove onto Route 4 West to Route
280 and Route 287. From there, they exited onto Ramapo Valley Road in Oakland, drove onto
Franklin Turnpike in Ramsey and traveled onto Route 17 South and Route 4 again before driving
through Teaneck, Bergenfield and Dumont. They ended the ride by returning to New Milford
High School.
The ride attracted a wide range of people – which organizers said was common for militarycharity events.
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino said he supported the Warriors Run last year and
believed in the group’s mission.
“This is all about helping our troops who protect our freedom,” he said before riding. “Whatever
we can do to support our veterans is something worth doing.”
Tom Mandel, who participated in the run with his wife Diane, said the cause of Warriors Run was
worth supporting.
“Motorcyclists might get a bad reputation sometimes, but everyone here just wants to come out
and show their respect and support,” said Mandel, a Mahwah resident. “It’s really a great cause.”
Todd Bennett, an Oradell resident, said he typically did not do larger motorcycle runs, like the
Warriors Run, but was drawn to the organization’s mission.
“As a society we should do more for the people who literally put their lives on the line every
day,” Bennett said. “This is a good way to have fun and support a good cause.”
For Peter Rebsch, the first vice president of the Warriors Run organization, the goal of the run
was simple – and that was reflected by its hundreds of participants.
“In the field no one gets left behind,” Rebsch said. “My feeling is that when they get back home,
no veteran should be left behind.”
(Source: Andrew Wyrich, The Record, June 14, 2015)
SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR VETERANS
Medical adult-day program for veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs has made a
commitment to provide community based services for veterans who are at risk for long-term care
services. Adult day services are a key component because it provides care in a safe and less
restrictive environment and also provides a respite resource for care givers. For more
information, call (201) 848-5830. Visit www.christianhealthcare.org.
Free yoga classes open to veterans. Kula for Karma offers yoga for veterans from 6:15-7:15 pm
on Tuesdays at the Ridgewood YMCA, 112 Oak Street. The class is free for veterans; no
membership is required. For further information or to sign up, contact Carol Livingstone at the Y,
201-444-5600, ext. 330. Kula for Karma, Franklin Lakes, is a non-profit organization that offers
yoga to individuals whose lives have been affected by illness, abuse, addition, trauma and other
stressful like condition. For more information or to volunteer time, call (201) 638-8000. Visit
www.kulaforkarma.org.
Bring military I.D.., take a free class. Yoga Haven at 9 Post Road, Oakland, offers free yoga for
veterans on Wednesdays. With military I.D., veterans can attend a weekly scheduled class. Visit
www.unwindrestore.com or call (201) 644-7777.
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32 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
21
ST
LT. GOVERNOR SALUTES VETERANS AT
MISSION OF HONOR COMMITTAL CEREMONY
Veterans of Spanish-American War, Both World Wars, Korea,
Peacetime Laid to Rest in Wrightstown
TRENTON (June 4, 2015) – Joining New Jersey’s Mission of Honor
(NJMOH) in its work to provide all veterans with a dignified resting
place, Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and the New Jersey Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs participated in the 21st NJMOH
Committal Ceremony, which interred the cremated remains of 10
veterans at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial
Cemetery.
“These brave soldiers gave everything in the service and defense of our great nation, both in
times of war and during peacetime. Today, we give them what we can – the honor of their names
and the dignity of a full military burial,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “Regardless of when they
served, or where, we benefit from their patriotism and courage. Thanks to New Jersey’s Mission
of Honor, we will never forget these veterans.”
NJMOH is a non-profit that works with hospitals, funeral homes, crematoriums, veterans’ homes
and other organizations to identify and inter the remains of veterans that have been unclaimed
since cremation. Including the veterans interred at this ceremony, NJMOH has reunited more
than 250 veterans’ remains with their families and interred 178 veterans’ remains. These veterans
include recipients of the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and other commendations.
The men whose remains were interred served in the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force during the
Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and peacetime. Their remains went
unclaimed for between 7 and 66 years and were identified with the cooperation of Volk Leber
Funeral Home in Oradell, Gaita Memorial Funeral Home in Little Falls, and Frech Funeral Home
in Dumont.
For a full list of veterans interred by NJMOH or to learn more about getting involved in its
efforts, please visit the organization’s website at: www.njsmissionofhonor.org.
(Source:www.state.nj.us)
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
DISTINGUISHED RETIRED MARINE ADDRESSES
CROWD AT BERGEN MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY
HACKENSACK (May 15, 2015) – Sometimes life’s simple
lessons make a huge difference, Vietnam veteran Ben R.
Cascio told a crowd at Bergen County's annual military
appreciation ceremony.
Cascio, a retired Marine Captain from Oakland, recalled that
when he was 13 years old, his uncle Fred took him to a
Palisades Park lumber yard to teach him how to drive.
Keynote speaker Ben Cascio, a retired Marine Corps
Captain, addresses the audience at a ceremony at the
Bergen County Administration Building to celebrate
Military Appreciation Month.
The Bergen County chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of
America fired a 21 gun salute to close the ceremony.
Cascio was having trouble learning how to use the stick shift when his uncle said, "This is just a
machine. Don't let it drive you. You drive it. Let it become an extension of yourself."
That lesson kicked in years later when Cascio was a helicopter pilot assigned to an emergency
medical evacuation in Quang Tri Province. The chopper was one of two under his command
dispatched to rescue wounded Marines when it came under heavy fire on April 28, 1968.
Cascio recalled thinking he had something in his eye and couldn't see. Only later did he learn that
he had permanently lost sight in one eye.
But with the help of a 19-year-old crew chief, Cascio guided the craft and brought back eight
wounded Marines.
Cascio won a Silver Star and a Distinguished Flying Cross for his bravery. But he said the most
meaningful reward came many years later when he met five of the eight men his crew had
rescued that day.
"The best medal in the world is a live man's smile," Cascio told the crowd, repeating a saying
among medical evacuation pilots.
Cascio, the keynote speaker at the event in Hackensack, was one of 13 veterans honored during
the ceremony. A posthumous honor was given to former Cliffside Park Mayor Gerald Calabrese,
who served three years with the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Bergen County Executive James Tedesco thanked the dozens of veterans gathered on the plaza of
the County Administration building and promised that could government will do more for them.
He said his administration has added two staffers to the Veteran's Services division.
Tedesco also announced a new program through which used county computers will be donated to
American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War posts. The aim of the program is to make it easier
for veterans to access services, he said.
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34 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
Four computers have been delivered so far to posts in Bogota, Garfield, Lyndhurst, and Rochelle
Park, and more are on the way, he said. More information on this program can be found on page
37.
(Source: John C. Ensslin, The Record, May 15, 2015)
TRACERS: HELPING BERGEN COUNTY’S HOMELESS
VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES SINCE 1993
Tracers wants to end homelessness for veterans in Bergen County by helping homeless veterans
and veterans in danger of becoming homeless, and giving a hand to homeless vets, not a handout. Working together, we can do it.
“Tracers” has provided over $94,000 worth of bus
tickets, $5,000 worth of phone cards, and tens of
thousands of dollars in clothing, McDonald’s and
Shop Rite gift certificates, shoes, VA canteen books,
and other items essential to homeless veterans.
Whether the veteran needs bus tickets for job
interviews, transportation to social services agencies
or to employment obtained, “Tracers” is there to
assist. Because of your donations, the lives of
homeless veterans in Bergen County are improving,
one veteran at a time. If you or your organization
would like to make a donation, checks should be made payable to “County of Bergen - Tracers”
and sent to “Tracers”, One Bergen County Plaza, 2nd Floor, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076. $25
or $50 gift certificates, redeemable at stores in Hackensack such as Sears, Shop Rite, and Target
are also welcome. Gift certificates allow the veteran to purchase clothing, shoes, etc. in their
exact size, as well as male or female personal items required.
$10.00 McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts, or Burger King gift cards, which are available
for purchase at the counter, are greatly appreciated by our homeless job seekers. Tracers could
use men’s underwear and t-shirts (M/XXL) so please keep us in mind. If you have any questions,
call the Division of Veterans Services at (201) 336-6325, weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Among many programs, VA has created a national hotline for homeless veterans – 1-877-4243838 – which is staffed around the clock, seven days a week. Responders can help callers find
food, shelter, clothing, and other assistance for homeless veterans.
THANKS TO TRACERS BENEFACTORS
(PRIOR TO 7/1/2015)
Gold ($500 and above):
 VFW Post 850 - Glen Rock
 American Legion Post 21 - Cresskill
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER  SUMMER 2015
Silver ($250 - $499):
 David R. & Joan C. Boesch
 American Legion Post 128 - Teaneck
Bronze ($100 - $249):
 Jewish War Veterans, Lt. James L. Platt No. 651
 Tom Lemond
 SAL Squadron American Legion Post 142
Maywood
 Volunteer Center of Bergen County Employees and Benefactors
Boosters (Under or up to $99)
 James R. & Nancy A. Scherer
BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS DIVISION
COMPUTER OUTREACH PROGRAM
In March of this year, the Bergen County Division of Veterans Services began an outreach
program to place computers in the VFW and American Legion halls in Bergen County. Once a
sufficient number of computers are in place, a letter will be sent out to the over 500 recently
returning veterans returning to Bergen County. The letter will welcome veterans to visit our
office in order to receive information and help them in accessing their GI Bill benefits.

The introduction letter will also direct these new veterans, that don’t own a computer, to
the locations of the VFW and American Legion halls where they can find a computer to
use to access their benefits. This will also help introduce these young veterans to these
organizations, and hopefully bring in new membership.
To date we have delivered 16 computers throughout the county, with 6 more posts waiting for
computers to become available.
If you think your post might be interested in joining our program, please contact our Outreach
Coordinator, Fred Hayo, at (201) 336-6330 or e-mail [email protected].
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