Clifton Merchant Magazine - November 2013

Clifton Merchant November 2013 3

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Editor & PublisherTom Hawrylko

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Contributing WritersRichard Szathmary,

Irene Jarosewich, Carol

Leonard, Jack DeVries,

Rich DeLotto, Don Lotz

1288 Main AvenueDowntown Clifton, NJ 07011

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Table of Contents

Stories of Military ServiceGenerations of Clifton Veterans

Athenias Helene LenkowecShe Was A Coast Guard SPAR

Reunited in Basic TrainingTony Latona & Yvonne Nollman

Nov. 10 Veterans ParadeVan Houten to Avenue of Flags

Passaic County Elks CP CenterNJRCCs Community Champion Award

Students of the MonthFive Mustangs at CHS

Whats Inside?6

22

28

48

60

62

70

WWII Army Vet Sam Citero& Carmela, His Bride of 67 Years

6

38A look back atDutch Hoogstraten


d

76

80

86

90

Community CaresSt. Peters Wholly, Doing Good

Lifes a PageantRichefields Jonellyn Stanek

Fernando Rossi Alumni GameHis Sons Numero Uno, Too

Optimist Hot Dog NightOur Annual Tube Steak Tradition

54 Sarge Joe Padula

82 Boys Club Gala Dinner

Ed Notes: In last months cover story, Angelina TiradoSmashes Through, we need to clarify that Tirado is a2001 CHS grad. Also, we went to press on Oct. 26 andcould not include photos from Clifton Recs HalloweenParade. Get the digital edition of Clifton Magazine aswell as more stories and info at cliftonmerchant.com.


Below from left to right, Rudy Zajac, Bill Niaderand Sam Citero.

WWII veterans die daily at an alarming rate. 700nationally, the median strength of a then-battalion.

Sixty-sevenyearsagotheJapanesegovernment,in

astunningbitofverbalweaseliness,announcedtoits

ownwar-wearytroopsandcitizensthatsincethewar

hasnotnecessarilygonetoJapansadvantage,itwas

cavingtotheAlliedforces.Thusendinghostilitiesand

militaryservicefortheGreatestGeneration.

But some still hear the guns. (Unfortunately, too,

theystillgooffassortedplaces.)Cannotquitestillthe

noise even now. Perhaps dont even reallywant to.

Rememberwhatitalllookedandsoundedlike

Below, as Clifton preps for its annual Veterans

parade (see page 60) and however modest it is as

repayment,we offer a few brief looks at some vets

fromClifton.And, as a sort of lagniappe, a tale of

someonewhoalmostover-remembersinnear-nerdy

detailagreatpersonallosstohimduringchild-

By Richard Szathmary

(LIKELY)LASTPOST

From left to right, Jim Moll, Alex Donetz I and II,below Greg Donetz and Robert Donetz.


SHERIFF RICHARD H. BERDNIK

RE-ELECT CLIFTONS OWN...

Vote Democratic November 5th Vote Row B

I am writing to request your voteas I seek reelection as Sheriff ofPassaic County.

As you probably know, my com-mitment to Clifton runs deep.Having grown up here and raisedmy family in my hometown, I feelstrongly about the continued suc-cess of the municipality.

As I have stated previously, I am proud of mypublic career, as not only a Clifton Police Officerbut now as the Sheriff of Passaic County.

Being Sheriff has given me an opportunity tocontinue to serve and protect the residents of thisgreat City.

If I am fortunate to be re-elected, I intend to continue mycommitment to the Sheriff sOffice and initiate more innova-tive programs and policies tohelp keep our families safe, whilereducing the burden on our tax-payer.So again, I ask that on

Tuesday, November 5th, that you please votefor me, Freeholders Terry Duffy and PatLepore and the entire Row B Team.

Thank you and God Bless!Sincerely,

Richard H. BerdnikPaid for Berdnik for Sheriff


Honoring Veterans

hood,whichoccurredatthetailendofthestrugglefor

the Pacific. To a degree hinting of obsessiveness,

remindshowlongsomenaggingwoundsmayremain.

Today as we approach the day once known as

ArmisticeDay,somanyofusjustgotoMacysforthe

sales. Yet in the UK they still term it Remembrance

Day and theymake bloodywell sure to. By sharing

thesestories,weremakingourownpaltrystabatthank-

ingallofCliftonsvetsfortheirservice.

Sergeant Moll Attends A MaulingPeleliu (nowPalau), a Pacific isle thats part of the

westernmost band of the Carolines, was where the

Japanesedugindoggedlylatesummer1944.AMarine

general,inoneofthosefatuous,dopilyrosypredictions

generalsarefondof,predicted itdfall infour.(Yes,

andTebowwillalwaysbeaJetsQB.Sanchez,too!)

Instead, it took 74 entrails-spattered days and a 40

percent USMC casualty rate to take an island of no

strategicvaluewhatsoeverwhichwasneverevenused

again as a staging area. EightMedals of Honor were

awardedpost-battle,fiveposthumously.

Jim Moll, from what was then called theWeasel

BrooksectionofClifton(onSylvanAve.between2nd

and3rdSts.,andboywasCliftonjustagreatplaceto

liveandgrowupin then)waspartof thefirstassault

wave in. Japanese fireon thebeach tookoutbothhis

platoonleaderandplatoonsergeant.

Withinminuteshewashitwithasmallpieceofshrap-

nel(whichheremovedhimselfwithhisK-barknife)

andhekilledaJapanesesoldier.Thingsdidntgetmuch

betteroverthenext21daysbeforehisunitwasfinally

pulledoffline.

Butitneverbotheredmemuchtotalkaboutit,the

92-year-oldMollsaysfromanassistedlivingfacilityin

LagunaNiguel,CA,nearSacramento.Justgetusedto

it,youknow?Getusedtoitandgetoverit.

Postwar,afterfirstmarryingawarwidowfromthe

Delawannasection(Dotheystillreallycallitthat?He

wasalsoamazedtohearRuttsHutendures,because,

hey, I remember them there even fromwhen Iwas a

kid.), SaraAdams, and eventually adopting her two

sons, Jim Moll during his 65 year marriage moved

many, many times. To Glen Rock, To Florida, To

Michigan. To California. Back to Florida. Back to

California.BacktoFlorida.Thenbackto... Itsalitany

of locations.He even did a fivemonth stint in South

Koreaduringthe60sasanengineeringconsultant.

paid for by Committee to Elect Sheila Oliver

Proudly Serving Assembly District 34... Clifton, Orange, East Orange & Montclair

The Honorable

Sheila Y. OliverSpeaker of New Jersey

15-33 Halsted St., Suite 202 East Orange, NJ 07018973-395-1166 [email protected]

paid for by Committee to Elect Sheila Oliver

Support the good work of St. Peters Haven. To donate food items, call 973-546-3406.


Vote Democratic November 5th Vote Row B

SHERIFFRICHARD H. BERDNIK


Honoring Veterans

ButhenevergotbacktoClifton

itself, except once, very briefly,

whenoneofhis twobrothersdied.

But Ill always rememberClifton.

It really was a very nice place. I

likedbeingtherealot.

It was certainly better than the

nexthellishplacehewoundup,after

turningdown a battlefield commis-

sion on Peleliu because the Corps

couldntguaranteehedthenstayin-

unitwith the 1stMarines, the little

home island under Japanese reg-

nance called Okinawa. The 1st

Marineshad1200+killedonPeleliu,

1600+onOkinawa.Mollsays,You

justhavetogoon.Hewenton.

Speaking Of Okinawa...Kunishi Ridge onOkinawa, from

all reports, was a sucky, muddy,

booby-trappedkindofplace.Thebat-

tleforitbeganJune10,1945,more

than two months after the overall

battle for Okinawa, rated as the

greatestsea-air-landbattleinhisto-

ry,commencedonAprilFoolsDay.

KunishiRidgewasablydefended

byanenemywhichnotoriouslyfor

weeksalreadyhadbeenhandingout

grenades to the Japanese civilians

theyweresupposedlytheretopro-

tect,warningthemoftheAmerican

barbaritysuretoensueiftheyfell

into our clutches and even killing

them themselves if said civilians

waveredorexpressedskepticism.

Duringtheoverallcourseofthat

battle, some 12,500 America sol-

diers and sailors died (plus,

famously, one beloved war corre-

spondent,ErniePyle).

Amidst all that slaughter (often

citedasthesourceofU.S.reason-

ingfordroppingatomicbombson

Japan rather than the planned but

likelyhighcasualtyinvasionofthe

Japanese mainland, on June 12,

duringa3-weekstrugglewhichon

June21effectivelyendedthecam-

paign for Okinawa, a Clifton

Marine, Pvt. William Niader was

killedbyashellblastwhileserving

asastretcherbearer.

Niaderwastwoweeksinaspart

ofa replacementdraft in themael-

stromofOkinawa.

According tobrotherFrank, just

13 back and back in Cliftonwhen

hisbrotherwasKIA,hewasagood

manwhobarelyhadtimetoeven

serveonOkinawa.Acoupledaysin

andbang,hewasgone.

Which makes William Niader

akin to the sailors at Pearl Harbor

entombedintheU.S.S.Arizona,sort

offoreveronactiveduty.Andina

place whose Japanese inhabitants

seem long tired now of an

Nov. 5 #2 on the Ballot

Elect Rosemary Pino Clifton Board of Education

Clifton Resident for 20+ Years with Children in Clifton Schools

BS Degree in Finance From Rutgers University

Over 10 Years of Work Experience in the Finance Industry

Passionate and Dedicated to Providing a Quality Education

Parental Involvement Fiscal Responsibility Transparency

Career Options Vested Interest in Our Children's Education

Rosemary and her husband Eric and their children.

Paid for by Rosemary Pino


FRANK FEENANfor Passaic County SheriffPASSAIC COUNTYNEEDS NEW LEADERSHIPthat puts Familiesahead of Politicsand creates Opportunitiesfor You... Not Politicians!

Vote Row A for Responsible Leadership

Passaic CountyFreeholdersChristian Barrancoand Phil Weisbecker

NOVEMBER 5 VOTE ROW A

Frank Feenan

Christian Barranco Phil WeisbeckerPaid for by PCRRO

Marie Sieber, Treasuer

www.PCRRO.org


Honoring Veterans

Americanmilitarypresenceontheir

island home. Niader thus never

livedtobecomeabonafideveteran.

Hes buried at The Punchbowl,

a/k/a the National Military

Cemetery of the Pacific on Oahu,

and his 82-year-old brother Frank

hasnevergottentoseehisgrave.

Frank Niader Remembers. And Remembers. And...

ThereisastorybyHenryJames

ofsomerelevancehere,TheAltar

OfTheDead,aboutamanwho,as

heages,realizeshowmanypeople

hes lost in his life. So he begins

lighting candles at a Catholic

churchbywayofremorse.Waves

sweepdreadfullyoverthedeadgoesalineinthistale

whichhintsthattoomuchself-bearingofgriefmightnot

bethealtogetherwisestwaytolive.

Frank Niader continues himself to remember his

brother in a way which recalls the James story. Even

whenaskedifhispursuitofhisgrief(evenfascination,it

seems)regardingcertaineventsinWWIIisabit,well...,

hepre-emptivelysuppliesthewordhimself.

Obsessive?heaskswithaslysmile,inatonewhich

saysthatheknowsthatyounowknowthatallthishas

somehowbecomehislifeswork.

Iwantpeoplenottoforgettheseguys,hesaysfirm-

ly.Hepointsout thathemightaswelldo thiswork

becausethereareinfactnomoreNiadersaround.When

Ipeterout, thats ithere.Hisparentsaredeadandhe

nevermarried.

(Hedoeshaveonhis left

armatattoowithsurprising-

ly fresh colors, given his

ownage,incommemoration

of a beloved girlfriendwho

died, at age 65, only a few

yearsago.Itsinmemoryof

Margo,andwasonlydone

afterherdeath,withFrankat

anadvancedagewhenmost

ofusshyawayfromneedle-

drivenpain.)

Certainly Frank, an

employee of the Clifton

DPWformorethan20years

ago who resides on Van

HoutenAve.,setouttolearn

asmuchasfeasibleabouthis

brothersdeath.StartingwithWilliamslettershometo

his family before he landed on Okinawa. Continuing

withlettersfromhisCO(theinevitable,a-hard-to-write

personalcondolence letter, amissive fromabuddy in

theCorps,etc.)Amountingtofiveratherthicklystuffed

albums full ofmemorabilia about his brotherWilliam

andhisownFranksquestsince. Itsasortofportable

altarofthedead,apackageofgrief.

Franks personal vision quest (American Indians

wouldprobablyacknowledgeitasthat)hasalsoledhim

down surprising byways. Hes corresponded

with/informedabouthisbrothersdeathatrulyamazing

listofcorrespondents,fromStevenSpielbergtohistori-

an Stephen Ambrose to, of all Navy veterans, Regis

Philbin.Hes located about 500 formerMarineWWII

vetsacrossAmerica.Heservesasaclearinghouse


JOE CUPOLIfor NJ Senate

Team CliftonTired of the same failing ideas and the same representation in Trenton, year after year?

VOTE for a CHANGE!

NOVEMBER 5 VOTE ROW A

Working Together for aSTRONGER NEW JERSEY

in the 34th District

David Rios Mike Urciuoli

NJ Assembly34th DistrictDavid Rios andMike Urciuoli

Paid for by PCRRO

Marie Sieber, Treasuer

www.PCRRO.org


Honoring Veterans

for the exchange of memories of WWII, and gladly

sharesalltheamassedcontactdata.

And he received the signal honor indeed of being

askedasaprivatecitizentolayawreathinArlington,VA

attheTomboftheUnknownSoldier.ItwasaChristmas

wreath,itslayingoccurredonDecember4,2006andit

was part of the wonderful WreathsAcrossAmerica

program noting the sacrifices of vets nationally with

wreathsontheirgravesduringtheholidayseason.

So it seems fair to ask Frank Niader how he feels

abouttheineluctablefactthathehimselfneverservedin

thearmedforces.Hecouldntbedrafted;asaresultof

hisbrothersdeath,hequalifiedwhenhecameofagefor

theSoleSurvivingSonexemption.

Well,whenIgottotheagewhenIcouldgo...,he

says.Heshakeshishead.Sincethenthiscountryhasnt

necessarilybeengoinginthebestdirection.Letsleave

itatthat.Itsanoddreaction,asuggestionthatgriefyet

dominates.

Thenamestumbleoutofhim.Marineslongdeadand

gone.Otherssoontobegone.Celebshesalertedsothat

theytoowonteverforgetthesacrificesofourveterans.

FrankNiaderhasastorytotell,thathewishestomake

fullyknown.ItsabitliketheAncientMarinerinthe

ColeridgepoemTheRimeofThe...whoimportunes

theWeddingGuest tohearhis tale,eventotheguests

activeannoyance.Butitsstillatroveofmemoriesworth

cherishing.Whetherornotoneofourownkinwaskilled

onseeminglyGod-forsakenKunishiRidgein1945.

A Platoons Worth (At Least) of DonetzesSome families... the Rockefellers, maybe, or the

Kennedys... seem to be everywhere. In Clifton, in

termsofthesheersacrificeofservinginthearmedforces

(anditissacrificewhetherornotoneenlistsinthefirst

place),thatstheDonetzes.

DuringWWII the Clifton-based Donetz clan along

withassortedcousinsanduncleswoundupeverywhere

fromnorthernEuropetoNorthAfricatoacrosstheglobe

tothemostforlornofshipssquattinginthevastreaches

ofthePacific.

One, Anthony Donetz, was on the USS Canberra

when itwas torpedoedoffOkinawa in1945. Another

relativebymarriage,EdDronka,lostalefthandforhis

countrywhileintheArmysloggingthroughthemorass

of incompetent and sluggish generalship of the Italian

campaign, which historian Douglas Porch nonetheless

termed the hinge of victory. So theyve sure as hell

givenbacktoAmerica.

Theyve continued this tradition post-WWII, in,

amongotherplaces,Panama,KoreaandSEAsia.The

Donetzesshowupfortheircountry.

At left: the Donetz brothers Alex, Greg and Robert who served inthe Vietnam years, in a photo taken at a wedding a few years back.Above: their Uncles Walter and Anthony with their dad Alex in animage created during their service in World War II.


Did you know that the City of Clifton has over84,000 residents? Yet the citizens of our city havenot had representation in Trenton since 2001!

Thats 12 years with no one fighting for us.But, with your help, we can change that.

On November 5th, youll have a chance to makesure that our voices will be heard and our concernsaddressed, when you give me your supportandyour votefor NJ State Senate.

As successful business owner I will bring a com-mon sense business approach to Trenton. I will create private-sector jobs and attract businessinvestments to the 34th District. By eliminating wasteful spending, I will help to putthe brakes on rising taxes. I will work in a bi-partisan manner for the good ofall New Jerseyans. I promise to be a visible and accessible StateSenatornot just during election season but allthroughout my term.But I need your help!

Show the power brokers of Trenton thatClifton will not be ignored any longer!

On November 5th please vote for me.

Thank you!


Honoring Veterans

Inafamilialtraditionofservice,atleast30

haveservedinthearmedforcessinceWWII.

AlexanderDonetz, anArmyvetwho in fact

lives right next to the Clifton VFWs Post

7165onValleyRoad,saysthathisowninter-

estlevelinthemilitarywhereaboutsoffamily

membersstemsfromalongout-of-printbook

publishedin1945bytheHerald-Newswhen

thepaperstillhadadiscernibleeditorialbudg-

et.Heisseenonpage6holdingthebook.

AnybodyHereFromJerseyisacompila-

tion of reports, articles and lists from three

intrepid war correspondents (back from the

dayswhenbeingacorrespondentmeantmorethanjust

looking spiffy in a hand-tailored utility vest while

doingyourdailysatellitefeed),WilliamMcBride,Carl

EkandRodneyOdell.

Thethree,moreorlessCliftonsownversionsofthe

then-revered Ernie Pyle, ranged across both the

EuropeanandPacifictheatersofwarandsimplyasked

aroundfortheirin-stateneighbors.Someoftheresulting

storiespackarealwallop.Itsaclassicvolumeifyoucan

find a copy; its around $40 a pop from online book-

sellersorAmazon.

OnethingthatAlexanderDonetzsayshelearnedfrom

this book is that all of our servicemen, regardless of

raceorreligion,hadonethingincommon,andthatwas

toendtheWarandgohome.(Whichisbasicallyallthe

currentcivilianpopulationofOkinawaisaskingtodayof

America,cometothinkofit.)Donetzisalsoathought-

ful sort, so one of his lingeringmemories ofWWIIs

aftermathisthathisdadAlexanderSr.broughtbackboth

aGermandaggeradornedwithaswastikaandasharp-

enedbeltbuckleassouvenirs.ThedaggerAlexanderJr.

cuthimselfonasachild;hestillhasthehairlinescaron

afingerfromplayingwithit.

Asforthebeltbuckle,whichhadtwoclaw-likefas-

tenerssharpenedtoapoint,heworeitduringthe50s

whenblackleatherjacketsandmotorcyclebootswerein

fashion...AtthetimeIthoughtitwascool.

Now,Ithinkofthepainandsufferingitcouldhave

caused...Notsocoolnow,heconcludesruefully.

TheDonetzesremainactiveinveteransorganizations

and concerns, by the way (and not just because

AlexanderlivessoclosetotheVFW).BrotherGreg(the

Nam-eraArmy)isthecurrentCommanderatPost7165

andAlexanders son John (Navy, service on the USS

Milwaukee, a replenishment oiler) even tends bar

somenightsatthePost.Thelineofserviceholds.

Centenarian Status?OnApril17,2014,RudolphStanley(Rudy)Zajac

willturn100.Well,may,anyway.Wenecessarilyhave

tobegrimhere,asWWIIvetsageandpassonthanksto

FatherTimesessentialruthlessness.

RudyiscurrentlyinanursinghomeinBergenCounty

but,accordingtohislovingnieceLeondraRybenskyand

herspouseJoe,retainshisfacultiesashenearsanactual

centuryofexistence.Its just thathecantgetaround

verywellanymore,shesays.

Beforeandafterhisservice inWWII,Rudywas, to

thebestofLeondrasrecollection,usuallyeitheracaddy

oracaddymasteratareagolfcourses.Sometimes,too,

hewasoneoftheluckyfewwhod,inthosedaysbefore

discountairfares(whicharenolongerterriblydiscount-

edagain),winteroverinFloridaasacaddy.Hedalso,

accordingtohisniece,sometimesearnextramoneyby

drivingtheircarstoFloridaforwealthygolfers.Even

asheseemstohavefollowedthesun,however(and

perhapsbecauseofhisdriftingwayoflife),Rudynever

marriedorhadchildren.

An old favorite son ofClifton, Rudy Zajac,served as the GrandMarshal of theVeterans Parade a fewyears back. He is pic-tured above with nieceLeondra Rybensky andher husband Joe.


Honoring Veterans

ButWWIIeruptedandsuddenlyonMarch26,1942,

rheenlistedandeventuallyfoundhimselfintheArmys

77th Infantry Division.And the 77th, re-activated in

early42,afterapost-WWIshutdownin1919,became

thatkindofoutfitesteemedbytheoldbreedofsoldiers

(suchas thelifersportrayedbeforePearlHarbor in

thenovelFromHereToEternity),afightingunit.

An almost constantly engaged fighting unit.Which

bargedbloodilyontoGuam,didsomeheavyscufflingon

Leyteandthen,afterasortoftune-uponthebastionof

Ie Shima, stormed onto Okinawa, where one of its

actionsalsoresultedinthecombatdeathofErniePyle.

The77thfoughtalongsideseasonedUSMCunitson

both Guam and Okinawa, for its valor was routinely

referred to by manyMarines on Guam, including Lt.

Gen Holland Howling Mad Smith, as the 77th

MarineDivision.Thatsrealtribute.

Andsomehowononeofthoseever-horribledayson

Okinawa then, Rudy Zajacwaswounded by amortar

blast, sent stateside toWalter Reed Hospital and dis-

chargedonOctober20,1945anddecoratedformeritori-

ousserviceduringgroundcombat.

Postwar,however,isthingsgethazy.Rudyneverwed

sohealsothenneverimpartedhissecretstosomeone

very,veryclosetohiminamaritalmode,

His niece and spouse Joe simply recall that, as

Leondrasays,Hedidnttalkaboutthewarmuchtohis

family.Iknowhehadafriendfromthe77thandtheyd

get together and talkaboutold times.Buthecertainly

didntoftentalktoanyofusaboutthosedays.

IknowhedidgotoPurpleHeartmeetingsbecause

hehadone.ShemeanstheClifton-areachapterofthe

Military Order of the Purple Heart, an organization

restrictedsolelytocombat-woundedveteranswherehe

wasgreatfriendswithGibKanterandDominicDiPaolo.

But, she laughs about his membership, that was

becausetherewasfoodthere.

Hewas friendly but pretty distant. Stayed to him-

self,Joeaddsmoresoberly.Didnteverseemtohave

muchtosay.

Leondra says that her uncle Rudy did, however,

belongtoandattendget-togethersofthe77thDivision

Association through the 60s to early 80s. But that

eventuallystoppedtoo.

The77thDivisionjustagedout,Joesays.

Bywayofexplanation,the77thDivisionwasagain,

asperpost-WWI,deactivated,inMarch46.Nonew,or

evenrelativelynew,bloodever thuspoured into


Celebrating 20 Years


Honoring Veterans

the ranksof the77thDivisionafter abrief stint in the

militaryoccupationofJapan.Nooneformallyrecordsits

history,servesasofficialkeeperofitsmemories.

(Someremnantofitsmilitaryidentityremainsinwhat

isknownas the77thSustainmentBrigade,anArmy

ReserveunitatFortDixwhichdida tour in Iraq.The

77th Sustainments sleeve patch is a gold Statue of

Libertyuponadeepbluebackground.)

Noactualrepresentativeofhisoldunitcaneverthus

bepresenttopayformalrespectstoRudyZajacwhenhe

passes.Themodestreminiscencesabovehavetosuffice.

Failures of MemoryThefrequentlyquotedopeninglineofthewell-known

novelTheGo-BetweenisthatThepast isaforeign

country;theydothingsdifferentlythere.Justhowdif-

ferently,perhapsonlyveteransofAmericaswarscantell

you. If they wished. Or could still get words out.

Soonish,too,willcomethegrimturnofNam-eravets.

Yetthepastalsopersistsincuriousways.Small,but

lethal, pockets of resistance remained onOkinawa for

monthsafterImperialJapansformalsurrender.Peleliu

requiredvisitationbyaformerJapaneseadmiralin1947

toconvinceonelastrecalcitrantknotoftroopstocallit

quits. And in the Philippines actual Japanese WWII

holdoutswerestilloutandviolentlyforagingaboutfor

20ormorepostwaryears.WeevenhaveasSecretaryof

State a decorated Nam veteran who once tossed his

medalsat thePentagon indisagreementwith the then-

courseofhiscountry.

Admittedly, vets voices arent exactly stilled alto-

gether.Thereis,forexample,thevastmachineryofthe

VAtoservicethem,howeverinadequately.Andorgani-

zationsliketheAmericanLegionandVFWwhich,even

inobviousmembershipdecline,stillcarryconsiderable

cloutwhen they rear up andoffer advice and counsel.

Andnobodyexceptmaybe themostperverted raisesa

publicvoiceagainstveterans,theirpersonalplightsand

risingmedicalcosts.

Noneofthis,however,guaranteesalargeturnoutfor

CliftonsownannualVeteransparade.Onefilledwith

rapidlythinningranksofWWIIandKoreanvets.

The parades tradition, nonetheless, proudly contin-

ues.WehailsacrificeandpatriotisminClifton.Itsjust

thattherearefewerandfewerveteransofsuchlong-ago

battlesasOkinawaandtheBulgetohonor.

Dr. Michael Basista, Medical Director of Immedicenter

Immedicenter1355 Broad St. Clifton 973-778-5566www.immedicenter.com

Monday - Friday 8am to 9pm Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm Walk-in Medical Care Weekday Appointments Available

Flu Season is ComingWere Here forFlu Vaccines& Much More!


Dr. Michael DelGiodice is an author on ocular disease and

Vice President of the NJChapter of the American Academy of

Optometry. His specialities includes laser eye surgery, dry

eye syndrome, contact lenses and neurologic eye disease.

He is also a consultant for Bausch + Lomb pharmaceuticals.

Welcome toour Practice

Attefa Sultani, O.D., focuses on compre-

hensive eye care, from diagnosis and man-

agement of eye disease to contact lenses

and post-operative care and can perform

exams in Spanish, Hindi and Farsi.

Ceaser Pitta, M.D., specializes in

diseases of the retina including Macular

Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy,

Macular Holes, Macular Pucker as

well as Detachment surgery.


Athenias Helene Lenkowec, who turned 91 inSeptember, has a life story worth sharing. Bornin Greenspring, West Virginia, a honky tonky

little town along the Potomac River, she lived

there with parents Boris and Helen and elder sib-

lings Mary (still living) and John until age four,

when floods destroyed their home.

My mothers family lived in New Jersey, so

we moved up here. The home behind Marios

Pizza was in fact her grandmothers home. She

finished her sophomore year at CHS. And then

I quit so I could go to work. I wanted to help out

the family. At 15 , she sewed collars onto mens

jackets. But I couldnt stay there too long, Three

cents a collar, I couldnt see that.

She took an usherette job at the Central

Theater in Passaic. All the big bands were

there! she recalled. I have pictures signed by

Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey. I

met them all. It was exciting.

Eventually, she opted for national service.

Her brother and uncles were in the Navy. But at

19 she chose the distaff side of the Coast Guard,

the SPARs. (SPARs stands for Semper Paratus,Latin for Always Ready. ) And although she

feared shed fail the written tests for the SPARs,

she passed easily.

Soon she was on a train to boot camp at the

Biltmore Hotel in West Palm Beach, FL. We

were trained by the Marines and let me tell

Above, Helene while in the Coast Guard, below left,

in the mid 1980s...and below right, Helene in 2001.

Thats whereHelene Lenkowecs

WWII Coast GuardTour Began

Honoring Veterans

By Fran Hopkins

Joseph M. Shook, Sr., Founder

1924 - 2008

Nancy Shook Garretson, President

NJ Lic. No. 3657

Roy B. Garretson, Manager

NJ Lic. No. 3550

Thomas J. Garretson, Director

NJ Lic. No. 4988

Kevin V. White, Director

NJ Lic. No. 4964



Honoring Veterans

you, if anybody trained you well,

they did. Four weeks into training,

she received her first assignment.

The officer said, Helene, youre

going to Washington. I said, Oh,

great, Washington, DC, I can go

home on weekends. She said, No,

youre going to Seattle,

Washington. I kind of cried because

I wanted to be close to home. She

was a pharmacists mate.

Next she was sent to Columbia

University in NYC during the sum-

mer of 44 for further medical train-

ing. I got my first class (stripe)

after going to New York. Then she

was sent to the mountains, accom-

panying fellow Coast Guardsmen

learning to ski. I had to be there in

case somebody got hurt.

Near the end of her three years

service, she suffered a spinal injury

and was classified as a disabled vet-

eran upon discharge in June 1946.

Back home, Lenkowec wanted a

high school diploma. CHS offered

night classes just for vets. She grad-

uated with 400 other male vets and

one other woman.

Eventually she became an ortho-

dontists assistant in NYC. But I

said, Do I want to stay here? The

orthodontist encouraged her to

apply to colleges. She chose the

University of Miami, where she

majored in Russian and completed

requirements for her BA in two

years. I wanted to better myself,

she said. The girls in the dorm

would say, When I get out of col-

lege, Im going to get married. I

said , Not me.

Post-graduation, she applied to

the CIA in Washington and was

offered a job. They said (the job)

would become more difficult as the

years went by. She declined due to

her disability. Lenkowec decided to

follow advice given her at the CIA,

that shed make a good teacher.

She began at Thomas Jefferson

Junior High in Fair Lawn in 1954.

She attended Montclair State nights

and got a Masters in social studies

and English. When Russian became

part of our curriculum, I was able to

study Russian during the summer

under the National Defense

Education Act. That meant sum-

mers at Dartmouth, SF State, Indiana

University and finally the Soviet

Union. She gained 45 credits above

her Masters degree.

Helene modeled coats and suits

back in the 1940s.

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Honoring Veterans

As a teacher she was an over-

achiever. English, social studies,

math, Russian, good grooming,

drama, and special students, she

said. Id walk into one classroom

sometimes and I would say hello in

Russian and the students would

say, Miss Lenkowec, this is your

English class, not your Russian

class. She was invited to speak at

colleges about her teaching style,

her focus on speaking Russian

before reading it. A professor asked

her she didnt give her students

books and papers right off the bat.

She replied, What did you do

when you were a child? Did you

learn to speak first or did you learn

to write first?

But teaching ceased after an acci-

dent. I injured my knees. I fell into

a pothole, It was full of water and I

never saw it. After that, I said,

No, climbing the stairs, I cant do

that anymore. Id had total knee

replacements in both knees.

So in 1985, Lenkowec retired.

But not to a rocking chair. Ive

done a lot of things. Ive been help-

ing the veterans, helping my sister.

My mother was sick with cancer

and I took care of her. My nephew

died of cancer and I helped him

out. A parishioner at the Holy

Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Russian Orthodox Church, she also

served for decades with the Athenia

Veterans. After multiple knee sur-

geries, and now in her ninth

decade, she is no longer as mobile

as she was a decade ago, except for

visits to the doctors office.

But you cant keep her down and

shes even considering penning a

memoir. She also herself broached

the topic of why she never married.

I say, Because my name is Miss.

I was missed by everybody because

I was too busy. She added a sim-

ple understatement that could easi-

ly serve as epitaph: There was a

lot that I wanted to do.

Helene was on the May 1999

cover along with John Biegel,

Walter Pruiksma, Joe Tuzzolino

and Randy Colondres.


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789 Clifton Ave., Clifton, NJ 07013


Honoring Veterans

Smiling, both Sam and Carmela Citero call them-selves the Valentine and Christmas babies: he wasborn February 13, 1920, and she on December 11, 1925.

At 93 and almost 88, they are healthy, cheerful, and each

year they feel that they have been given a Valentine and

Christmas present of good fortune.

We have been blessed with a long and happy life,

said Carmela. Both are active in senior and church

activities and Sam volunteers at St. Brennans bingo

every Friday. When he doesnt show up, they miss him,

ask him wheres hes been why he was gone, whats

wrong, said his wife.

To help stay in top shape, each day Sam walks five

miles around his neighborhood in Cliftons Lakeview

section and surrounding areas.

Weve lived in this house for 52 years, said Sam,

and for the past 40 years Ive been walking here, walk

through the neighborhood. Everybody around here

knows me. And it doesnt matter whether or not they

want to see me, he said with a grin, and then added

more seriously, no kidding, Im a good neighbor and I

think its important to be a good neighbor.

Last month, the Citeros celebrated their 67th wed-

ding anniversary; they were married on October 13,

1946. The wedding, which took place in St. Anthonys

Roman Catholic Church in Passaic, months after Sam

was discharged from the Army on February 1, 1946.

The couple had been dating for almost four years.

They met in 1942. Sam entered the US Army on April

24, 1942; he was stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia,

where he was a supply technician with Company C of

241st Engineer Battalion.

Also stationed there was Carmelas brother Charles

Comito. Together Sam and Charles would travel by

train to New York Sam to his home in Greenpoint,

Brooklyn where he grew up, while Carmelas

Sam Citero

A Veteran of the Greatest

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Honoring Veterans

brother would continue on

to his familys home in

Passaic, the town where

Carmela grew up.

One time, during a visit

to his buddy Charles in

Passaic, Sam met Carmela.

He was smitten.

After that, while on

leave, he would first go to

Brooklyn, then travel up to

visit Carmela in Passaic.

This routine continued

until Sam was shipped out

to the Philippines in 1944.

With no more visits,

said Carmela, they stayed

in touch the old-fashioned

way we wrote letters with pen and paper - some-

thing, added Sam, he is pretty sure that his great-grand-

children would not know how to do today.

He does not hold electronic communication in high

regard. Kids these days, remarked Sam, are not going to

know how to carry on a normal conversation because

they are all too busy star-

ing down on their little

screens, playing games

and whatnot.

From the Philippines,

Sam was scheduled to go

with the ground troops to

Japan and he did arrive in

Kyoto.

We were heading for

an invasion, said Sam,

but the war ended

between the time we left

the Philippines and the

time we arrived in Japan.

However, Japanese sol-

diers remained in the

mountains. They hadnt

heard or didnt believe that the war was over. So, they

continued to keep shooting at the Americans. I wasnt

sent out on the patrols into the villages. But, the guys

who went out there with the soldiers from the

Philippines who understood the situation on the

ground, those guys were still in danger. In real

Sam and Carmela today and on the previous page, on

October 13, 1946 and Sam from his Army days.


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Honoring Veterans

danger of being shot. We originally set

out for an invasion, but when we got

there and plans changed, we set up and

lived in an abandoned Japanese air-

port. From invasion our orders were

then switched to monitor and patrol

the territory.

Military DisciplineSam remembers that during his time

in the Army, he was a quiet kind of

guy, kept to himself, and unlike many

of his military buddies, was never

much of a partier, staying away from

drinking, fighting and staying out of

trouble. He remembers, though, the

one time he innocently went outside

the strict military discipline.

Join us Wednesday, December 4th at 7:15 pm

Please join us as we open our doors to assist individuals who have experienced

the death of a family member or close friend.

This program is our way of reaching out to families we have served, and to others

in our community, to let them know that they are not alone this holiday season.

Everyone is welcomed to attend our memorial program. The program is free.

Reservations requested, but not required. Please call 973-249-6111

Annual Holiday Memorial Program

Light a candle for one who has passed...

Michael A. WallerDirector

James J. MarroccoManager, NJ Lic No. 3320

470 Colfax Avenue (corner of Broad St.)

973-249-6111www.marroccos.com

In 1997, the Citeros, Dennis, Theresa, Sam and Carmela, Father Sam.


Honoring Veterans

We had to sign out and write down where we were

going one Sunday and a buddy of mine Manny and I

wrote down church. We had leave and they didnt tell

us to come back early. So we went to church, and after-

wards to the church picnic, which we hadnt planned

for, werent expecting, and ate with his family who had

come to visit and we stayed for a while.

When we got back to the base, the battalion had

been called out for a surprise inspection. And we were

the only ones not there. We were told to go speak to the

two officers in charge. First Manny went in and I saw

him come out pale and not looking at me. Then I went

in. The officers had put their guns on top of the table

where they were sitting. I walked in and saw the two

guns lying there on the table, pointing my way and

instead of saluting, I instinctively put my hands in the

air and cried out dont shoot. That may seem funny

now, but you could get into really big trouble for not

saluting. But they left me alone. I guess they could see

I was scared. I was just a pretty innocent kid.

Then, Sam continued, they asked me where I had

been, why I had been away from base for so long, even

though I was still on leave. At the end, they let me go

and told me to tie a towel to the railing at the foot of my

bed that night. I didnt know what they planned to do,

but my instinct told me it was going to be something no

good, so I tied the towel at that foot of another guys

bed. Sure enough, they came and pulled him out of bed

in the middle of the night. Not sure what they made him

do, maybe run laps. Poor guy. Looked exhausted the

next morning. Sam chuckled. It was a good memory.

World War II concluded in both Europe and Japan

V-E Day and V-J Day - in 1945, or 68 years ago.

According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs,

more than 16 million Americans served in World War

II. The youngest of those who served are now in their

mid-eighties. And, according to the Rutgers Oral

History Archive, which has interviewed more than 500

World War II veterans from New Jersey for the univer-

sitys ongoing oral history project, the statewide popu-

lation of veterans from the Second World War fell

below 40,000 in 2012.

Sam is proud of his service during World War II. A

photo of his battalion hangs in a room of the home, and

a photo of him as a young soldier slipped into a clear

protective sleeve holds a permanent place in Carmelas

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Honoring Veterans

kitchen. After wars end, Sam con-

tinued his involvement as a veteran

with American Legion Post 8 in

Clifton, where he has been a mem-

ber for 48 years.

Home...to CliftonAfter he returned from the war

and Carmela and he married, they

lived in Brooklyn for two years

before moving to Clifton. Although

they have seen many changes in

Clifton during those 50 years, said

Carmela, we dont want to live

anywhere else, where else would

we live? This is home.

Carmelas brother-in-law, the

husband of one of her sisters, had a

business in Brooklyn and Sam went

to work for him when they lived

there. When they moved to Clifton,

he worked for Clement Ferdinand

and later for Pashman Supply in

Passaic until he retired.

They both came from big fami-

lies, said Carmela. Sam was one of

eight children, four boys, and four

girls, with Sam in the middle.

I had a good life as a kid in

Brooklyn, a good life, recalled

Sam, and before I entered the

Army, I worked briefly in the

Civilian Conservation Corps in

Montana. That was also good.

The Civilian Conservation Corp

was a government program that

employed young men during the

Depression to work on large public

works projects.

Sam was with the CCC from Oct

3, 1939 until March 25, 1940. He

was sent to work in rural Montana

where he was part of a project to

fell tall timbers and shape them for

telephone poles so that lines could

be strung up across Montana, espe-

cially out to desolate ranches.

Carmela came from a family of

four girls and two boys, and when

my kids were growing up, we con-

tinued the Italian tradition of multi-

generation families getting together

for Sunday dinner at Grandmas.

The kids knew Sunday dinners

were always at Grandmas, said

Carmela. Carmela stays in touch

with her sisters, all of whom are in

their nineties.

Sam and Carmela are the parents

of three children: Theresa, who

lives in Kentucky, Dennis, who

lives nearby in, Succasunna, NJ

and Sam, the priest with St. Terese

parish in Cresskill, NJ. They also

have three grandchildren Paul,

Christine, Jacklyn - and five great

grandchildren Alanna, Laurna,

Garrett, Joseph, and Nicholas.

As for longevity, it must be a

family thing, said Sam. Asked if

he had plans to be the oldest veter-

an in Clifton, Sam grinned, Could

be. My aunt just died at 108.


Honoring Veterans

It was a reminder of the danger that was all aroundhim. Except Dutch Hoogstraten didnt see it that way.He thought it was damn funny.

Dutch had stopped off that morning October 7,

1967, at a Vietnamese restaurant with his boss, Lt.

Colonel Bob Sanders, and a South Vietnamese com-

mander and his deputy. The four men wanted breakfast

before leading their battalions on a search and destroy

mission. They sat around a table, eating their soupy

meal, picking the meat out with chopsticks. Dutchs

machine gun rested on the dirt floor leaning against the

table, his hat hanging over the muzzle.

As they ate, Dutchs hat began to dance and wobble.

A rat had silently crawled up the machine gun and

under the hats brim and was now gnawing at it. Dutch

slammed the rat to the floor with the back of his hand,

never letting go of the chopsticks threaded between his

fingers. The four men laughed like hell. They enjoyed

moments like these. It might be the last laugh theyd

have before a bullet ended their lives.

Later that day, Dutch Hoogstraten would be closer to

that bullet than ever before. The rat was an omen

death could sneak up on you in Vietnam. And, if you

went looking for it like Dutch would do that day, it

almost never missed.

Fateful MorningBy 8 am, two battalions of 1,600 South Vietnamese

soldiers had fanned out across the Tan Ba jungle, west

of the Bien Hoa Air Base. Captain Hoogstraten was one

of four United States officers helping lead the mission.

The air was hot and humid, and Dutch and his men

trudged through knee-high underbrush, looking to

engage the enemy. That wouldnt be a problem. In

preparation for the upcoming Tet Offensive, a wave of

Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army troops had

secretly deployed and waited in the jungle.

By 8:30 am, all hell broke loose as the enemy

opened fire. To his left, Hoogstraten could hear shots

fired and saw smoke wafting up, a signal some of

Cliftons DutchHoogstraten, at

right, served withdistinction in

Vietnam.

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Honoring Veterans

his troops were in trouble. He moved

toward the fighting as the battalion took up

a safer position behind him.

When Hoogstraten got about a quarter-

mile from the smoke, he learned an entire

company of soldiers was pinned down by

the enemy. Two or three were wounded,

lying out in the open under intense fire.

Dutch didnt hesitate. Along with two

other American soldiers, he raced to

retrieve the fallen men and bring them to

safety.

First you hear the bullet fly past you,

he describes of his run through enemy fire,

then you hear the bang. When youre can

hear the bullet whiz past your head, you

know its close.

The men ran through the brush, diving to

the jungle floor several times to avoid

enemy fire. Behind them, the South

Vietnamese troops shot cover fire over their

heads, hoping to give Dutch and his men enough time

to reach the wounded.

You really dont think about fear at a time like that,

Hoogstraten describes. It all boils down to training.

You also care for your comrades who have been wound-

ed. But its the training that gives you the focus, brings

you to that point where you do what needs to be done.

When Dutch reached the men, his shirt was soaked

through with perspiration. The men he had come to res-

cue were covered in bloodunconscious but alive. I

didnt know if they were fatally wounded or not, he

recalls. I didnt think of that. I only cared about getting

them out of there.

Lifting the wounded onto their backs, Dutch and the

other rescuers began crawling through the brush, again

through the enemy fire. More bullets whizzed past, cut-

ting into the brush around them. Incredibly, they made

it back to their line, hoping to evacuate the injured by

helicopter.

But the enemy would not quit. Hoogstraten deter-

mined it was not safe to land the dust off helicopter.

Again braving the assault, he and another soldier began

searching for a second landing area. They found one at

the top of a hill, about 150 yards from their location.

After contacting the helicopter, Dutch raced back to

help carry the wounded back up the hill to the new evac-

uation spot. With the men safely aboard, he returned to

his position as the South Vietnamese battalions sur-

rounded the enemy forces.

We captured a number of them, he says. And we

captured some weapons. Later, we learned this was the

initial infiltration for the January Tet Offensive. We

blocked that, at least for the time being.

The men Hoogstraten helped to save recovered from

their wounds and returned to their units.

That night, we went down to the officers club,

Dutch remembers. I had so much adrenaline in my sys-

tem that, I dont know how many scotches I had, but I

was sober.

Hoogstratens heroism did not go unnoticed.

It was through Captain Hoogstratens continuous

encouragement and his constant display of courage,

wrote Captain Edward J. Johnson, that all of the

wounded and dead were evacuated from the field of bat-

tle. His conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk

of his life above and beyond the call of duty was direct-

ly responsible for the saving of two Vietnamese allies.

For his actions, Richard B. Hoogstraten, son of

Dutch immigrants and former quarterback for Clifton

High School, was awarded the prestigious Silver Star.

General William C. Westmoreland, commander of the

U.S. Military assistance Command in Vietnam, pre-

sented the medal.

Dutch receiving the Silver Star from Gen. William C. Westmoreland.


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Honoring Veterans

A sportswriter, Hoogstraten remembers, wrote

that maybe as he was running through this fire, it

reminded him of the time that he was running on the

gridiron. That kind of struck a bell. The training and

discipline you derive from sports and teamwork gets

carried over for teamwork in the military.

One of the MustangsHoogstraten remembers the day wellthe first time

he ever set foot inside Clifton School Stadium. As he

entered, he saw Coach Joe Grecco walking toward him,

his eyes dark, his face serious. The man who had built

the Mustangs into a football powerhouse after years of

losing looked down at Dutch and his friends and said,

Good morning, men.

That was the first time I was called a man in my

life, Hoogstraten says. Here I was, 13 years old, and

this big gap tooth guy was calling me a man.

Grecco had watched Hoogstraten develop since he

was a gym teacher at School No. 3. During football

season, the coach watched the boy throw passes to

friend Warren Tunkel during touch football games out-

side the school.

After one of those games, Grecco took

Hoogstratens hand and measured it against his own. It

was clear to the coach where the boys future would

lead.

In 1950, Hoogstraten became the quarterback for the

Clifton freshman team and spent the next season as the

JV starter and backup for varsity quarterback Billy

DeGraaf.

We called him Hooks back then, remembers

lineman Ray Capilli, who also played a few games at

quarterback during the 1950 season. He was a good

passer, good leader. The kind of guy who would go out

of his way to help you. Becoming a Mustang had

meant a lot to Hoogstraten. As a young boy, he had

watched his heroes Bobby Boettcher and Ray Malavasi

play under the lights at Hinchcliffe Stadium. As a soph-

omore, he was inspired by his senior teammates

playMustang ers like DeGraaf, Frank Pecci, Tommy

Dunleavy, and Steve Garabics.

Wed sit on the bench, Hoogstraten says about he

and his underclassman teammates, and watch them.

We were 8-1 in 1951, and that developed a sense of

pride in all of us. Their example made us play so much

harder when we were put into their roles.

With the loss of All Americans DeGraaf and Pecci,

and only Henry Nalepka returning, newspapers pre-

dicted the 1952 Clifton squad would be one of the

worst teams in the Passaic Valley Conference. Coach

Grecco knew wed be pretty good, says Hoogstraten,

but he wanted them to write that. He felt wed surprise

teams that way.

The surprise didnt last long. Clifton ripped its com-

petition for five-straight victories, setting up a show-

down with undefeated East Rutherford. The Herald-

News predicted the game would be a passing duel

between Hoogstraten and Wildcats quarterback Billy

Shepherd.

Hoogstraten, the Herald-News wrote, who

seemed to be a year away, has been spectacular at pro-

viding the Mustangs with an air attack.

While the game did not come off as billed, it was

clear Hoogstraten was the superior quarterback that

afternoon. Leading Clifton to a 13-6 victory, he com-

pleted 12 out of 16 passes including a touchdown and

ran for another score. The Mustangs ended their season

8-1 (their only loss a 13-0 defeat to Montclair), good

enough to tie West New York for a share of the Section

I Group IV state championship.

While Hoogstraten was a big part of the Mustangs

success in 1952, there were other stars. We were a

close knit team, Hoogstraten says. Besides Henry

Nalepka, we had Mickey Schimpf, Ray Capelli, Bill

Botbyl, Bob Van Der Linda, Sal Barcelonaso many

truly outstanding players.

Dutch learned discipline as a Mustang.


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Honoring Veterans

In 1953, opposing schools were ready for Clifton,

but it did them little good. Behind Hoogstraten, Van

Der Linda, end Ken Lenert, and tackles Bob Spiotta

and Al Belestoski, the Mustangs went 7-1-1, tying

Paterson Central, but getting blitzed by rival Montclair,

40-6. Despite the crushing loss, Clifton again tied West

New York for the Section I Group IV state champi-

onship title.

Beyond CliftonAfter the season, Hoogstraten received 22 college

scholarship offers. His best recruiting trip memory was

journeying to West Point with Grecco to meet coach

Red Blaik. After the meeting, he and Grecco had dinner

at the Bear Mountain Lodge with one of Blaiks assis-

tant coaches, the legendary Vince Lombardi.

Though Hoogstraten wanted to go to West Point, a

January bout with pneumonia during his senior year

hurt his chances. The Academy wanted him to leave

Clifton to take math classes; instead, he remained with

his class and choose to attend Lehigh University.

Hoogstraten spent his college football career backing

up the Lehigh starter, All-American Dan Nolan.

Ironically, he earned greater success on the baseball dia-

mond, a sport he had little success with at Clifton High.

Switching from pitcher to catcher, as a senior, the .300-

hitting Hoogstraten won the Bruce Thompson Baseball

Award as Lehighs most valuable player.

It was at Lehigh where Hoogstraten found his true

calling. Participating in the schools mandatory ROTC

program, he became a U.S. Army reserve officer before

being called to active duty. He spent two years in the

military, serving in Middletown, N.J., and at the

Highlands Air Force Station in Highlands, N.J., with the

Missile Master Unit.

At the end of his hitch, Hoogstraten, now married

with two children, left the Army and took a job in sales

for AT&T.

After a year, he realized hed made a mistake.

I missed the Army and made a mistake in getting

out, he says. While I enjoyed working at AT&T, I

enjoyed the service life much better.

Dutch went back to his old base and asked to return

to active duty. Soon after, he underwent guided missile

training in Fort Bliss, Texas, then was sent to Korea in

command of an Honest John Batterya large,

nuclear capable rocket that sat on a five-ton truck.

In 1967, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam.

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Honoring Veterans

Hoogstraten was assigned to Military Assistance

Command Vietnam, acting as the duty officer at the

Bien Hoa Air Base. One of his responsibilities was to

call in artillery support for units under fire. Besides

ground missions, he flew helicopters twice a day, earn-

ing two Air Medals and left Vietnam as a major.

Hoogstraten feels the leadership skills displayed

throughout his career owe much to the example set by

his high school coach.

Joe Grecco was one of the greatest men I have ever

met, he says. Hes been my mentor over the years.

One of the things I took from Joe was to remain cool

under pressure. Try to think things through.

Another lesson he took from Clifton was honoring

tradition, like the kind Grecco established with the

Fighting Mustangs.

I tried to build on tradition when I commanded my

battalion, Hoogstraten notes. I tried to build on the

tradition of how the division performed in World War I

and World War II, to relay some of the things that the

men of our units did during those particular conflicts.

After Vietnam, Hoogstraten was assigned to teach

ROTC at Bowdoin College in Maine. There, he found

himself in the midst of an active anti-war movement.

Some of the faculty members were very vocal

against the effort, he says. It was just, in some cases,

a very unpopular war. But as the military, we still knew

we had to do our job. And we did our best.

Besides teaching ROTC students, Hoogstraten also

worked as a next of kin notification officer, inform-

ing area parents of the loss of a son killed in action. He

also worked as a survivor assistance officer, helping

arrange funerals and assisting families with paperwork.

I was jostled at funerals, he remembers, by relatives

who were grieved because they had lost kin.

Over the rest of his military career, Hoogstraten

served in Germany, Fort Monroe, Va., and Fort Polk,

La. He was promoted to colonel and later served as

ROTC director of training.

He retired from the Army in 1984 and worked with

Newport News Shipbuilding until October 2000, man-

aging a training program for Navy crews serving on

submarines and aircraft carriers built by the shipyard.

While a frequent vistor to his hometown for get

togethers with former Mustangs every June, Dutch

lived the last 30 years of his life in Virginia.

Col. Richard B. Dutch Hoogstraten, U.S. Army

ret., 69, died Feb. 16, 2006, in Williamsburg, VA.

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Honoring Veterans

It really is a small world. Just ask Tony Latona.While growing up on Samuel Ave. during the 1980s, the

lifelong Clifton resident and firefighter enjoyed hanging out

with the other kids on his block. The group would spend hours

at the park playing stickball, baseball and other games.

Among his friends was Yvonne Nollman (nee Mandyk),

who lived a few houses down from him in the Athenia area

neighborhood they shared.

She was the only girl on the block, but she fit right in with

the boys, Latona recalled. She was a really good athlete.

As a teenager, Nollman moved to Florida with her family

and Latona never saw her again. That is until the two surpris-

ingly met up a few years later at Lackland Air Force Base in

San Antonio, Texas.

It turned out theyd enlisted in the Air Force and reported

for basic training at the same time.

Latona and Nollman both say they had never thought about

joining the military while growing up, and it wasnt until they

were seniors in high school that either of them even consid-

ered the possibility of enlisting.

When I was a kid, I always knew I wanted to be a fire-

man, Latona said. Then, when I was in high school, they had

this military testing day. I had no intention of joining the mili-

tary at that point, but I decided to take the test anyway.

Military LifeReunites FormerNeighborhood FriendsTony Latona andYvonne Nollman

Tony and Yvonne during their Kindergarten yeargoing for a stroll in Sperling Park.

By Carol Leonard+


Honoring Veterans

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A few weeks later, he received a letter from a

recruiter citing his success on the test and suggesting

that he consider a career in the Air Force.

Career DecisionsWhen we talked, I told him I was more interested in

firefighting and he told me that they have firefighters in

the military, Latona said. I thought about it and decid-

ed to enlist.

Meanwhile, down in Florida, Nollman eventually

adjusted to being away from Clifton. I met new friends

and life went on, she said.

During her junior year at CHS, she helped lead her

softball team to a state championship, playing shortstop

in the teams first year of fast pitch competition. She

also played volleyball and basketball in school.

While her softball coach tried to convince her she

stood a good chance of getting an athletic scholarship,

Nollman doubted it. Even if I did, I had no idea what I

wanted to study in college and I didnt think Id be able

to handle college and playing a sport, she said. During

the winter of her senior year a family friend mentioned

the Air Force to her, so she decided to check it out.

My mom hesitantly took me to the recruiting office

and I decided to sign up in what they call the delayed

recruitment program, she said. I raised my hand and

took the oath before I even graduated from high

school.

Nollman said she looked at it as an opportunity to do

something different and travel the world. She also liked

the fact that she could receive tuition assistance and pay

for college classes while on active duty.

She was supposed to report for basic training in

August 1992, but she asked for a delay because her

summer softball team had made it to the Big League

World Series and she didnt want to miss it.

My recruiter worked it out where I could go in

September instead, which was great, she said. And, the

one month extension of her enlistment ironically coin-

cided with the same week that Latona was scheduled to

report for training.

Fates Timely TwistsA mutual friend had mentioned to Nollman before she

left that Latona had also enlisted in the Air Force and was

going to basic training around the same time.


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Honoring Veterans

Finding a kid she grew up with in Clifton and had not

seen in a few years would be a stretch. It is a little

tougher considering every recruit looks the same.

I just remember that I was constantly looking for

that familiar face, she said. Every guy seemed to look

the same at basic, with those bald heads, but that one

bald head stood out right away.

The two old friends were at chapel together when

Nollman first spotted Latona. I was standing on the

side doing my chapel guide duties and waiting for him

to look up, she said. When he did, his mouth just

dropped.

Latona said he couldnt believe his eyes, recognizing

Nollman immediately. I kind of looked at her and

mouthed, Yvonne?

The two couldnt wait for the service to be over to

talk for a few minutes before making formation with

their respective units. Latona and Nollman ran into each

other a few more times during basic training and

learned that they both had orders to go to Germany for

their first bases. Latona was assigned to Spangdahlem

Air Base and Nollman to Buechel Air Base, not far

away, so they saw each other periodically.

Divergent PathsWhile in Germany, Nollman met her husband Eric,

who was also in the Air Force, and Latona attended the

couples wedding.

When his four year stint was up, Latona decided to

return to Clifton to pursue his dream of a job in the Fire

Department, while Nollman continued on to make the

Air Force her full-time career.

The youngest of seven children, Latona felt an

attachment to his family and his home town. I guess its

the old school Italian in me, he said. I grew up here

and I wanted to come back to my roots.

To continue his involvement in the military, he joined

the Air Force National Guard, which he feels gives him

the best of both worlds. I always knew I wanted to

serve my country and my community, he said.

The timing of Latonas return home was such that he

had to wait almost three years for the next cycle of test-

ing for firefighter jobs.

In the interim, he worked for Fed Ex and the Passaic

County Sheriffs Department. His patience and persist-

ence paid off, though, and he landed a job with the

Clifton Fire Department 13 years ago.

Its been a great run, he said. Because I grew up

here its especially satisfying knowing that Im helping

those I have a connection with. When a call is over, I

always follow up to see how the people are doing. For

me it doesnt end when the fire is put out.

Latona also celebrated what he calls his blackjack

anniversary with the Air Force, 21 years, from which he

has a lot of great memories.

Its given me a chance to serve my country and to see

the world, he said. Ive sat in the Space Shuttle

Endeavour, Ive been in front of Big Ben on New Years

Eve, Ive skied in the Swiss Alps and Ive sat at the

Vatican with the Pope saying mass. Ive been to Israel and

to the Berlin Wall. I even have a chunk of it in my house.

Aside from his firemans job and National Guard

duties, Latona stays involved with other community

activities, including helping to organize the annual Tank

Pull to raise funds for the Wounded Warriors Project, as

well as Clifton Cares, an organization that coordinates

donations of food, snacks, toiletries, recreational equip-

ment, and cards and letters to send to troops overseas.

Nollman started out as a security specialist in the Air

Force, and then retrained in medical administration and


later in human resources. She is currently a personnel

officer, which involves managing the base military per-

sonnel offices as well as the fitness center, dining facil-

ities, lodging, and morale, welfare and recreation activ-

ities. Her unit also organizes the itineraries of distin-

guished visitors to the base.

Joining The Ranks Of The CommissionedAbout 12 years into her career and while she and her

husband were stationed at Camp Smith, Hawaii, she

enrolled at the University of Hawaii and in the Air Force

Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) offered

through the university. That move turned out to be a life

changer. She graduated, was commissioned as an offi-

cer in 2008, and is now a captain.

Life in the military has been great, she said. Ive

been stationed in Germany twice, Turkey, Iceland,

Florida, Hawaii, Virginia and now Arizona.

For most of their married life, Nollman and her hus-

band have been stationed together, except for a year

when she was in Iceland and he was in South Korea.

Right now shes on her third deployment to

Afghanistan, but she expects to return to her husband in

December, when her tour is up. This will also coincide

with his retirement from the military after 24 years.

Nollman herself will be eligible to retire in less than

five years, but she isnt sure yet about her plans. If Im

still having fun and enjoying what I do, Ill stick

around, she said. I would like to eventually work in a

health and wellness center.

When not working, she and her husband enjoy bik-

ing, playing golf and hiking together.

Friends ForeverLatona and Nollman deeply value their renewed

friendship. Since meeting up again in basic training,

theyve communicating as often as possible via e-mail

and phone, and they make it a point to get together

whenever Nollman has occasion to be in New Jersey.

Both of us being in the military, we have that bond

and can talk with each other on issues and know that we

understand each other, Nollman said. Im just so

proud to have him as a dear friend and what I like to

think of as the brother I never had.

Latona added, Its great to know that we each took

successful paths in our lives and are such good friends.


Grand Marshal

Joe Sarge Padula hit his personal trifecta in 1981.He had just retired from the Clifton Police Department,

bought a new Cadillac and met the love of his life,

Elizabeth Verderosa.

It just took Sarge 32 years to cash in that ticket.

Earlier this year, he retired from his second career as

the citys liaison to the Passaic County Prosecutors

Office. More importantly, he and Elizabeth made it

official and tied the knot on June 30, 2013.

Why did it take so long? We were taking care of

our parents, he says with a smile. But we still got two

homes, Toms River and here. We gotta consolidate.

But at age 80, Sarge admits that may be tough to do.

He likes having lunch at the Hot Grill, Tuesday night

poker games, getting fresh Gerbinos bread at Corrados

and seeing the guys. Meaning oldtimers he grew up

with in the so-called Beantown neighborhood and

scores of other pals from across town.

Those guys should come out to see Sarge lead the

Veterans Parade up Van Houten Ave. on Nov. 10. The

Korea-era Army Veteranmake sure people know I

wasnt in any action, says Sargewas named the Grand

Marshal for his service to our nation and as a way to

honor him for a lifetime of being a part of Clifton.

Sarge Padula was never one for big speeches so dont

look for him to hang on to the microphone too long.

And if he does say a few words, his speech may be

slurred, due to the onset of Parkinsons disease.

Sarge Padula still sports his trademark fedora andtoothpick. At left, with his bride Elizabeth, and on thenext page, when Sarge got made and earned his name.

By Tom Hawrylko

US Army Vet, Retired Clifton Cop,Veterans Parade Grand Marshal


Grand Marshal

About two years ago, friends

became worried as his speech got

funny and his gait slowed. He

went to see a few doctors but did

not get straight answers. Then he

began to notice a strange feeling in

his body, along with heart palpita-

tions and shortness of breath.

An A-fib, he shakes his head.

Bang. Atrial fibrillation is an

irregular and rapid heart rate that

causes poor blood flow.

Next, Sarge, who is always on

the go, ran into a bad case of dizzi-

ness, getting disoriented and losing

his balance a few times.

Vertigo, he recalls of his third

pick in his 2013 trifecta.

He laughs and then continues using his thumb and

pinky to illustrate the problem:

Somebody got the horns on me.

Sarge is old school Italian and some in the culture

believe in il malocchio (pronounced maloik.) Partsuperstition, part tradition, it is the belief in the so

called evil eye, placed on a per-

son when someone else is jeal-

ous or envious of the others

good luck or success.

The malocchio then takesover and manifests itself in some

sort of misfortune onto the

cursed person, usually some

physical ailment.

He doesnt believe that lore

exactly but the three hits of bad

health did rattle his stripes.

Im always pushing. Always

pushing, he stops to catch his

breath, then continues.

But what is success? What

does all this mean, he points

around his tidy Warren St. home,

if you dont have your health?

Moms Meatballs and MacaroniGiuseppe Padula was the only child of Mildred and

Giuseppe and like many Italian lads, grew up devoted

to his parents. He tells how it all began in Beantown,


Grand Marshal

that section of Valley Rd. where farms sloped off of

Garret Mountain with fruit trees, acres of vegetables

and yes, bean fields... many of them.

His moms family were the Michellis and they were

butchers. His dads side had a grocery store on Valley

and Warren. We all lived here, Sarge says, Three

houses on Warren St. We had it all tied up.

Sarge was just little Giuseppe Padula in those days,

a tough 5 foot 8 scrapper. Moms side were all pussy-

cats, he says of the family. Dad was the enforcer.

But Giuseppe fit in with the School 5 kids and never

got into too much trouble. He graduated Clifton High

in 1951 and then started working for the US Post

Office. But the Korean War began on June 25, 1950

and the Selective Service draft called for Padula and 26

other Clifton kids. He signed the papers and began

Army basic training at Ft. Dix on March 16, 1953.

After basic, he was assigned for a few months of

training with a transportation division at Ft. Eustis, near

Newport News, VA. Army life reinforced a lot of the

lessons his dad had begun to teach him in Clifton.

Respect and discipline. Organization and authority.

When to speak and when to keep his mouth shut.

What he missed most was good food. Every week-

end Id drive home for meatballs and macaroni, he says

of his roadtrips back to Clifton. Mom was the best.

His next duty station was Ft. Lewis, in Washington

State for a few more months of training before being

shipped out to Pusang, Republic of (a/k/a South) Korea.

Soon he was made corporal and got a familiar job:

They put me in the Post Office. I handled all the regu-

lar mail going in and out. No action. No hero stuff.

Theres not too much to say about my time there. Guys

there saw some terrible stuff. Terrible. It was a hellhole.

By 1955 and at the age of 22, Joe Padula returned to

Clifton as a veteran. He took up his old job in the Post

Office but when he heard that

Clifton Merchant Magazine - November 2013

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Transcript of Clifton Merchant Magazine - November 2013