By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
Pete DiAntonio grew up off of Sharon Terrace on 40th St. A member of Pennsauken High School’s Class of ’68, he served in the United States Navy on an amphibious transport during the Vietnam War. In 1970, DiAntonio came home to much different reaction to the one he received as he left.
“People just ignored us like we had a plague,” explained DiAntonio. “They didn’t want to be near us. We were known as ‘baby killers.’ Vietnam veterans live with this, day in and day out. In fact, it’s really been a tough road for most of our veterans.”
That’s why the veterans monument, currently under construction at Pennsauken High School, means such much to those who served their country in the Armed Forces, particularly for alumni like Pete, who served in a decidedly divisive war that was unpopular at home.
“It’s hard for me to talk about some of the things I feel inside,” says DiAntonio. “This wall will get some of our people over that hump and say, ‘Wow. People do care about us.’ And there are people that do care about us.”
“In this stage of our lives, we realize the debt that we owe to those who went before us. We know that freedom isn’t free,” explains Ralph Roesler, ’70, vice chair of the Pennsauken High School Veterans Memorial Committee. “The people that we’re honoring, the names that are going to be on the wall, they paid the ultimate price. They didn’t have to do that. We sure do respect and honor them. Those that we’re honoring were friends, teammates, classmates. It was for those reasons that we started to reflect and ask, ‘How do we pay them back? What do we do?’ This monument is the idea that we came up with.”
Plans for the veterans monument call for the creation of three sections in a “wing” design. The main monument will be dedicated to the men and women of Pennsauken High School who served their country in the military and will include the emblems of the six service branches. The first wing will be engraved with the quote from John Maxwell Edmonds, a poet known for the famous epitaph he wrote for the war cemetery commemorating the fallen of the Battle of Kohima in April 1944: “When you go home, tell them of us and say, ‘For their tomorrow, we gave our today.’” The other wing will contain the names of any resident of Pennsauken Township who died during any war. The monument will also feature commemorative benches and lighting, as well as pavers that will used to recognize Pennsauken veterans.
While a dedication of the monument is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13 at 8:30 a.m. on the grounds of Pennsauken High School, fundraising is still ongoing to insure the project’s completion.
“We’ve been supported in every sector of the community. For that, we’re most grateful,” adds Roesler. “It’s going to allow us to reach our goals and to bring this monument to Pennsauken High School.”
Approximately $25,000 will need to be raised in order to complete the monument. The group has received generous donations from several alumni, but they also are looking to reach out via a grassroots campaign, including jar collections at various locations throughout town. Donations may also be sent to the Alumni Veterans Memorial Fund, c/o Pennsauken Board of Education, 1695 Hylton Rd., Pennsauken N.J. 08110, attention: Noreen Boston.
