NJ Vietnam veterans memorial honors soldiers
HOLMDEL, N.J. (PIX11) — Those on this wall are gone, but never forgotten.
'It bothers me when people say 'Happy Memorial Day,' because it's not a happy occasion,' said Brian DuMont. 'They gave it all. Their last full measure.'
More Local News
A Hamilton resident and Vietnam era veteran, he is here to remember his friend and neighbor, John D. Ossmann, a Marine who gave his last full measure in 1967, just one month after landing in Vietnam. He was 19 years old.
'I was actually in Yokota, Japan, when he was killed in Vietnam,' said DuMont. 'He had his whole life ahead of him, and — just, gone.'
Dumont comes to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Museum in Holmdel each year to honor him. This year, he's brought a memorial trinket he made himself to sit below his spot on the wall, which is home to the names of more than 1,500 New Jerseyans who gave their lives in Vietnam.
This Memorial Day is a milestone, as the memorial marks its 30th anniversary of honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
'When they built this place 30 years ago, I don't know that they envisioned that 30 years later not only would we be here, but we have grown exponentially,' said Amy Osborn, CEO of the Memorial and Museum.
The museum site, just off the Garden State Parkway next to the PNC Arts Center, has been expanded several times over the years to educate the next generation. It's also home to one of the state's most attended Memorial Day services.
'When that bugle starts playing, we all feel it,' said Gerry Aponte, a veteran and leader of the Knights of Columbus. 'We're here to remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam – not just the ones that never came home, but those that came back that suffered from the issues they obtained in Vietnam, and we'll always remember that.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ferries won't run in East River due to crashed Mexican ship repairs
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) – The East River will be shut down to all marine traffic, including ferries, on Friday to make repairs to the Mexican Navy ship that crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge three weeks ago. The Cuauhtémoc is headed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard as part of a multi-agency effort to move the vessel. The 300-foot-long ship, with 277 sailors on board, careened into the bridge after taking off from a dock on May 17. More Local News Two sailors, ages 20 and 23, were killed and 19 others were injured, according to authorities. Three of the ship's masts snapped. The National Transportation Safety Board said the ship initially sped up in the five minutes it took for it to strike the bridge after pushing off from shore with the help of a tugboat. More: Latest News from Around the Tri-State The agency is expected to reveal more findings within the week after inspecting the vessel's engine, recovering any data recorders and speaking with crew members. The ship left Acapulco, Mexico on April 6 for a goodwill tour that was meant to continue to Iceland. Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Long Island students travel to Normandy, honor long-forgotten alum who died in D-Day invasion
Chaminade High School students prayed for hours at the gravesite of a long-forgotten alum who heroically died after the D-Day invasion of Normandy during a recent trip to France. Officials at the Long Island Catholic school had just found out about the tragic death of 1935 graduate John J. McDonald a week before an annual spring trip to the country. They learned of the Mineola man killed in action two days after Allied forces stormed the beaches in June of 1944 — and found out he's one of the thousands laid to rest at the massive cemetery there. Advertisement 5 Chaminade High School students visited France and prayed at the graveside of an alum who died after the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Courtesy Chaminade High School 'We never even thought that one of our alumni was buried over in France,' Chaminade president Brother Thomas Cleary told The Post. 'We know he married, had no children…I don't know if anyone has ever visited his grave.' Advertisement The school scrambled to rearrange its Easter break travel plans and had all 30 students, taking turns in small groups, pray for nearly an hour at the grave of the Army Air Corps lieutenant who was shot down two days after D-Day. 'It really set in. This man, he's buried here — alone in a foreign country without his family,' said junior Andrew Kerr, who was part of the sobering moment that paid respect to the bombardier who flew 71 missions with the Ninth Air Force. 'I just can't even imagine what it would be like, that one day you just get up, go to war, you don't see your family again.' 5 John J. McDonald graduated Chaminade High School in 1935. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement A hero's legacy — 81 years later Although many details about McDonald's life remain unclear, it is known that he was a track athlete at Chaminade who had a love for model airplanes before flying in one. McDonald even threw one he spent weeks building onto the school's football field during a homecoming game. 'You hear about it and you feel like it's so distant from you,' Kerr added. Advertisement 'But then you see his picture on the wall with the class of 1935 at school, and it all of a sudden it becomes 'wow, this really does relate to me.'' The 1918-born warrior first entered the Marines in 1937 and, after a medical discharge, re-enlisted in the Army in the thick of World War II. He wed while on leave in 1943. Brother Cleary is now trying to track down a member of McDonald's family to connect with and share the experience and learn more about him. 5 McDonald was a track athlete at Chaminade High School and loved planes. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 5 Students Dylan Stampfel, Gianni Bono, Andrew Kerr and Maximilian Matuszewski posed for a portrait next to a plaque honoring McDonald. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'They were people like us, exactly like us,' junior Gianni Bono, whose brother is a Marine, said. 'It's an insane thing to think about.' Advertisement Being at the gravesite steps from the once bloody beaches of the Great Crusade to liberate Europe also gave the students a perspective not viewed in even an advanced placement curriculum. 'When you learn about this in history class, it's just a number,' said junior Dylan Stampfel. 5 Many details about McDonald's life remain unclear. Courtesy Chaminade High School 'But when you go there and you see the over 9,000 graves just lined up on the perfectly manicured lawn… it's very humbling.' Advertisement The teens also visited on a gorgeous day with polar opposite conditions to the notorious rain and fog that the beach storming is remembered for. 'What struck most of the students was that most of the beaches are now used recreationally,' said Marta Agosti, the school's world language chair who planned the trip. 'But I thought that is the best way in which you can say thank you to all the people that actually died there — so that we could continue with life.' Advertisement Junior Maximillian Matuszewski, who watched 'Saving Private Ryan' ahead of the trip, said Tom Hanks' core-shaking final words of 'earn this' have new meaning to him. 'It means to put my best foot forward always, and work as hard as I can,' he said. 'And to be thankful that I would never have to experience something that McDonald would.'
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man accused of groping teenage boy's groin area near Central Park: NYPD
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man is accused of groping a teenage boy's groin area near Central Park Tuesday night, police said. A 17-year-old male victim was walking in front of 103-01 West Drive inside Central Park at 11:30 p.m. An unidentified male walked up to the teen and grabbed his groin area over his clothes, police said. More Local News The assailant fled into the 103rd Street Central Park West Subway station in an unknown direction. Officials said the teen was taken to a local hospital to be treated. He is expected to recover. The suspect is still at large, authorities said. Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
