By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
He said it is great to be honoring those veterans who have died in battle, but Brooks Boulevard resident Joe Jasontek, who will serve as grand marshal in this year’s Memorial Day parade, participates in another all too common ritual to honor those veterans who have died since returning from service.
”When we have funerals, I am part of the casket guard,” he said. “We hold the rifles at the end of the casket at the funeral, and we are on call at all times.”
And having been a member of the VFW for 25 years and a member of the guard for 20 years, Mr. Jasontek, 80, said he is honored to serve as the grand marshal this year.
”It felt great when they called me,” he said. “It is an honor to be the marshal. There are not too many of us older fellows left to go to these rituals.”
In commemoration of the men and women who have given their lives for their country, the Manville Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2290 will hold its annual Memorial Day ceremonies May 30 with wreath-placings and a parade through town.
”These ceremonies are something we want to repeat to show we care,” said VFW Commander Charles Goodyear. “To civilians and people who aren’t aware (of the sacrifices), we remind and commemorate the veterans and honor the Americans who were killed.”
The day will begin with a ceremony at Sacred Heart Church on South Main Street during the 8:30 a.m. Mass, followed by a $5 breakfast at the VFW on Washington Avenue and a second ceremony at the outside memorial to place flowers at 11 a.m.
Following this, there will be another wreath-placing ceremony at the Sacred Heart Cemetery on South Main Street at 11:30 a.m. and a sea service at 12:15 p.m. at Northside Park.
”This is the same ceremony as at the other places, but it is for all the people who lost their lives at sea,” said parade Chairman Fred Gorbatuck. “A wreath is tossed into the Raritan River.”
After the ceremonies, beginning at 1 p.m., will be the annual parade, starting by borough hall at Dukes Parkway and traveling down Main Street before turning right onto Roosevelt Avenue. From there, the crowd will head to South Sixth Avenue and return to the VFW for a ceremony in the main hall with speakers, including Mayor Lillian Zuza and Assemblyman Pete Biondi, R-Hillsborough.
Marching in the parade, Mr. Gorbatuck said, will be the VFW Post color guard; the VFW state commander; the VFW Marching Unit; the Ladies Auxiliary state president; Mr. Goodyear; the Ladies Auxiliary district president; the VFW Post Ladies Auxiliary; members of the VFW Post 2290; the Central Jersey Military Motorpool; Boy Scouts Troop and Cub Scouts Pack 193; Girl Scout Daisy Troop 235; Girl Scout Brownie troops 299, 864 and 47; the Manville-Hillsborough Elks; the Manville Knights of Columbus; American Legion Post 304; the Manville High School marching band; the Somerset County 4-H Go-Kart Club; Mayor Zuza; and members of the Borough Council.
There is no rain date scheduled for the ceremonies, and Mr. Goodyear said he hopes it will be a nice day to ensure a crowd. But no matter what, he said, the ceremonies will take place.
”We will march anyway because that’s what a soldier or sailor does,” Mr. Goodyear said. “Whether it is 120 degrees, raining or freezing, (they march).”
During the parade, Mr. Goodyear said, it is great to see so many people outside cheering and clapping for the veterans and other marchers as they go past.
”We are honoring the nation’s day and making the people aware,” he said.
Having served as a tanker with the Army in 1952 and 1953, Mr. Jasontek said he was stationed in Korea from Jan. 1, 1952.
”I was drafted, and I spent the whole year in Korea,” he said. “But I did my part, and that was it.”
A 52-year Manville resident, Mr. Jasontek said he joined the Manville-Hillsborough Elks, and has remained a member of for 50 years. Then, he said, he saw many of his friends joining the VFW so he followed suit.
After five years as a member, Mr. Jasontek began his work with military funerals, participating in a ritual he said many family members appreciate.
”It is a tribute to the people who died,” he said. “The family members appreciate it because it is a ritual for their loved ones and a chance to remember them for the last time.”
Aside from his work with the VFW, Mr. Jasontek said he worked for 40 years in construction with the Local 475 out of Warren and has been retired for about 16 years.
Mr. Goodyear said he believes it is important to continue ceremonies for Memorial Day to honor those who fought for the country and who died in battle.
”We preserve their memories,” he said. “We remember the sacrifices the veterans and their families have made.”
In addition to the actual day of ceremonies, Mr. Goodyear said, the VFW spends the entire month honoring those who have given their lives in battle. In different locations in town, he said, members are distributing poppies randomly to people in memory of the veterans.
Mr. Goodyear said the VFW has passed out the poppies at A&P and is planning to go to Walmart soon.
The poppies, Mr. Goodyear said, have been used to commemorate veterans since World War II, and the VFW has continued the national tradition for many years during May.
”This is the month we do this,” he said. “We just stand outside and give out the poppies.”
Basically, Mr. Goodyear said, the ceremonies are a way to just remember those people who gave their lives in service to the nation.
”They were trying to protect our ways of life,” he said. “It is something to keep bringing up, and we try to preserve their memories.”
