And it was all of these brave Roebling soldiers that were honored at the Roebling Garden Club’s rededication of the World War II Memorial Honor Roll last Sunday.
by Charley Falkenburg, Special Writer
ROEBLING —When longtime Roebling resident Linda M. Kocsis-Anderson thinks of veterans, two words come to her mind: family pride.
Like much of the community, Ms. Kocsis-Anderson comes from a family of European immigrants who had settled in Roebling to build their new lives. Also like many of her neighbors, she has plenty of relatives who put their lives on the lines to serve and protect their new home and country.
And it was all of these brave Roebling soldiers that were honored at the Roebling Garden Club’s rededication of the World War II Memorial Honor Roll last Sunday.
In a brief ceremony, a small crowd gathered that afternoon to commemorate all the Roebling residents who served in the conflict. Ms. Kocsis-Anderson was not a veteran, but she was there to represent a few of them who were unable to make it.
”I’m here to represent my dad Louis Kocsis — he was in the United States Navy during World War II,” she explained. “And also my brother Louis C. Kocsis — he served in Vietnam.”
Her mother, Margaret Kocsis, nodded as she stood right by Ms. Koscis-Anderson’s side.
”It’s nice to see this plaque come back again,” she added, referring to its recent refurbishment.
A fire had destroyed much of the original plaque in the 1960s and it wasn’t until 2005 when a local community committee formed to raise money to renovate it. This month, the finishing touches were made and the project was complete.
For Rose Menton, the secretary of the Garden Club, it was important to have such community memorials and ceremonies to honor the veterans.
”A lot of people put their lives on the line so we can enjoy life the way we want. You can’t help but appreciate them,” said Ms. Menton.
During the ceremony, the following 11 names of Roebling soldiers who lost their lives during War World II were read out loud: Alexander W. Andrews, Robert L. Amold, Richard L. Engel, Carl R. Larson, Ralph Pigott, Joseph Seaman, Stephen Seybe, James R. Tonne, Edward F. Trainor, Jr. and Joseph A. Varga.
Florence Township Mayor Craig Wilkie was also there to reflect on the ceremony and its importance to the village of Roebling.
”While we rededicate this monument to War World II, we recommit ourselves to fighting for every man and woman’s right to be free,” said Mayor Wilkie.
After the ceremony, the crowd lingered outside, chatting with one another. Several made their way up to the plaque to take a closer look.
One of those people was James Napolitan, of Roebling, who had served stateside in the military. His eyes scrolled up and down the plaque, appearing to search for familiar names.
”People are so easily forgotten; looking at the names here, it’s amazing how many don’t exist anymore,” Mr. Napolitan said. “To me, it’s about the memories. It’s about remembering the people you served with.”