Veterans Day - Armistice Day

Belleville NJ

(BELLEVILLE, N.J.) - Armistice Day marks the anniversary of the end of World War I. The treaty, or armistice, was signed at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month to end the four years of conflict in 1918.

The day was declared a legal holiday in 1938. Later, in 1954, 50 years ago, Congress revised the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day. It thus became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

I can’t help but wonder how many people have entered the town hall and passed the Victory statue without realizing that it lists 20 Belleville sons who are known to have died in the Great War, over 86 years ago.

From World War I, the Belleville sons who died: William Charles Bain Jr., Harry Benjamin Blekicki (Smith), Carmine Caruccio, Edward Joseph Crowell, Gregory Mc Pherson Davey, George Eyre, Michael Augustine Flynn, Harry Melvin Garside, Henry Charles Hoag, Charles McGinty, Thomas Joseph Mooney, Charles Edgar Morgan, Michael John Murray, Charles Aloysius Schaffer, George Stuart Smith, William Thomas Smith, Fred W. Stockman and George A. Younginger.

As we honor men and our veterans on November 11, let us also remember the sacrifice 35 years ago, of Corp. Frank A. Cancelliere, and Corp. Paul Nelson, both 20, who were killed in action in Vietnam in 1969.

Written by Anthony Buccino
and published Nov. 18, 2004,
in the Belleville Times.