Saving Private Santillo Brick Township Local members come to the aid of WWII vet
n BY ERIKA WURST
When a World War II veteran who was part of the D-Day invasion needed relief from the August floods, members of Brick Township Local 230 stormed to the rescue.
John Santillo, who was a 22-year-old Army private assigned to the 4th Infantry Division that was among the first American troops to make landfall on D-Day at Utah Beach, was in a jam after his home flooded. He didn’ t lose many belongings, but the association for the active adult community where he lived required him to remove everything from inside the home so the floors could be replaced.
Members of Local 230 are accustomed to reaching out to their community. They host fundraisers throughout the year, raising money for local families, scholarship funds, bulletproof vests and memorials. Thousands of dollars are collected. But money doesn’ t solve everything. In some cases, it’ s the personal connections officers make with residents that go the furthest. So it came as no surprise that Local 230 President Richard Nelson was quick to jump on board when he was approached about an elderly resident in need. At 96 years old, Santillo felt overwhelmed by the task but still refused outside help.“ He just wanted to stay in there and go about his life,” Nelson said.
So Brick Township employees, who recently recognized Santillo for his service, were determined to help the veteran out. Township Administrator Joanne Bergin knew exactly who to call, and Nelson was quickly contacted to come to the rescue.
“ This hits home for a lot of guys we work with who are also veterans,” Nelson said.
Within days of the flooding, about 30 officers volunteered to take time off to help Santillo get his affairs in order. They arrived early at Santillo’ s home one morning and were greeted with a wide smile from the man who had previously refused help.
“ We pulled up and he was very happy. It was awesome,” Nelson said.“ His girlfriend was there and was crying and thanking us, too.”
In a matter of two hours, the Local 230 brigade packed up Santillo’ s entire home so that it could be repaired. It wasn’ t a long day for the officers, but it was an impactful one.
“ I think it’ s vital for anyone in law enforcement to have a good relationship with the community and the residents in town,” Nelson said.“ If we can put a smile on someone’ s face like we did for( Santillo), we will do everything we can to make that happen. We want the town to know that we’ re here for them.”
Being able to muster with members off the job was also an unexpected surprise for Nelson. They were able to kick back, relax and chill in a not-so-stressful environment.
“ It was a great atmosphere, as opposed to on the job when we’ re going on calls and to domestics. We get to let loose and be ourselves,” Nelson said.“ It also helps civilians to see us joking around not in uniform. It shows them we don’ t have to be stereotypical‘ cops’ all of the time.” d
48 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ SEPTEMBER 2018