Deployment ceremony held
Page 4 • Wednesday, August 14, 2013 • The Hammonton Gazette
Firefighters Motorcycle Club and Patriot Guard Riders all parked their bikes next to the local base to support the troops that were deploying to Afghanistan. Warriors’ Watch Riders founder, Wayne Lutz, a group from Wyncote, Pennsylvania, said that the majority of the bikers that showed their support and appreciation at the ceremony were from this organization. This is a common activity the riders perform for troops around the area. “We show our appreciation for the troops and we do it for the pride of it. We do this
mainly for folks in southeast Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. We have chapters of this across the country,” Lutz said. The emotional ceremony ended with approximately 150 troops getting on two individual busses, as they were transported to the Fort Dix base, near Trenton, for the time being. Members of the several motorcycle associations led the escort out of town, while local police vehicles and fire trucks followed the unit, as well. Family and friends said their goodbyes, and there was hardly a dry eye in the crowd.
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Mayor Stephen DiDonato presented a Hammonton flag to the troops departing for Afghanistan during a ceremony on August 11. For more photos, turn to Page 16. assist families during the next nine months, TROOPS, from?Page 1 had been deployed in the past, and assumed hind his family and girlfriend. a mission in Iraq during that time. The current Luisi, who lives off of Route 54, had mixed emotions about the moment, as it was mission of this unit is to reconstruct the first time he would embark on an over- Afghanistan, as these troops have engineerseas mission. Through it all, he has been glad ing backgrounds. “The mission is to reconstruct Afghanistan to serve his country. “It has been amazing. It has been great and to the way it was with the closing down of we are all very excited. This will be my first bases. That will be the mission for the next time overseas for anything with my job. I am nine months,” he said. Members of the Warriors’ Watch Riders, extremely anxious. I can’t wait. I have mixed Legion Riders, Red Knights International emotions right now, though. I am excited for the job that is ahead, but I know I will miss home and my family at the same time,” Luisi said. Local dignitaries were at the ceremony to express their appreciation and support for the troops that were leaving the Hammonton Armory station to begin their journey to Afghanistan. Mayor Stephen DiDonato awarded the town flag to the members of the 150th Engineer Company, and made some remarks to the troops being deployed, along with their family and friends. “I would like to thank all the families who were half-heartbroken this morning, but know this is right and this is the duty of the people to protect our country. I want to thank you all [the troops] for your service. May god bless the men and women that are being shipped out today, and may Godspeed and bring them all home safely. On behalf of the town of Hammonton, deputy mayor [Sam] Rodio, councilman [Michael] Pullia, councilman [Steve] Furgione and myself, this is the flag of the town of Hammonton, which we will present, and once again, may Godspeed and bring you home safely,” DiDonato said. First-class sergeant Juan Plata assumed the command of this unit on July 1. Plata is in charge of taking care of the deploying units’ family needs. “I try to assist them as much as I can until they come back. I try to give them as much information as I can,” Plata said. Plata stated that approximately 150 troops from this particular unit are deploying to Afghanistan. Plata, who will be at the Hammonton Armory to
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911, from?Page 3 Friel likened it to emergency drills at the schools. “Practice is important. Children are creatures of habit and routine. If is in their habit to be prepared, they will deal better with it when there is a real emergency,” Friel said. Chiappine said practice is essential. “It will become second nature for them,” she said. She added that children will think “this is what I am supposed to do in this situation” when an emergency arises.
Daughter calls 911