“When we left the cafeteria and proceeded to walk the halls of the school, I was overcome with emotions and experienced the most incredible feeling I have ever felt and one I will never forget,” said Vincent (Vinny) Marturano, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He attended an Honor Flight on Oct. 16. Honor Flight of Southern NJ provides two free trips a year for veterans to Washington D.C.
It’s a patriotic sight to see when the Honor Flight of Southern NJ departs from and arrives back to Williamstown High School.
Veterans arrive to a breakfast display around 6 a.m. organized through the school district and as they depart the high school at 8 a.m. for their trip to Washington D.C., students, staff and faculty line up the hallways to cheer them as they get onto their buses.
The Chamber Choir and Band deliver performances, showcasing their musical talents for the veterans.
“This is a big surprise for the vets who are attending the trip,” said Ricky Amandeo, a social studies teacher at the high school. The district’s Social Studies department plays a big role in organizing the honor flights.
As they leave Williamstown, they can see students from other school districts cheering and waving as they look out the bus windows.
The veterans arrive in the nation’s capital around 10:30 to 11 a.m. They visit national war memorials and monuments built to honor their service including the World War II Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and other key sites.
They also enjoy lunch and time with each other.
The veterans then depart Washington D.C. around 4 p.m. and are back at Williamstown High School around 7 p.m. depending on traffic.
Students, staff, faculty as well as local businesses, organizations and members of the community are on hand to hold a block party to welcome them back to the school.
“It’s a long day,” admits Gretchen Czbas, who helps organize the Honor Flights. She is a world history teacher and serves as chair of the Social Studies department at the high school.
“The veterans have more stamina than us and the kids,” she quipped. “They are still going when they arrive at the school.”
The veterans enjoy a group dinner, a block party with the community, then by 9 p.m., they head back to their respective homes across the state.
The honor flights evolved from a class project in 2008 through now retired educator Pam Pontano. She still co-leads the trips alongside her husband, Ron.
On Oct. 16, the community sent out its 24th Honor Flight with 90 veterans from across the state. Their tours of duty spanned the Korean and Vietnam wars.
One of those veterans, Vincent (Vinny) Marturano, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, was struggling to find the words to express his thanks and gratitude for the outpouring of affection and kindness they received.
Czbas shared his comments in “Smoke Signals,” the high school’s newspaper.
“As most know, we weren’t welcomed when we returned from Vietnam, rather we were met with hatred and disrespect,” he remembered.
“When we left the cafeteria and proceeded to walk the halls of the school, I was overcome with emotions and experienced the most incredible feeling I have ever felt and one I will never forget, no not ever.
“So thank you, your staff and most importantly the students because what you don’t know is that by doing what you did for us, you removed about 60 years of the negativity we’ve had to live with.
“Again, a most heartfelt thank you.”
Honor Flight of Southern NJ is part of the national Honor Flight network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring America’s veterans by providing them with a free, one-day trip to Washington D.C.
There are a number of Honor Flights in the tri-state area. Honor Flight of Southern NJ is the only hub that services New Jersey veterans.
The program is open to all U.S. military veterans who served on active duty. Priority is given to World War II veterans, followed by Korean War, Vietnam War and other service-era veterans as space allows.
Participants with Honor Flight of Southern NJ travel by chartered bus – each veteran travels with a guardian who assists them throughout the trip. And each trip accommodates up to 100 veterans traveling on three charter buses.
There are two trips throughout the year – one in October and one in April.
The next honor flight is scheduled for April 14, 2026. It will be the organization’s 25th flight. The Honor Flight of Southern NJ is accepting applications from veterans across New Jersey. Organizers are in discussions on how to celebrate its milestone flight.
For more information contact honorflightnj@comcast.net and visit https://sjhonorflight.org.
