World War II veterans Cpl. Benjamin Berry (left) and Pvt. First Class Jacob J. Ruser at the head table for the eighth annual Take a Veteran to Lunch celebration on Nov. 16 at Burlington Lodge No. 32 Free and Accepted Masons.
The Burlington Lodge No. 32 Free and Accepted Masons banquet room was packed with 150 veterans and numerous other guests as master of ceremonies Daniel Pensiero introduced two special World War II vets.
Cpl. Benjamin Berry, 101, a member of the Army Quartermaster Corps, and Pvt. 1st Class Jacob J. Ruser, 100, an Army combat medic who landed at Utah Beach on D-Day, got a rousing, standing ovation as they were escorted to the head table at the eighth annual Take a Veteran to Lunch celebration on Nov. 16.
The two centenarian soldiers were alert and spry as they walked up the center aisle during the event, hosted by partners Habitat for Humanity of South-Central New Jersey and the Burlington Lodge Masons. Proceeds from the annual lunch – started by the Masons eight years ago – benefit Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Build Program.
The organization held a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 22 for six new affordable homes on Belleview Avenue in Cinnaminson, three of which will go to veterans, according to Habitat for Humanity’s chief development officer Annie Fox.
“We build 10 to 13 new homes each year,” she said, adding that the new homes in Cinnaminson will have two or three bedrooms. “We repair more than 100 veteran homes.”
Since its inception in 1987, Habitat for Humanity of South-Central New Jersey has built 383 and repaired 364 homes for low- and moderate-income families, serving more than 1.6 million residents across its 113 municipalities. The organization replaces heaters, builds ramps and puts on new roofs at no cost to vets.
“Take a Veteran to Lunch is a wonderful event where our community comes together to express our gratitude to those who have served,” Fox noted.
After Berry and Ruser were seated, the 24th Infantry Regiment Honor Guard presented the colors for the singing of the national anthem. Worshipful Brother Marc D. Levitt of the Masonic Lodge delivered the invocation, followed by Worshipful Master Eric B. Chambers, who asked the veterans to stand.
“Thanks to all of you for your service, and to all the people who put this together,” he said.
The next speaker was Habitat chief executive officer Lori Leonard, who thanked event coordinators, the corporate sponsors and the Masons.
“Your dedication to honoring veterans is wonderful,” she remarked. “This will help our Veterans Build initiatives.”
Just before lunch was served, Air Force veterans Barbara Fitzgerald, past Burlington County VFW District 11 commander, and Clarence Brown, adjutant to VFW Post 10065, conducted a sad but powerful POW/MIA ceremony at a small, empty table.
“The table is set of for one,” Fitzgerald and Brown explained as the room was darkened with a lit candle. “It indicates their solitary life. The red rose reminds them of their family and loved ones who keep the faith for their return. The lit candle represents the upward reach of their unconquerable spirit. The salt on the plate is for the family’s tears as they wait.
“The chair is empty; they are not here.”
U.S. Air Force veterans Barbara Fitzgerald and Clarence Brown pay tribute to POWs and MIAs at the Take a Veterans to Lunch event. .
The lights went back on for lunch, followed by the two keynote speakers.
Berry was in the 863rd Quartermaster Fumigation and Bath Company, a unit of African American servicemen who landed at Utah Beach 22 days after D-Day, transporting supplies and operating facilities for white soldiers as they returned from battle. He served in France, Belgium and Luxembourg before the unit was ordered to the Pacific theater of battle to fight the Japanese.
Ruser was a medic with the medical detachment of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division and saw the horrors of D-Day up close. He and his fellow medics were credited with saving hundreds of lives, and he recalled how in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest in 1944, the Americans and Germans on numerous occasions called a truce to bury their dead.
Take a Veteran to Lunch was an event meant to salute all veterans who’ve served the nation. And as an added bonus, three veterans will soon have new homes.
“We are thrilled to be bringing affordable housing to Cinnaminson once again,” Leonard noted. “This development integrates beautifully into an established neighborhood, allowing families to blend into the community while enjoying the benefits of living in a town that offers so much.”
