County readies tribute to Vietnam casualties

This past Aug. 20 may have been just another day for most people in Middlesex County, but for the family of Michael James Coyle, it was a day of remembrance and loss.

On that day 40 years earlier, the 25-year-old Army captain from Edison became the county’s first casualty in Vietnam, the first of 98 young men from around the county who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Among those casualties were 14 from the Brunswicks and nine from Edison, and others from towns including Sayreville, Old Bridge, Milltown, Spotswood, Woodbridge and Jamesburg. The last was Air Force Maj. Andrew Ivan Jr., of South River, on Aug. 23, 1978.

To recognize their sacrifices and their families’ loss, and to educate children about the Vietnam War, the Middlesex County Veterans’ Advisory Council and Board of Chosen Freeholders will host “The Wall That Heals,” a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The exhibit will be held Oct. 14-17 at Roosevelt Park, Edison.

“The Wall That Heals” will be open 24 hours a day, and there is no charge for admission. The traveling exhibit features a 250-foot replica of the memorial, an information center and museum displaying memorabilia left at the wall in Washington.

Freeholder and Advisory Council member Jane Brady said the Vietnam veterans and their families will be recognized during opening ceremonies on Oct. 14 at 11 a.m., and is asking that any family members of the 98 men killed in Vietnam contact Carl Asszony, county veterans’ service officer, at (732) 745-4051.

A ceremony involving veterans groups, Scouts, police and fire companies will take place Oct. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon. A candlelight ceremony Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m. will close the display.

The list of county casualties may be found at www.co.middlesex.nj.us by going to Human Services Department and clicking on the “Middlesex County Remembers Vietnam” logo.

The traveling wall was the inspiration of John Devitt, a former helicopter door gunner and Army veteran, who attended the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1982. Devitt’s first display was built of Plexiglas, with each name silk-screened onto the panels, and appeared for the first time in 1984 at the Tyler Rose Festival in Texas. In its present form, the third generation, the wall is made of aluminum panels.

For many Vietnam-era veterans, seeing the memorial in Washington involved a somber, difficult walk across the Mall.

“It’s been 20 years and I still remember that day, that walk, those feelings,” said South Brunswick resident Gary Cooper, an Army veteran who is also a member of the council.

“The emotion of standing there with other veterans, with the families of those who lost their lives, seeing the roses on the Wall and other personal items left in remembrance, drew us all together, made us all a family on that sunny August day.

“A few years ago, I saw this [traveling] display bring out the same emotion, healing and awareness,” Cooper added.

The Veterans’ Council is seeking local sponsorship to offset the cost of bringing the display to the area.

Corporations, groups and individuals wishing to donate should contact Carl Asszony at (732) 745-4051 or at carl.asszony@co.middlesex.nj.us. Volunteers are also needed.

To volunteer, contact Ken Holman at (732) 247-3727.