Beyond the battlefield: Veterans Day brings lessons in service to Morristown

 

By Ellen S. Wilkowe

Service is not confined to a uniform or even a battlefield.

It often shows up in simple acts of kindness that can electrify an otherwise ordinary day.

That was the takeaway from the Veterans Day ceremony that drew about 50 attendees to the Morristown Green Wednesday under cooperative blue skies, brilliant foliage and, fittingly, a Revolutionary War statue.

Solemn patriotism reverberated off Hometown Hero banners around town, from the coordinated chiming of church bells to performances by the Morristown High School band.

“Today on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour we gather in a tradition that dates back to the end of World War I, when guns fell silent at the peace agreement,” said Ceremonial Officer Larry Schillings.

“Moments ago, the ringing of the church bells throughout Morristown reminded us of this historic moment, when peace was restored after years of devastating conflict and loss.”

Video: Patrick Doyle remembers a lost pilot:

There was no mention of the nation’s latest conflict in Iran. In its place, an unspoken heaviness lingered. The ceremony drew elected officials from Morristown and Morris Township, local police and firefighters, and members of the VFW and American Legion.

The ceremony was rounded out by a rifle salute and Taps, performed by trumpeter Katharine Trabachino from the high school band.

‘GRATITUDE MEANS MOST WHEN NOBODY’S WATCHING’

“Veterans Day is more than a date on a calendar,” Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty said. “It is a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy was not simply given to us. They were defended by ordinary Americans who entered the extraordinary calls to serve.”

Just days following America 250 fireworks in town, Dougherty continued to elevate Morristown’s role in the Revolutionary War and the precedent set by Gen. George Washington and his army.

“This is where Washington defended the idea that freedom is worth fighting for, and that same sort of spirit of courage, sacrifice and service lives on in every generation of American veterans,” he said.

“Our responsibility does not end with saying, ‘thank you,’” he said. “We must ensure that our veterans receive the respect, care and opportunities and support they have earned.”

Morris Township Mayor Donna Guariglia echoed those sentiments.

“A veteran is the neighbor who helps you shovel your driveway, the grandfather that never talks about Korea, the young woman down the street who came home from Afghanistan and is still trying to find her footing. Each one has a name, a story.”

She called on the public to tell those stories.

“There’s simple things any of us can do on any day of the year,” she said. “Try to learn just one story with a veteran in your family, on your streets, and ask: ‘When did you serve, what do you want people to understand.?’ And then listen.”

Guariglia urged attendees to perform intentional acts of service such as driving a veteran to a medical appointment, preparing a meal or making a phone call.

“Gratitude means the most when nobody’s watching,” she said.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE VETERAN

The Township mayor also highlighted the waning number of surviving service members from World War II, and the advancing ages of Korean and Vietnam veterans. One such World War II veteran was Purple Heart recipient Sydney Levit of Morris Plains.

The 102-year-old served as a pilot in the 17th Airborne Division, 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment Company.

According to published reports, Levit was undergoing training in England when a German offensive precipitated the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. He was one of 16 survivors out of an initial 130 soldiers.

When asked about today’s wars, his daughter, Nancy Goldband spoke for him. “He’s not happy.”

The time is now to tap Levit and other veterans for wisdom and testimonies that bridge generational divides, Guariglia said.

“If we are not deliberate, sacrifice becomes a chapter in a child’s textbook instead of something they truly understand,” she said. “A name spoken aloud keeps the light from fading.”

That sentiment was reflected with a ceremonial roll call of Hometown Heroes, dating from the Revolutionary War to the present. This included retired Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick J. Doyle of Morris Township, who carried forward the theme of paying it forward in his keynote speech.

“THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IS REALITY’

Doyle, the father of two Morristown High School students, served 11 years of active duty in roles from flight commander to executive officer. He also directed the admissions liaison program at the U.S. Air Force Academy of New Jersey.

An honors graduate from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Co., Doyle also was a member of the Wings of Blue parachute team. He completed his undergraduate pilot training in 2001 and accumulated 1,500 hours in the F-15 fighter aircraft.

He landed his first assignment in Alaska, with his newlywed wife, Kim, in tow. At age 25, he was the youngest pilot in the 90th fighter squadron. Having barely settled in, he was beckoned by the squadron commander with orders to deploy on a moment’s notice. “And don’t tell your family,” he recalled.

“This was only a few days after the moving company had delivered our belongings to the apartment, which was now filled with boxes,” he said.

Along with his requirements to be a mission-ready fighter pilot, he was assigned the more humbling role of “Snack O,” or snack officer. This involved replenishing snacks, maintaining the bar, managing financing, fundraising, and meeting the needs of the moment.

“My initial approach to my snack responsibilities was in a word, ‘relaxed,’” he said. “As it turned out, the snack role had a huge impact. It set the tone of the squadron. A great Snack O is someone the entire group relies on. A well-stocked, organized cleaning workspace sets an expectation for excellence.”

Snack rank aside, Doyle’s initial call to serve came from family. His father served in Vietnam as a Cobra Attack helicopter pilot and continued in the army reserves. His grandfather took up arms during World War II. “He didn’t like to talk about it, but I always knew the importance of service.”

He was further inspired by his brother, a commercial airline pilot who shared his passion for aviation.

“By the time I was a teenager, I was convinced that being a fighter pilot would be the perfect way to serve my country,” he said. “I was already wearing aviator sunglasses way before I had any business doing so.”

A radio broadcast during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 further cemented his decision. “I was in the car with my father and the broadcast was describing fighter planes striking targets in Iraq,” he said. “I thought to myself, what could be more heroic than putting yourself in harm’s way to protect our country?”

This meant protecting his brothers in arms and the trust among them. “What kept me going was showing up for those around me,” he said. “A career in the military comes with challenges, and at times sacrifice.”

Doyle’s voice quavered for an instant as he recounted the loss of one of his students. The student had just become a father to twin girls. Doyle and his wife were expecting as well, and he would frequently seek out other parents for advice.

“As we headed back from a training flight, I asked how things were going with his daughters and he said something that always stayed with me,” he said. “He shared that while staying with his family at the hospital, he was able to give his daughters a bath, and he did not anticipate as a dad how much joy he would feel from something so simple.”

A year later, the father of twins along with another of Doyle’s students lost their lives while deployed.

“It has been my greatest joy raising our children and watching two amazing kids grow up,” he said. “That is a sacrifice that I could not imagine, but the ultimate sacrifice is the reality that some of us are making.”

It’s been 15 years since Doyle retired from active duty. He continues to serve in other ways.

“Military service can be viewed as a grand, noble undertaking, which it absolutely is,” he said. “But there’s a lot more to it. Service is doing everyday things that stay small, yet make a big difference in the lives of those around you.”

Video: A military medley on Veterans Day, from the U.S. Army Field Band at MPAC

Video: MHS kids join the Army (Band):