There may not be any town in South Jersey that puts on a better welcome home for its veterans than Medford.
Medford Township’s Returning Veterans’ Committee has had a deep impact on the community in just a few short years of existence.
Nino DePasquale, the chairman of the committee, said Medford is one of the few towns that has a committee that focuses specifically on welcoming home returning veterans.
“It’s an acknowledgment of Medford’s real dedication to their veterans,” he said.
DePasquale, a Vietnam veteran, was appointed the chairman of the committee when the council formed it four years ago. Since then, he and a group of about 10 volunteers have been organizing welcome home events for veterans from the township as well as surrounding towns.
Most of the year, the committee’s work deals with organizing welcome home ceremonies for military personnel. Families will let the committee know that a veteran will be coming back from active service. DePasquale and the other volunteers arrange every detail of the event from there.
“We basically host the welcome home celebration and pull together all the parts,” DePasquale said.
Most ceremonies consist of the veteran being surprised either at home or another location. The committee will call everyone from police and fire to the Warrior Watch Riders and the South Jersey Yellow Ribbon Club to make the day special.
“The family agrees to surprising the veteran,” DePasquale said. “We’ll show up and surprise the veteran and then we’ll escort them to another location. Then, we’ll reward the veteran with medals and proclamations.”
The committee also participated in events outside of Medford. DePasquale said that when veterans return home in neighboring towns such as Mt. Laurel, Medford Lakes and Marlton, they work with the towns on the welcome home celebration.
“We cooperate with adjoining municipalities,” he said. “If we know they’re welcoming home a veteran, we’ll coordinate and attend.”
The committee’s work goes beyond welcoming veterans home. Last week, in honor of Veterans Day, about 30 veterans visited history classes at Shawnee High School, telling stories about their experiences serving in the military. Veterans from World War II to the Iraq War participated.
“It’s a shared reaction,” DePasquale said. “It gives the vets a chance to express themselves and share their experiences. It also exposes and educates the students on previous wars. What’s interesting about the student body is that so many of them have veterans in their families.”
Veterans have visited Shawnee for many years. DePasquale explained that the committee picked up organizing the event a few years ago after the school’s principal, Matthew Campbell, expressed interest in having them come. From school lectures to welcome home ceremonies, the committee has given Medford’s veterans first-class treatment unlike any other.
