Today's letters: disappointed in Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede & thoughts on an upcoming memorial parade
I was disappointed to read the article "Mayor declines invite to debate challenger" in Monday's edition, that Kelly Yaede refuses to debate the only challenger to the office of Mayor in this upcoming election. Debates are a useful tool for the public when used to compare a candidate's vision, priorities and the demeanor with which that message is communicated to the audience. Just as important are the contrasting approaches, if any, to address the many challenges the people of Hamilton face daily. Unfortunately the response given by our Mayor appears to be "self serving" and "incumbent protective" rather than a servant attitude to the people of Hamilton.
Richard Ferry
Hamilton
Current media coverage of the papal visit, presidential candidates, and myriad other topics might overlook an upcoming event in New Jersey. That is the 34th Annual Memorial Parade in honor of United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, of Raritan, on Sunday, 20 September 2015. Increased ethnic diversity among parade goers suggests that in 2015 the Italian-American presence will be enriched by cultural mosaics that broaden the scope of tribute presented yearly in memory of Sergeant Basilone.
The exploits of Basilone and his small force at Guadalcanal on 24 and 25 October 1942 stopped Japanese forces from capturing Henderson Field, an aerial landing site crucial to Allied strategies in World War II.
The first enlisted Marine of WWII to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, Gunnery Sergeant Basilone, his deeds, and the men under his command presented a welcome contrast with major land defeats suffered by the Allies earlier in 1942. The surrender of Singapore to the Japanese in February was so devastating to Allied morale that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill defined the debacle as "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history." In April and May, Bataan, Corregidor, and the Philippines also fell. Those overwhelming losses wove the dismal canvas upon which the Marines' feats in October painted signs of hope for the Allies. Little wonder that Basilone was ordered stateside, to campaign nationally for the War Bond Drives, and that he was featured in War Bond films alongside another prominent Italian-American, Mayor LaGuardia of New York!
Yet another Italian-American, Anthony Lettieri, also of Raritan, is the Grand Marshall for next Sunday's parade. The U.S. Navy veteran of WWII will be cheered by attendees of a widened ethnicity that has characterized the events of recent years. In 2012, for example, Guest Speaker, Lt. General Robert Milstead, Jr., Deputy Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, stated, "This is America!" That is a great tribute to Sergeant Basilone, who remained an enlisted man so that he could always be with his fellow Marines.
Michael R. Tovino
Lawrenceville
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