Every year, the Township of Maplewood holds a moving Veterans Day ceremony inviting all local veterans to come, be recognized and tell their stories at Town Hall. The ceremony takes place at 11 a.m. Also this year, the town's Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be dedicated at Valley Street and Baker Street in Memorial Park at 9:30 a.m.

Here we reprise our coverage of last year's Veterans Day memorial service at Town Hall to encourage you to attend this year's event.

MAPLEWOOD, November 11, 2010 — Vietnam. Okinawa. Iwo Jima. Korea. Kuwait. Iraq.

These are just some of the names of locales mentioned by dozens of Maplewood residents today as they recalled their years as veterans in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Scott Holloman remembered his two tours of duty in Iraq from 2004-05 and 2009 -10. Robert Calandra recalled his service on the John Paul Jones from 1963-65. Trevor Lewis-Jones was in Japan to secure Okinawa after WWII ended. Art Christensen spent time aboard the U.S.S. Landry from 1958-1960. Norman Uphaus, 91, ended his service for his country only then to start serving his community more directly with 29 years at the Maplewood Fire Department. Vince Nardone wanted his wife's contribution recognized—Rose Sheridan Nardone served as an Army nurse in Korea, while her husband was an Army sergeant in WWII.

Maplewood resident and author Stuart Lutz spoke of American's true "forgotten war"—World War I. He recalled his interview with the last surviving veteran of the Great War, Frank Buckles. Buckles, who lives in West Virginia and will turn 110 in February, told Lutz after returning from France there were "no parades. . . Americans didn't give a damn." Lutz noted there is no national memorial to WWI veterans in Washington, D.C., despite the fact that 4.7 million Americans served and more than 117,000 died in just a little more than a year of combat in the French countryside from 1917 through 1918.

Lutz finished by reading off the names of the eight Maplewood residents who died in World War I—and who are honored with a plaque and eight elm trees in Memorial Park.

After the ceremony, Holloman noted this was the first time he had attended the Veterans Day event at town hall. "I only just joined the VFW." He mentioned a friend of his had waited 25 years after serving to join a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. Indeed, Holloman was one of only vets in attendance with service in Iraq. No veterans from the war in Afghanistan were present.

Art Gartenlaub wants to try to rectify that. Gartenlaub is commander of VFW Post 10120 on Marie Place in Maplewood. Call him at 973-762-6336 to join.