In Our Town
Honoring A Hometown Hero
Article by Sue Baldani
Originally published in Scotch Plains City Lifestyle
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the Scotch Plains community gathered to honor one of its own, Harry T. Ramsey, during a Wreaths Across America event at the Scotch Plains Baptist Church on Park Avenue. Joe McCourt, a U.S. Army Veteran of the Vietnam War, served as master of ceremonies.
PFC Ramsey, a United States Army veteran of World War II and Purple Heart recipient, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in Normandy, France, on July 29, 1944. In recognition of his service, Warren Street, where PFC Ramsey once lived, will now also be known as Harry T. Ramsey Lane. Signs have been placed on Warren Street at the intersections of Coles Avenue and Rose Street. His name will also be added to the War Memorial in the center of town.
This recognition began with the dogged research of Westfield resident, Brian Mueller. In 2020, he watched a 1964 documentary marking the 20th anniversary of D-Day, and as General Eisenhower and Walter Cronkite walked through the rows of graves at the American Cemetery in Normandy, Cronkite read some of the names of the soldiers buried there. One of those names was Harry Ramsey from New Jersey.
“That's what started the whole thing,” says Brian. “I started digging, talked to his nephew Tom [Ramsey], and confirmed that that was his uncle. I ultimately found he was from Scotch Plains.”
He also went to the War Memorial in the center of town but didn’t see Ramsey’s name. He set out to rectify this situation and make sure the veteran was recognized for his service.
It took about four years to gather all the records, and Brian never realized his research would culminate in such an honor to Ramsey. “I'm happy to see this happen, and I'm also happy that it's during the 80th anniversary of D-Day.”
Even though Brian isn’t a veteran, he’s a treasurer of the Association of the United States Army that supports Army veterans, soldiers that are deployed, and their families.
“I was just shocked when Brian contacted me,” says Tom, who drove up from Atlanta for the event. “I knew about the Walter Cronkite/General Eisenhower documentary because I watched it with my dad as a child.” They were both surprised when Harry’s name was mentioned.
“When Brian told me what he was trying to do, I offered to help in any way I could. I had some genealogy records, but not a lot.”
Tom’s father, John, was also a veteran and he and his brother Harry enlisted when they were in their 30s. “They were over there serving because they wanted to.”
While in town, Tom had the opportunity to go by and look at the house on Warren Street. “I can picture my dad in that house,” he says.
“I like what Mr. McCourt said at the end of his speech,” says Ernie Hernandez, a member of the Veterans Advisory Board in town, which was instrumental in providing this recognition. “When you place a wreath on a veteran's tombstone, say his name aloud. Because, when you say their names aloud, you keep them alive, you remember their sacrifice.”
So, next time you’re driving around town, visit these signs and take a moment to remember.
Army Veteran, Fr. David C. Santos, Says Near-Death Experiences Influenced Second Life as Priest
Army veteran David Santos says his near-death experiences in Iraq amplified his appreciation of the power of faith. That newfound appreciation inspired him to begin a new life as a priest.
A picture shows a small crater that was left after an IED exploded on a road in Iraq. Santos was the crew member responsible for driving over that IED. "Thanks be to God, they buried the munitions too deep. It made a lot of noise and a lot of dust," he said. Santos, who is now Father David, years later kept the razor-edged chunk of metal along with his dog tags.
He said his first calling to serve in the Army alongside his twin brother Brian was the Sept. 11 attacks, "There was such a sense of patriotism (and) willingness to serve. It was really powerful," Santos added.
Once his service to his country was completed, he knew he wanted to serve. But the second time, that call was from God.
An old friend and mentor encouraged him. "He asked me, 'What do you want to be?' I said, 'I want to be a soldier of Christ,'" Santos said.
In tradition, priests can choose a chalice left by another priest who has passed away to use as his own. The chalice he selected seemed divine. The inscription on the bottom read "soldier of Christ."
Father David leads his congregation at St. James the Apostle Church in Springfield. Officiating his niece Juliana's wedding was a proud moment.
But every day in the past 10 years of his second calling has been bringing light into darkness. "Recapturing our relationship with God can solve 99.9 percent of our problems," he said.
Memorial Day Ceremonies in Scotch Plains to Include Remembrance of U.S. Army Private Killed in Battle
SCOTCH PLAINS - Another “Gold Star” family and fallen hero will be honored Monday, May 27 during the township’s annual Memorial Day ceremony to remember U.S. Army Private Henry L. Siedentop, Jr., killed in action during World War II.
A street sign “topper” will be placed where the fallen hero had lived in Scotch Plains, at the intersections of Newark Avenue and Maple Hill Road & Newark Avenue and Hetfield Avenue. Pvt. Siedentop, born on July 13, 1925, lived at 2067 Newark Avenue.
Pvt. Siedentop entered military service on November 20, 1943 and deployed overseas in July 1944 as part of the 737th Tank Battalion. A Purple Heart recipient, he was tragically killed in action in France on November 17, 1944 at only 19 years of age. He is buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery in Lorraine, France.
The ceremony will include participation from Scotch Plains’ elected officials and other dignitaries, local veterans, and their families. The American Legion Post 209, coordinates all aspects of the ceremony, providing an honor guard and rifle salute in tribute. Mayor Josh Losardo and the Township Council will issue a proclamation, honoring Pvt. Siedentop for his ultimate sacrifice.
Darby Road Welcomes Veterans for a Special Thanksgiving Meal in Scotch Plains
SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Darby Road Public House (450 Park Ave., Scotch Plains) will host a special Thanksgiving meal on Thursday when the popular restaurant welcomes local veterans from Valley Brook VA Medical Center in Lyons, NJ.
The restaurant will host approximately 60 veterans as guests and will offer a traditional turkey dinner and a place to go on Thanksgiving Day. The vets will also receive a take-home bag of essentials and goodies.
Chef Michael Kobliska spent part of his day Wednesday preparing the gobblers for the vets.
"We've been doing this forever here. I'll be in at 6 a.m. to put the turkeys in the oven," Kobliska told TAPintoSPF. "The veterans will come and have a free meal and the run of the dining room. We're giving back to them, because they've given to all of us."
The meals have been paid for with donations, while the staff at Darby Road are volunteering their time to host the vets.
Craig Clark of Scotch Plains Celebrates Anniversary of His Life-Saving Heart Transplant
(SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ) – Craig Clark, 61, is taking time to reflect on the gift of life and the miracle of organ and tissue donation and transplantation as he recently celebrated four years since his life-saving heart transplant. With his health and strength now restored, Craig is living each day to its fullest by enjoying life’s precious moments and spending time on his favorite hobbies, including home improvement projects, day trips and travel.
“Each day that I get to travel and spend time with extended family and friends or special events like our children’s weddings or the birth of a grandchild, I remember that it was made possible thanks to my organ donor and the care of Susan Pardi, NP, and the amazing transplant team at NYU Langone who kept me alive through heart failure,” said Craig.
Now four years post-transplant, Craig is filled with energy and spends as much time as possible with his grandchild. He is also forever mindful of his organ donor who gave him the gift of life. “The only thing that I know about my donor is that he was 51 years old when he passed,” said Craig. “My donor or his family’s decision to be a donor has essentially given me a new lease on life.”
Craig has also made it a priority to advocate for NJ Sharing Network, the nonprofit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue in the Garden State. By sharing his story with others, Craig hopes to encourage more people to register as organ and tissue donors. “One organ and tissue donor can save eight lives and enhance the lives of over 75 others,” said Craig.
At the age of 17, Craig enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Art History from Seton Hall University before returning to active military duty as an Artillery Officer. At that time, doctors detected that Craig had a heart murmur, and he was soon diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. Despite his critical health challenges, Craig and his wife, Anna, raised their three children, Adam, Rachel and Nathan, and he enjoyed a successful career in transportation and supply chain management.
As years passed, Craig’s heart disease grew progressively worse. He suffered a stroke and his heart stopped beating twice in a two-week period. Craig had a defibrillator implanted, but he was later diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) in 2017. He was added to the heart transplant waiting list. On August 25, 2018, while admitted at NYU Langone, Craig’s prayers were answered when he received “the call” from NYU Langone cardiologist Alex Reyentovich, MD that a heart was available for transplant.
“I remember answering the phone was basically the only thing that I had enough strength to do at the time,” said Craig. “The next day, I had my transplant. I recovered quickly in the immediate days and weeks after transplant. I was out of the hospital in just seven days!”
Currently, there are over 100,000 Americans – nearly 4,000 of whom live in New Jersey – waiting for a life-saving transplant, according to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). However, the generosity of those in the Garden State is providing hope for the future. Organ and tissue donor registrations in the Garden State continue to increase thanks to strong community education and outreach efforts and simplified ways to register.
