Freehold armory sends troops off to war
U.S. Army Reserve
soldiers say emotional
goodbyes to families
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Freehold Borough Police Chief Michael Beierschmitt and borough firefighters Sharron Brees and Colleen Conover (l-r) present Sgt. Antonio Ortiz with a flag from the Freehold Fire Department to take and fly on foreign soil during Operation Enduring Freedom.

FREEHOLD — Bonnie Bennett not only had to say goodbye to one son at the National Guard Armory on the evening of May 20, she had to say goodbye to two.

Sgt. John Bennett, 37, and his older brother (by five minutes), Staff Sgt. Donald Bennett, are part of the U.S. Army Reserve 1-114th Infantry Bravo Unit that was deployed to participate in Operation Enduring Freedom. The men may be gone for up to 18 months.

The Bennetts are Bonnie’s twin boys.

Bonnie and her husband, Donald, gathered along with their daughter, Shirley Pyburn, and her husband, Rich, and their two sons, Ricky, 7, and Ryan, 6, to spend a few final hours with their loved ones.

May 20 was an emotional evening in Freehold when U.S. Army Reserve soldiers like Sgt. John Bennett (standing) and his brother Staff Sgt. Donald Bennett said goodbye to their families and left for a deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom that may keep them away from home for as long as 18 months.

With babies and children in tow, the two men, along with many other dads, grabbed those precious moments and made memories that will hopefully keep them warm for a journey that could take them into the firestorm of war.

Laurie married John nine years ago and they are now the proud parents of John Jr., 3, who sat on his daddy’s lap for much of the time at the family gathering at the Route 33 armory. The couple are also the parents of 18-month-old, blue-eyed Savan-nah, who held onto her mommy for most of the evening.

Laurie worries that John’s absence will affect John Jr. the most because he is so very close to his dad.

Laurie has been best friends with her sister-in law Karen, Don’s wife, since the sixth grade. So close were they that she introduced her best friend to her boy-friend’s brother years ago. Karen and Don were married 10 years ago. The couple has two girls, Emma, 2, and Samantha, 2 months. Karen held Samantha in a pink bundle while Donald held on to Emma, who was not happy about dad’s imminent trip.

Both young women said they are lucky to have the love and support of a wonderful family they can count on.

Bonnie Bennett, although no stranger to army life, tried hard to conceal the emotions within her. Although her sons have been in the Army Reserve for 18 years, they have only been away from home twice — once to Germany for training and once to Oyster Creek in Ocean County for 30 days, but they were able to come home at night when they were stationed in Oyster Creek.

Bonnie said she lived through her husband’s tour of Vietnam, so she is well aware of the difficulties that lie ahead. She said she is very grateful that Laurie and Karen will have the benefit of some support that she herself did not have years ago.

The Army Reserve has a family support group called the Family Readiness Group in place to aid the families of soldiers being deployed. The support goes into effect the day their loved ones leave.

"We didn’t have anything like this when my husband was in Vietnam," Bonnie said, adding that she feels the support will be of great value to the entire family.

Bonnie added, in a voice which strained to keep composure at times, that the family is very close and will help each other during this challenging time.

"We couldn’t be prouder of our sons," she said.

Maria Morro, whose husband, Sgt. 1st Class William Morro, was also due to be deployed, said the support group meets once a month and pulls together to offer assistance to those who need it. Morro is president of the group.

She said fund-raisers are held to provide items the soldiers need. Care packages will be sent as soon as the families know exactly where the men will be going.

The evening also included the presentation of a Freehold Fire Department flag and a Freehold Borough flag to the deploying troops with the hope that they will fly the flags when they reach their destination.

Freehold Borough Police Chief Michael Beierschmitt and firefighters Colleen Conover and Sharron Brees presented the flags on behalf of the town.

Arrangements for the presentation of the flag were coordinated by JoAnne Waldron, whose husband Capt. John Waldron is also part of the deployment. JoAnne is in charge of coordinating Family Readiness Groups.

Pyburn, the sister of John and Don Bennett, said she is very proud of her brothers.

"It’s what they want to do," she said.

The men have trained together, have been deployed together to the same locations over the last 18 years and intend to put in 20 years in the reserves, according to Pyburn.

"They want to help," she said. "They said they are ready to go."

In their civilian lives, Don works as a corrections officer and John is a mechanic.

Although Pyburn attended the going-away ceremony, she said she refused to say goodbye to her brothers.

"I did not say goodbye to them," she said quietly. "Instead, I wrote them a letter and asked that they read it after they were on their way."

The scene at the armory on May 20, was one which exhibited many emotions simultaneously — laughter, happiness, sadness, sorrow. Some in attendance showed their strength, while others were unable to contain their vulnerability.

Parents worried, lovers embraced, tears were shed, children tugged at skirts and camouflage fatigues. The creation of those memories began to take its toll as the clock kept time, taking itself away from those who desperately wanted so much more of it.