Yellow ribbons are put up as men prepare to deploy
Freehold resident will not allow troops to be forgotten
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
Four soldiers who serve in the U.S. National Guard are preparing to ship out to Kuwait from the National Guard armory, Route 33, on Sept. 16 and Freehold Borough resident Mary Ellen Berryman wants people to remember them every day they are away.

JEFF GRANIT staff Mary Ellen Berryman (second from right) wants people to keep the nation's fighting men and women in mind as troops continue to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan. Berryman has been placing yellow ribbons in downtown Freehold Borough as a reminder to people to keep the soldiers in their thoughts and prayers. She is joined by Shari Madera (r), Keith Lewis, (l), the owner of Sweet Lew's Café, Freehold Borough, National Guard Staff Sgt. Tomas Montalvo and Sgt. Juan Rodriguez.

Berryman has been a member of the National Guard's Family Readiness Group for many years. For the past two weeks she has been busy tying large yellow ribbons on trees along Main and South streets. The ribbons are supposed to remind people to keep the soldiers on their mind and in their prayers.

She wants the bows to stay on the trees until all area soldiers return home from war.

The National Guard's Family Readiness Group was created to help connect the families of soldiers who are called to duty and sent away from home. The group provides emotional and physical support to those who are left behind. The group has been in existence for more than 20 years.

According to National Guard Sgt. Tomas Montalvo, Spc. Daniel Connelly, of Brick Township, Pvt. Jason Garcia, of Highlands, Pvt. Michael Bender, of Highlands, and Pfc. Jamie Jiminez, now of Georgia and formerly of Monmouth County, will leave from the National Guard armory on Sept. 16.

They will report for four days of training at Fort Dix in Burlington County and follow that up with one month of training at Fort Benning, Ga., before they ship out to Kuwait to meet up with the 120 guard members from the Freehold Armory's 1/114th Infantry Battalion, Bravo Company, which is already stationed there.

This will be Connelly's and Jiminez's second tour overseas.

Berryman said although she has no family members in the armed forces now, she has been volunteering for so long that it would seem strange not to continue participating in the volunteer efforts for the soldiers and their families, doing the work she seems to love doing.

Berryman, who is a loan officer, said she started her volunteer work years ago by helping veterans to obtain mortgages.

"I got involved with them and have been involved for over 10 years. I got to know them personally," she said.

Berryman said she initially began volunteering with the National Guard because of her father who was a World War II veteran and the recipient of a Bronze Star. Her father died in 2004.

"He was my real hero," Berryman said.

She said she continues to work tirelessly on behalf of veterans and members of the National Guard because a lot of people "don't seem to care about them."

"It's heart wrenching. They are leaving their families and many of them are leaving little children behind as well," she said.

Berryman said she enlisted some people to work on the project with her, including her friend Dory Orlando, of Freehold Borough, Dr. Frank Jamasidian, of Freehold Township, her cousin, Patti Scombordi, from Pennsylvania, and Shari Madera, the president of the Family Readiness Group. Madera is married to National Guard member Sgt. Carlos Madera.

Berryman said Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina gave her permission to place the yellow ribbons on trees in downtown Freehold. Berryman quoted Bellina as saying the show of support was a wonderful idea.

"I think that every town should have yellow bows on their trees and they should stay there until we bring them all home safely," she said.

Berryman said people on the homefront have a role to play, too. As part of the yellow ribbon project residents may donate items for the soldiers.

She said Keith Lewis, who owns of Sweet Lew's Hometown Café, East Main Street, has provided a collection box at his restaurant.

Items needed by the soldiers include shampoo, shaving cream, soap, mouthwash and other personal products, ice tea mix, drink mix, hard candy, instant coffee, sugar packs, powdered milk, hot chocolate and phone cards.

Berryman said the Family Readiness Group is selling T-shirts to support the troops. The shirts are $15 each and are available at the National Guard armory, Route 33, (Park Avenue), Freehold. The shirts may be obtained by calling the armory at 732-462-0371.