The significance of bringing more than 75 World War II veterans together under one roof is not lost on Bill Nixon.

by Arnaldo Rodgers

This year’s William L. Nixon Veterans Tribute in Phillipsburg will give special recognition to World War II veterans because of the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. Nixon has been planning it for months.

“The more my phone rang, it made me sit back in the chair and really focus on this,” said Nixon, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. “So many of them were in the same area at the same time and may not or don’t even know each other.”

The tribute starts 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at Phillipsburg High School. Doors open to the public at noon. Six veterans who left a New Jersey high school for military service will receive a high school diploma through Operation Recognition.

The ceremonies also will feature a live videoconference from the Normandy American Cemetery with its superintendent, Daniel Neese. The time difference between the U.S. and France will make it too dark for a tour of the cemetery, Nixon said.

Morris Metz, president of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, tried to enlist in the service but said he was rejected because of his bad eyesight. After he graduated high school and received his “greetings from the president” to report Sept. 21, 1943, he memorized the eye chart.

He served in the U.S. Army’s 94th Infantry Division in an anti-tank unit that would defend against counterattacks whenever a town was captured. The soldiers were always isolated, usually unaware of the big picture, he said.

“You didn’t have the communication. You didn’t have cell phones. We didn’t get any mail. You couldn’t write,” Metz said, noting a three-week period he didn’t send a letter back to his family.

Metz, 90, said 46 of the 47 boys in his graduating class at Pen Argyl Area High School served; all survived. They all wanted to help their country after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941.

There’s a common bond between those who fought in World War II, said Metz, who lives in Forks Township. Nixon said organizers are making a special effort this year to give veterans a chance to connect during a meet-and-greet with refreshments after the formal program.

Retired Navy Cmdr. James Turner will issue a challenge coin during the tribute to every World War II veteran in attendance, Nixon said. Turner joined the Navy in the late 1950s. The veterans will come forward one at a time to receive the coin from Turner, the most senior-ranking officer Nixon could find.

The coins are only supposed to be issued from one veteran to another, he said. “Many of them take that with them when they leave this earth,” Nixon said. “It means so much to them.”

Lopatcong Township resident Lou Reda, a Navy Seabee who served in the Pacific islands during the war, will give the keynote speech. A singer before the war, Reda’s true love was assembling groups of entertainers for shows for thousands of servicemen.

Nixon said he’s pleased with the way high school students have taken ownership of the tribute. It’s a turnaround from when he started the tribute.

“I started on this mission about 17 years ago,” said Nixon, a retired Phillipsburg educator. “I have to tell you, at the time that I started, I was really down. I didn’t think our youth knew much at all about who veterans were or what they did. I’m beginning to believe they understand. We’re making big gains.”