Lessons in Courage

A memorial honoring Henry Svehla, who was killed in the Korean War and became Belleville’s only native to win the Congressional Medal of Honor, was unveiled today during a ceremony preceded by a student assembly where BHS freshmen learned just how extraordinary Svehla’s heroism was.

“It is extremely special and historic,” teacher Gary Klotzkin explained to the students gathered at the high school’s Connie Francis Theater. “I hope you have an increased gratitude for all veterans who have served.”

Board of Education member Joseph Longo, a Marine veteran, said prior to the unveiling that he called Richard Yanuzzi, chairman of the Belleville Library Board, to seek his help in getting a memorial to Svehla installed on the grounds of Belleville High immediately after hearing that Svehla had been awarded the Medal of Honor. The committee soon grew to include Councilman Vincent Cozzarelli, Chief of Police Joseph Rotonda and BPD officers Robert Kane and Charles Padula.

A second memorial to Svehla will be officially unveiled tomorrow at 1 pm at the Union Avenue veterans memorial. Both unveilings were scheduled to coincide with Veterans Day this Friday.

Svehla was a 19-year-old Army private om June 12, 1952, when his platoon took part in a battle at Pyongony, Korea. Svehla led an attack on enemy positions and kept fighting even after being wounded, refusing medical attention. Svehla would later throw himself on a grenade, losing his own life but saving those of his fellow soldiers.  He was immediately awarded a posthumous Distinguished Service Cross but it would be decades before he received the Medal of Honor, which was given to Svehla’s sister by President Obama during a White House ceremony May 2.

The young students, who were initially a little rambunctious, settled down as a succession of speakers impressed upon them the significance of Svehla’s actions.

The Medal of Honor “is the greatest honor” a military service member can receive, said Gary Mascitelli, a BHS alumnus and himself a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran. Only a few thousand soldiers and sailors have received the medal, Klotzkin earlier explained, out of the millions who served in the armed forces since the Civil War, when the Medal of Honor was created.

Also speaking today was Svehla’s nephew Anthony, who was born a decade after his uncle’s death. Svehla explained to the students how, back in 2001, he was checking a Web site listing Medal of Honor winners and noticed that a number of recipients had performed acts of bravery under fire similar to his uncle's. That began a 10-year quest to see Henry Svehla accorded the same honor. With the help of Congressman Bill Pascrell, the medal was awarded this past May, the same day when a Navy SEAL team killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

“The president had a big smile on his face” that day, Svehla recalled.

A video describing Svehla’s actions was prepared by the Pentagon and delivered to Anthony Svehla just hours before today’s presentation. The video was played for the students, who fell into  a respectful silence as images of the president hugging an emotional Dorothy Matthews, Henry Svehla’s sister, were projected on a screen.

The Medal of Honor can only be bestowed to the recipient, a spouse, or an immediate blood relative, Anthony Svehla told the students. Even a divorced spouse cannot receive it, he said. The medal is now with his aunt, Dorothy Matthews, who lives in Texas.

Later, during the outdoor ceremony when the pair of stone plaques were unveiled, Svehla expressed his gratitude to the township and to the students for a remembrance of his uncle that Svehla will be able to see every day. 

“My uncle’s Medal of Honor, it’s down in Texas, maybe I’ll see it again, but maybe not,” he said. “But this memorial, it’s going to be here forever....I want to thank you all for being here today. Thank you kids too.”