Students Display Vietnam Hero Posters

Belleville Middle School students honored 11 Belleville men who died in Vietnam as their own personal heroes.

These Belleville men were honored with posters displayed in the middle school.

The eighth grade students "were anxious to return the 11 heroes to the building known as Belleville High School when the men left for Vietnam," according to Dawn Buccino, middle school English teacher who oversaw the project.

Anthony Buccino is Dawn's husband and has written extensively about Belleville Vietnam veterans. He said, "These Belleville sons were honored in poster form and the posters displayed outside the BMS main office in time for Memorial Day." 

Belleville Middle School eighth grade students in Buccino’s English classes recently studied about the Vietnam War and its impact on Belleville in the 1960s and 1970s.

Students researched Agent Orange, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Protest Songs, Vietnam War Memorials, and POW and MIA organizations.

The children interviewed Vietnam veterans, created poetry, and wrote and performed Vietnam War protest songs. Art work was critiqued and family biographies were composed for family members who served in the war.

Then each student created a poster for one of the eleven “Belleville Sons” who died in Vietnam. The assignment was called the “Spirit of Belleville Sons” poster contest.

The poster contest winners were Krystal Diaz and Breeyanah Gee-Burney,  tied in Period one;  Madeline Bini, Period two; Leticia Orgueira, Period three; Amy Trinh, Period nine and Veronica Alvarado Period 10.

They each received an autographed copy of the Belleville Sons Honor Roll book written by Anthony Buccino.

The eleven Belleville sons who died in the Vietnam War are:

• Helder DaSilva, Killed In Action (KIA) Feb. 7, 1966
• John Hoar, KIA Feb. 13, 1966
• Lance Corp. Jerry Donatiello, KIA Nov. 20, 1967
• Roger Crowell, KIA Jan. 31, 1968
• Donald Saunders, KIA March 4, 1968
• Raymond DeLuca, KIA June 27, 1968
• Corp. Frank Cancelliere, KIA March 15, 1969 
• Lt. Col. Alfred Barnes, KIA May 12, 1969
• Corp. Paul Nelson, KIA May 31, 1969
• Capt. William Branch, KIA June 6, 1970
• Carl Mickens, KIA July 4, 1970