On August 16, 2010, I (Bob Meli) was looking through the 1948 Alumni reunion book that I had for their 50 year reunion in 1998 and I came across Arthur Simone who lived around the corner from me in New Milford. I went by his house on my way to work and there he was working in the garage.

I explained who I was and how I research a Veterans Wall unit at Hackensack High School. I told Arthur Simone about the World War II book written by Teresa Martin (copyright
May 30, 1947) who taught math at New Milford Junior High School during World War II.
Arthur Simone did not know about the book she had compiled with each mans service record and then he told me how he was a bit of a cutup in school and Teresa Martin would make him and others stay after school. For punishment they would have to help her with sorting, addressing etc. with all the mail correspondence she did with the soldiers from New Milford who served during World War II.

On the introduction to her book she wrote, “Carrying out the idea of the servicemen’s League of New Milford we published a mimeograph newspaper once a month and sent news from our boys in all parts of the world to all on our mailing list – three hundred eighty-five at one time.” I guess Arthur and others did not know what a service they were performing for the New Milford servicemen over seas. Arthur Simone said Teresa Martin was a tough math teacher but good and a wonderful person.
         
Arthur Simone told me he served in Korea with the 5th infantry R.C. (Regimental Combat Team). He said they were a “unit unto itself “with all the segments of a combat division only scaled down.  He said he was not involved in any major conflicts “nothing heroic” as he put it. He then laughed and said “the worst night of the war I had was the last because both sides just shot everything they had, just to get rid of it.” 
“After the war ended, we were called up to the DMZ for three days to clean up any thing that was American on the ground, gum rappers anything.”
 
Well for standing in harms way during the final day of the Korean War and then spending three days cleaning up the DMZ just after the final shots of the War had ended, which we are sure was not the safest place to be, may not be heroic to those who served, but let us always be grateful for their service.                 

Written by:
Bob Meli
August 17, 2010