The most decorated World War II servicemen of Hudson County were honored at Hoboken’s 113th annual Memorial Day parade on Wednesday, the oldest such parade in New Jersey.
Parade Grand Marshal Tom Hickey, who served in the U.S.’s D-Day attack on France, was one of the men honored, as was Nicholas Oresko, the only living Medal of Honor recipient from Hudson County.
“They said it was the war to end all wars, but they haven’t stopped since.” – Grand Marshal Tom Hickey
________
The day before D-Day
Hickey was with the young American servicemen who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, but said the date was a surprise to him.
“We were supposed to go in [on] June 5,” he said. “The weather was so bad they cancelled it. The next day was just as bad.”
Working with Canadian armed forces, he was assigned to wade ashore at Sword Beach, one of the five main landing points for the initial invasion.
Hickey is a former Hoboken resident who spent 54 years in the American Legion. “I’ve [held] every office going there,” Hickey said.
He remembers leaving Hoboken with two other guys who served in the D-Day attacks, but one died in the invasion.
“They said it was the war to end all wars, but they haven’t stopped since,” he said.
When he returned home in Boston, he remembers drinking the most refreshing tall glass of cold milk he’d ever had.
Hickey and his wife lived in Hoboken for years at 1212 Hudson Street, at the time directly across from Bethlehem Steel. Now, he lives in Nutley, N.J.; his wife passed away six years ago. His son, a Hoboken High School graduate, served in the U.S. Air Force.
Hickey said being named grand marshal for the Hoboken parade was “one of the highest honors” he has ever received.
And the good weather? “That was for me,” he said, smiling. “I’ve been praying all night.”
Bullet didn’t stop him
Oresko, 94, formerly of Bayonne, received a Medal of Honor from Congress for single-handedly routing a German bunker before being shot and rallying to take another bunker at the head of his company.
His Congressional citation states that Oresko’s company was under severe attack from machine gun fire and Oresko, on his own, charged the turret and killed the gunner with a grenade. He entered the bunker himself to shoot the remaining soldiers before being hit by a second machine gun round in the hip.
Refusing to give up, Oresko then led his platoon back into battle, only to break off again alone to wipe out more machine gun fire.
Last Wednesday, he rode in the back of a convertible up Washington Street and was assisted out of the car by Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith.
Oldest of its kind
Although it was always assumed to be the oldest Memorial Day parade in the state, City Historian Leonard Luizzi said that a document found this year proves it.
Luizzi found an invitation to the parade from the Joint Memorial Committee dated May 16, 1898, in the estate of former deputy city clerk John DePalma, who passed away last year. –
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.