Holmdel reaches out to U.S. troops in Iraq Township, schools keep letters, packages arriving overseas BY ERIN O. STATTEL Correspondent Holmdel Police Honor Guard members John Allen and Tom Folley prepare to raise the flag of the state of New Jersey at a ceremony at Indian Hill School on Monday. Holmdel Mayor Serena DiMaso holds a certificate of authenticity sent with the flag, which was flown in Iraq. Each Holmdel school will fly the flag during January. HOLMDEL - Members of Alpha Company, 1st Battalion Special Troops Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq, have found friends in the township. Holmdel Township and the Holmdel Board of Education have adopted Alpha Company in an effort to support fellow Americans who are currently serving overseas. "It is really such a great project," said Township Clerk Maureen Doloughty, whose son happens to serve with the Marines. "The township has really gotten into it and it has been fun to follow the progress of the project." The project that Doloughty speaks so highly of includes Holmdel residents writing letters to members of the paratrooper unit and various collection drives for the unit's members, as well as for a local Iraqi school in Al Haji Abbas that was adopted by Alpha Company. "We decided to do something positive and patriotic for our community and we have had full support from the community during collection times," said Schools Superintendent Barbara Duncan. H olmdel began taking up a collection for the unit during Community Day in October, and since then the project has progressed to larger proportions. "We had approximately 13 barrels of goods to send overseas after Community Day," Duncan said. Holmdel had more to send during the holidays as well. But perhaps most special of all, and closer to home, is the tour of the state of New Jersey flag that the Alpha Company flew over Camp Adder in Iraq during the month of September. "Capt. Vincent Boncich flew the flag at Camp Adder during September, then he packaged it with a certificate and sent it to us," Doloughty explained. Now, it is making its way throughout Holmdel's schools. The flag was first raised at town hall and was then forwarded to the Village School, where it flew after a ceremony held on Jan. 7 complete with the Holmdel Police Department's Honor Guard, Duncan, Mayor Serena DiMaso and members of the Board of Education as well as other Township Council members. "We were honored to be requested [to be present] at the schools for this," said Holmdel Police Chief Raymond Wilson. "Being present for a ceremony like this really teaches the students about the kind of respect this matter deserves." "This flag is a symbol of New Jersey, but more importantly, it is a symbol of courage, our proud past and hope for a peaceful future," Duncan said. The flag was given to Holmdel Township as a token of appreciation from Alpha Company and will travel to different township schools each week of January. Throughout the tour of duty, and during each school's respective week with the flag, each school will be a collection site for goods, to be placed in packages for overseas service members and school supplies sent for the Iraqi school befriended by Alpha Company. "I think what I like the most about this project is that it instills a sense of civic responsibility in our community," said Board of Education member Ana VanderWoude, who has spearheaded the project on behalf of the board's Community Relations Committee. "On a national and a local level, this project unites us all." From Jan. 14 through 22 the flag will be flown at the Indian Hill School on Holmdel Road. "At Indian Hill we are excited to have the opportunity to proudly fly the New Jersey State flag that has been flown in Iraq," said Principal Brian Schillaci. "I think it will be a wonderful experience for our school and student body, as well as our surrounding community." The flag will make its way from the Indian Hill School on Jan. 22 and will be raised at the William R. Satz School. It will then make its last school stop at Holmdel High School on Jan. 28. Its final destination will be to town hall, where Doloughty hopes to have it preserved and framed so it can be placed in a display case for all to view. The flag-raising ceremonies are open to the public, and the various schools welcome donations to send overseas while the flag is in their care. For more information on Alpha Company and Holmdel Township's involvement with the Army, contact Doloughty at (732) 946-2820.