Veterans' Night Pictures on Flickr

Pictures taken by Nancy Webster and Marie Somers are now available on Flickr »

Together with Dr. Schonberg, our speakers were:

Dr. Richard Riva

His Father, H. L. Riva, MD, was the Commanding Officer of the 28th Portable Surgical Hospital in the CBI Theater during WW II. He has over 1400 letters of his Mother and Father, who wrote daily. Hers were the diary of a War Bride, His,the chronicles of a combat surgeon. Dr. Richard Riva will present their Timeline in an historical perspective utilizing a power point presentation. He shall also bring artifacts that were sent home, censored letters, time period News articles, ration books, OPA coins, and much more. A lot to do in a short 10 minutes presentation. Dr. Riva is an Army Veteran having served with the 14th ACR in West Germany along the East-West Border in 1968-1970. He then went to Dental School. He is an Oral Maxillo-facial Surgeon and served in the USPHS (Public Health Service) 1978-1981, but has now been in private practice since.

Maxine Giannini

Born in 1929 Maxine Giannini, née Yellin was raised in the Weequahic section of Newark,N.J. She studied art at the Newark School of Find and Industrial Art and the Brooklyn Academy. At the same time, she studied piano privately. Having begun her training at five, she later became a student of Clara Husserl who herself had been taught by Theodore Leschititzky. As an adult she continued her piano studies with Robert Goldsand, Mitchell Andrews, Genia Robinor and Seymour Bernstein. She married Ugo in 1955. Ugo died in 1993, of pulmonary fibrosis. Maxine discovered his last works in his studio. The last work on his easel was H-Hour. The moment of landing. In addition there are thirteen monumental art works using the theme and symbols of the war, and the 29th Division. She discovered the twenty-seven drawings Ugo made beginning on June 6,1944 on Omaha Beach, Dog Green Sector. These works have been exhibited in Paris, on Omaha Beach, in England, as well as in the States/Maxine compiled the book, using the original art as well as Ugo's correspondence to his family and first girlfriend.In addition the book:Drawing D- Day is a brief history of the 29th Division.

John DeLuca

John was born and raised in Newark, NJ. The third of 4 boys he was educated in the ironbound section. During WWII he was employed, at 15 years old, part time as a packing clerk in Jewelry MFG CO. He earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major in management at Rutgers University. He eventually became vice president of the company. His brother Russell and he were very close, and shared all that they were involved in. This story is about Russell’s survival in the US army during WII on the D-Day landing in Normandy France in 1944.

Travis Conley

Travis is presently a resident of NYC where he works in the construction and real estate industry, managing properties and construction operations for the Nussbaumer Family. He is a member of the NYC Institute of Real Estate Management, US Green Building Council, and an active member of Trout Unlimited, an organization focused on preserving trout fisheries. He is a native of New Jersey, having grown up in Fair Haven, NJ and attended Rutgers University where he received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics. After Rutgers University he pursued a Masters in Construction Engineering Management from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. His true passion in life is fly fishing and spending time at his cabin

Dr. Schonberg's Photos

At our November meeting, Dr. Schonberg, the President of the Book Club spoke about his father's combat experience in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during the war.

He provided the following pictures:

Anzio, picture taken by
Stanley Schonberg

Stanley Schonberg

Tent of Stanley Schonberg in Anzio

Veterans' Night Video Now Online

The video from the November 17 Veterans' Night presentations - Travis and Justin Conley; Maxine Giannini; Alfred DeLuca; Dr. Richard Riva; Dr. Richard Schonberg - is now available on Youtube.  View the video »

Schedule of Events

Mark your calendars now!

2015

December 7: Holiday Party at the Mayfair Farms in West Orange

2016

• January 13: Dr. John Rose will discuss Churchill and the literary life in Britain during WWII.
• February 10: Del Staeker presents Sailor Man, The Troubled Life and Times of J.P. Nunnally, U.S. Navy
• March 9: Pat Schuber, discussing his WWII trip to Sicily and Italy, following invasion Husky and Avalanche and the advance of American and British forces.
• April 13:  Pat Chappine presents “NJ Women in WWII”
• May 11:  Nick Bellantoni presents: "MysteryQuest—Behind the Scenes of The History Channel’s “Hitler’s Escape”