Asbury Park High School hosted a special event to commemorate the true meaning of Memorial Day by honoring local veterans.

The True Meaning of Memorial Day

To honor the veterans, Wilbur V. Martin, Vietnam Veteran, George Reed, Vietnam Veteran, Tina Watson, daughter to Tuskegee airman George Watson, Doris Richardson, who served in Desert Storm, Guatemala, and Iraqi Freedom, Rethel Smith, Vietnam Veteran, and Ken Hodges, Vietnam Veteran, came to Mr. Wronko’s  Asbury Park High School class to discuss not only their historical backgrounds but also the true meaning of Memorial Day.

George Reed

George Reed began the presentation telling the students about being a medic and also having George Watson as a friend and a running partner. From there, he gave the students a history overview of the Tuskegee Airmen. This led into Tina Watson’s presentation about her father George Watson and the Tuskegee Experience.

Tuskegee Airmen

Tina Watson (Photo Credit: David Wronko)

Tina shared multiple visuals and the awards her father received which included the Purple Heart and the Congressional Gold Medal. She explained to the students how the Tuskegee Airmen had to battle racism and discrimination to prove who they were which were pilots who had more successful missions protecting bombers than any other fighter pilot unit. Watson also showed clips from the movie Red Tails.

Vietnam Veteran

Rethel Smith

Next, Vietnam Veteran Rethel Smith spoke about his experience. Mr. Smith told the students about his military training and experience fighting the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. He encouraged the students to get educated and further themselves to achieving their life goals.

Doris Richardson

Doris Richardson (Photo Credit: David Wronko)

Once Rethel Smith spoke, Doris Richardson spoke about her experience in Desert Storm, Guatemala, and Iraqi Freedom.

Wilbur V. Martin

Wilbur V. Martin

Once she was done, Wilbur V. Martin closed out the session with explaining the true meaning of Memorial Day. He explained that Memorial Day should be a time when we honor our fallen military personnel and remember their sacrifice so we could have our freedom.

Mr. Wronko’s students enjoyed the presentations and asked the veterans numerous questions.

Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club

On an end note, just recently, Asbury Park High School students furthered their education by attending a Memorial Day Celebration at the Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club.

Joining Project Ghana for a session was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s personal counsel and friend Dr. Clarence B. Jones.

When I began Project Ghana back in 2015, I wanted to bring everything to video conferencing with my students and the students in Ghana. For instance, during these video conferences students shared educational lessons, culture, hobbies, history, and guests. Project Ghana gained a lot of popularity when many sessions were posted on Oiada International website and Unheard and Jersey Voices Magazine.  Because of this, Project Ghana was picked over thousands of entries to be put on the educational television show Classroom Close-up. When that happened, I thought Project Ghana would not be able to go any higher. However, on April 12, 2022, Project Ghana had no limits.

Joining Project Ghana for a session was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s personal counsel and friend Dr. Clarence B. Jones. What made this session so amazing was that Clarence B. Jones was on Classroom Close-up. This session brought two shows of Classroom Close-up together.

Photo By U.S. Mission Geneva / Eric Bridiers

Joining this session was Eric Jones, CEO of Oiada International, Oiada’s Student Ambassadors, Papa Williams (head teacher for the Solid Rock Foundation School in Ghana), VFW Veterans Wilbur V. Martin, served in Vietnam, and Veronica Miller, served in Desert Storm and the War in Iraq, Keith and Chenelle Covin of Unheard Voices Magazine, and Mr. David Wronko’s Asbury Park High School Students, Amy Contreras-Contreras, Sarayia Gadson, Ceahni Piper, Jaded Velasquez, and Sha’Niyah Williams.

This session began with Eric Jones and David Wronko welcoming Dr. Clarence B. Jones. Dr. Jones was honored to participate. From there the Oiada Student Ambassadors gave an amazing presentation about the continent of Africa, Ghana’s history, culture, sports, geography, politics, and various food dishes. Dr. Jones expressed how wonderful and colorful the presentation was and shared how he would like to travel to Ghana. He also brought about how Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife went to Ghana to celebrate a ceremony for Ghana’s independence which helped to widen Dr. King’s cause for civil rights in the United States.

After Oiada Student Ambassadors presentation, Dr. Jones shared a narrative about his incredible life. His narrative covered his life growing up, becoming an attorney, and his involvement with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Jones shared with his big audience that he played a role in helping Dr. King develop his “I Have a Dream” speech.  Once he was finished with his narrative, he took many questions starting with Mr. Wronko’s students, Jaded Velasquez and Sarayia Gadson.  They asked him about the challenges that he faced in his life and how he handled them.

Dr. Jones meets Ghana from Darryl Batts on Vimeo.

After their questions, VFW Veterans, Veronica Miller and Wilbur V. Martin had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Jones as well as Dr. Jones had the pleasure with speaking with the two VFW veterans. It was amazing seeing all sorts of history come together. For instance, Veronica Miller shared with Dr. Jones her service in Desert Storm and the War in Iraq, and Wilbur V. Martin shared the same time frame as Dr. Jones both belonging to the Civil Rights and Vietnam era.

After consulting with the veterans, Papa Williams and Keith Covin shared what an honor it was in meeting Dr. Jones and expressed their appreciation that he was able to take time out and join this Ghana session.

Just recently Dr. Clarence Benjamin Jones, personal counsel, draft speech writer, and friend to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took time out from his busy schedule to join a video conference which involved, Mr. David Wronko and his Asbury Park High School students, Sarayia Gadson and Ceahni Piper, and Papa and his students from the Solid Rock Foundation School in Ghana.

During this conference Dr. Clarence Benjamin Jones spoke about his time working with Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and the challenges they faced in the south during the 1960s. In addition, he mentioned how history in this country should not be ignored or forgotten in regard to the harmful treatment of African Americans during the time of slavery and the racism African Americans had to overcome in the south after the period of the Civil War. Dr. Jones stressed the importance of the 1619 project being studied in schools which showed how African Americans were enslaved, how they overcame being enslaved, and how their strong march during the Civil Rights Movement established the momentum for equal rights in the United States.

When the conference went on, Dr. Jones also mentioned how he knew Malcolm X and Harry Belafonte, explained how Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded in getting Civil Rights Legislation through congress, and answered many different questions. The questions from Papa and the students from the Solid Rock Foundation School in Ghana asked:

1.What was Dr. Jones’ take on the current racial environment in the U.S. vs when King Was alive?

2. What were Dr. Jones’ ideas about how to ease race relations today?

Mr. Wronko and his students, Sarayia Gadson and Ceahni Piper asked:

1. If you could go back in time, what would be one thing that you would do different?
2. How did you meet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and did you think it was possible for him to run for President of the United States?
3. What were your accomplishments with Dr. King that you were most proud of?

After answering numerous questions, Mr. David Wronko thanked Dr. Clarence Benjamin Jones for joining in on this video conference and hopefully they would be able to do another in the near future.

PS: I just want to thank Chrissy Hayes-Schneider and co-teacher Alfreda Clancy for their assistance during this event.

Also, Sarayia Gadson and Ceahni Piper for continuing their Action Civics Study which started under Jason Fitzgerald.

Check out for a full biography of Dr. Clarence Benjamin Jones on Jersey Voices Magazine.

Check out:

Bernice King Speaks at Black History Month Extravaganza In NJ (unheardvoicesmag.com)

Black History Committee Presentations Along With Ghana Sessions – Unheard Voices Magazine