By James FitzPatrick
At 11 a.m. Saturday, April 26, Egg Harbor Township will rededicate Swift Drive as Marco Polo Smigliani Purple Heart Way in honor of not just one veteran, but all who have given of themselves, sometimes all of themselves, so that the rest of us can be free.
Smigliani was wounded five times and received four Purple Hearts for what he endured in Vietnam.
“Every single day, I think of my friends who never came home – 19, 20, 22 years old, on March 4, 1969,” he said. “Billy died in front of me, Smith beside me, and Sledge behind me. How lucky could you be? So I thought I had a duty, a responsibility, and I’ve been faithful to the best of my ability ever since.”
Harrowing as his experience was, Smigliani counts himself a lucky man considering where he came from. Born in 1948, he escaped the poverty of post-war Poggiofiorito, Italy, to come to America at the age of 10 as his hometown was ravaged by World War II.
“I was a little kid from the misery of poverty. No shoes, old bombed-out village. It’s kind of a leap when you stop and think about it. That’s why I love America so much. Because the American dream, in my opinion, is still alive and well.”
Smegliani speaks often to young people about his hard-earned perspective on life.
“I tell the kids whenever I go to a school, ‘You know you hit the lottery when you were born in America.’”
He was a teenager himself when he first encountered the Vietnam War.
“At 17, Smigliani joined the Merchant Marines,” according to Va.org. “He traveled extensively around the world and brought artillery to Da Nang to help the war effort. There, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He deployed to Vietnam in January 1969 as a machine gunner, but only served 40 days of combat in Vietnam after being wounded five times in 11 days.
“Smigliani joined Operation Dewey Canyon with the Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Regiment, known as ‘The Walking Dead.’ While patrolling, his company discovered the abandoned North Vietnamese Army’s 88th Field Hospital. He called it ‘the biggest catch of the war’ in an interview for the Veterans History Project: ‘We found literally thousands of rifles, machine guns, about 60 to 70 tons of rice, all kinds of mail.’”
Today he is a different kind of warrior, on a mission to make lives better for the 100,000 veterans who call South Jersey home.
For years he was part of the effort, as liaison in former Congressman Frank LoBiondo’s office, to establish a veterans clinic in Northfield. Before that opened, veterans had to travel by bus to Wilmington, Del. to get VA services. That project took 11 years, now there is one in Vineland and Rio Grande, and Northfield will be moving to a 23,000-square-foot site in Linwood. It’s all in hope of creating a veteran environment that is better for the next generation.
“The legacy I think we Vietnam veterans are going to leave behind is to make sure these young people from Iraq, Afghanistan, wherever they go are not treated the way we were treated when we came home,” he said.
EHT resident Mike Bongiorno, chairman of the Atlantic County Veterans Advisory Board, has been working on the street renaming project for a long time.
“Marco, as we all know, is deeply respected and loved within our community. His unwavering focus has always been on our veteran community, a part of society that, for far too long, has often been overlooked.
“Through his selfless service, Marco has stood in honor of all those who have served. His commitment goes beyond words; he has dedicated his life to supporting and uplifting those in need. Whether through advocacy, action, or simply being there for someone who’s struggling, Marco embodies the true spirit of service and compassion.
“This recognition is not only well deserved, it’s a testament to the difference one person can make when they lead with heart and purpose.
Committeeman Will Pauls was also instrumental and seeing it through.
“To come home from that and dedicate your life to veterans says who Marco Polo is,” Pauls said.
Saturday’s program will include the 49th MAG from Ft. Dix/Lakewood doing a flyover with Huey and Cobra Attack helicopters, as well as their color guard. Last Salute is doing their cannon fire. Slated to speak is Rep. Jeff Van Drew, state Sen. Vince Polistina and a few other local dignitaries. There will be multiple speeches from close friends followed by pizza and subs at the Rec Center. Events won’t be moved into the rec center in case of rain.
About helping others, he told Shore Local:
“The truth of the matter is everybody, all the Vietnam veterans who were in combat have PTSD. This is my way of dealing with my PTSD, by helping other people, that kind of makes me feel good and keeps me level headed.
He has lived in Egg Harbor Township with his wife, Donna for 24 years.
