Our older Food Pantry Volunteers are incredible role models having accomplished so much to make the world a better place. Such is true with retired dentist Bill Testa, Team Leader on Thursday and Saturday. He is an inspiration to all and we are honored that he devotes his time to the Food Pantry. Read the NJ.com article below about his Memorial Day speech at Delaware Valley Regional High School.
Photo by Rick Epstein
"Vietnam was a snap compared to being a teenager," former Marine Corps sergeant Bill Testa told the assembled student body of Delaware Valley High School.
He was the keynote speaker at Delaware Valley High School's Memorial Day assembly on Thursday, May 25, honoring veterans and remembering the military men and women who had made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.
To bring home the meaning of Memorial Day, Dr. Testa told the students of the bravery and determination of the troops who fought and died on the beaches of Normandy during World War II.
But his primary message was that no matter how difficult adolescence can be, students should not give up. He shared pivotal moments from his own life - the first time he saw a Marine in uniform, the day he joined the Corps, the day at Da Nang Air Base when one of the Vietnamese workers died of a toothache, the day he decided to become a dentist, and the day he met his wife. Bill and Carol Testa went on to have two sons while he practiced dentistry in Pittstown. Now retired, Dr. Testa expressed satisfaction with how his life had played out.
In closing he advised students to "choose wisely and be careful" so they, too, can enjoy the wonderful lives that await them.
The program in the Hutchins gym was also attended by about 30 guests of honor - veterans, plus one soldier in uniform. Patriotic and military songs were rendered by the chorus and the band, and the Renegade Drumline gave a rousing sample of this year's show.