SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS — In deep left field of the elementary school’s baseball field, public officials and friends of decorated World War II veteran and late Heights resident John Tarantino held a ceremony on Tuesday afternoon, dedicating a half-mile of Route 71 in his name.
Tarantino, a Fairway Mews resident who died in 2022, was immortalized with highway signs and speeches from those who supported the bill to re-name a portion of the highway after him, an act signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy on Jan. 16.
“This gentleman exemplified the finest qualities of a soldier, of an American, of a Monmouth County resident and a Spring Lake Heights resident,” Assemblyman and bill co-sponsor Sean T. Kean (R-30) said to the audience during a speech. “Everybody should be proud of this moment. The family, siblings, nieces and nephews all need to know about this story.”
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian immigrants in 1924, Tarantino joined the U.S. Army at age 18. He served in the 47th Armored Infantry Battalion of the 5th Armored Division of the 3rd U.S. Army Group.
Under the command of Gen. George S. Patton, Tarantino fought in some of the most notable conflicts of the war. After liberating Luxembourg and fighting in the Hürtgen Forest and the Battle of the Bulge, Tarantino narrowly survived the Malmedy Massacre on Dec. 17, 1944, when 84 prisoners of war were killed by German soldiers.
John Nugent, board president of Fairway Mews and close friend of the late Tarantino, spoke of other instances where the Heights resident “saved many American lives.” He told the audience of a time where Tarantino had spotted German spies in American uniforms, directing a tank battalion into a Nazi ambush. The spies were taken into custody and the tank battalion was set on the opposite, correct path.
Another time, Nugent said, the 19-year-old Tarantino and his company were approaching Utah Beach in Normandy on a boat following D-Day, when a Nazi plane began opening fire. Tarantino removed himself from cover, directing fellow soldiers into an area of his craft that was protected from fire.
“It is not right to just mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived,” Nugent said, paraphrasing a quote from the legendary Gen. Patton. “Thank you John, for your friendship and for the example you set for all of us throughout your entire life.”
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