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The Radburn Association

Radburn is a beautiful place to live and call home. A supportive community. Many generations living together and sharing our beautiful green space.

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“Enjoy articles written below by your fellow neighbors and veterans”

In no specific order


Jim Coughlin 

Military Rank : U.S. Army

“Err Lieutenant, I got something for you, this just came in. It was my CO (Commanding Officer- who rang who held the rank of Major.) What he had for me were orders for Vietnam. It was late 1970 and I was stationed at the time in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, After the mandatory leave ( time off), I found myself here in New Jersey and MaGuire Air Force Base awaiting to board a plane for tropical destination, Vietnam

We were going via the north flight route” Anchorage, Japan, then final stop Vietnam. During the flight approach to Biden Hoa Air Force Base (Northwest of Saigon)  the pilot came over the intercom saying “we are going to have to make some circles over our landing, runway due to lightning moderate ground fire”. On landing, exiting the aircraft, we were met by US troops telling us which nearby bunkers to  dive into. I was still in my class a uniform -  shirt, jacket, and tie with attached case- well I was going to work was an I?

Couple hours later we’re in the 90th Replacement Center mess hall having breakfast,  our first meal and country were loud sounds wham ,  wham. We just sat there looking at one another with funny looks on our faces. A half second goes by and someone yells. Haaay that’s incoming fire”. 

Incoming; is definitely unfriendly enemy fire or mortal design to grind softer substance in the ground-  like me. 

Next pandemonium reigns - everyone is under the tables  except me. I figure, hey it’s too late, But it’s already over. I was lucky. But I could not have been more wrong. It was only the beginning, Welcome to “Nam. Jim Coughlin .





Burim Dragaqina

Military Rank Army
Military Service Branch  -Sergeant

Paratrooper, 82nd Airborne Division


​Terence Fitzgibbons

Military Rank - Lieutenant
Military Service Branch  -United States Navy

​After obtaining an Naval ROTC scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, Terry served as a Surface Warfare Officer from 2004-2008. He was deployed on the USS Cardinal, 5th Fleet in Bahrain; served on the USS Pelican in Ingleside, Texas; and was deployed on the USS Cowpens, 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan. Terry now teaches high school history with Passaic Public Schools and is an active member of North New Jersey Chapter 21 of Veterans for Peace. He lives happily in Radburn with his wife and one-year-old daughter.



Nick De Gregorio

Military Rank  - Major
Military Service Branch - United States Marine Corps

I was a junior at Bergen Catholic High School on 9/11. I remember hearing the fighter jets responding to the terrorist attacks like it was yesterday. I decided that day I would join the military when I was old enough, and that's exactly what I did. I ended up serving nine years and deploying four times as an infantry officer. I went to Iraq, Afghanistan, central Africa, and all throughout the Pacific. It was the honor of my life to serve this great country of ours; it made me the person I am today. My experiences in combat have allowed me to live in the moment, and to enjoy raising my children in our idyllic community. I take nothing for granted, and I sleep well at night knowing that there are others, at this very moment, who love our country enough to risk their lives so we can live in peace in Radburn.


TJ Ritter

Military Rank  Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)
Military Service Branch - US Navy

As a 1999 graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY I spent 8 years in the US Naval Reserve and then took a 2 year recall to active duty.  I was an Assistant Operations Officer to Military Sealift Command in Central Command in Bahrain (Middle East).  While there I supported our service members by supplying them with their equipment needed for Operation Iraqi and Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I oversaw upwards of 60 military cargo ships on our Area of Responsibility (AOR) to ensure our Marines and Soldiers had the gear they needed. 



Dan Schlossberg

Military Rank - PFC
Military Service Branch - 340th Public Information Detachment, USAR

Remember the Robin Williams movie 'Good Morning Vietnam?' My unit consisted of 20 journalists -- all writers or broadcasters -- and ran Army radio stations during its annual two-week summer deployments. I even got to interview Jack Benny, who was performing at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs when I was stationed at nearby Fort Carson. I wrote three radio station ID "spots" for him to read but on the last one he mixed up the station's call letters, which were KRSN, and said, "Gee, I did that lousy, didn't I?" It was so funny that we used it exactly that way. A year later, I was on the air when Richard Nixon resigned the presidency and had to announce it to my audience. I followed up with the Jerry Lee Lewis song, "There's a Whole Lotta Shaking," and got yelled at by my commanding officer. Fortunately, I got my honorable discharge a couple of months later.

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