'Hometown Hero' Honored For Service In Westhampton

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — A hometown hero was honored by the Westhampton Free Library Saturday.

The library, "in gratitude of his service and sacrifice," celebrated Fred Overton, a Westhampton Army Corps of Engineers veteran, at the ceremony as part of its new Hometown Heroes initiative.

“It is so important to honor our local veterans,” said Westhampton Free Library Director Danielle Waskiewicz. “They made many sacrifices and deserve to be thanked.”

During the ceremony, held at the Westhampton Beach Fire Department and attended by fellow veterans, library representatives, family members and public officials, Overton was presented with proclamations and an American flag, according to a release.

Born Jan. 29, 1931, Overton grew up in Westhampton and graduated from Westhampton Beach High School in 1949. Following graduation, he worked as a carpenter’s helper until he was drafted into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1952.

“I was happy working as a carpenter,” he said, “but being drafted was the way it was at that time. It was very common.”

With his draft notice, Overton was sent to basic training at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Immediately following training, he was shipped off to South Korea. It was a 16-day journey and he was seasick, he said.

After arriving in Chuncheon, he worked with the 538th engineer field maintenance company. He spent his days and nights repairing and servicing heavy equipment and pulling guard duty, Overton said. After six months, he was sent to Pocheon, where he continued similar work. Then, on Dec. 26, 1953, he received orders that he was to return home. In January, he arrived at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey.

Overton remembered his time in the Army as a good experience. “I got to see a lot of things I would not have otherwise seen — I saw how good we have it here in America," he said.

Back home, Overton returned to his carpentry job before becoming the manager of the La Coquille apartment complex on Dune Road, a position he held for 31 years until his retirement.

Overton has been a member of the Westhampton Beach Fire Department since 1955 and served as chief and then as chairman of the commissioners for 15 years, stepping down in 2017. He was also a president of the former Westhampton Veterans Athletic Association. He is also a member of the American Legion Post 834 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5350, library representatives said.

Overton has two sons, Ray and Rick, with his late wife, Joyce, and three grandchildren. He has been with his girlfriend, Marilyn Aldrich, for the past eight years, the release said.

The library’s latest yearlong installment of its Hometown Heroes initiative aims to honor local veterans from the American Legion on a monthly basis, with a culminating ceremony scheduled for January 2020. It comes on the heels of the preceding Hometown Heroes program in which the library recognized veterans associated with Westhampton Beach VFW Post 5350, library representatives said.