This weekend, something truly special happened at Woodland Cemetery in Newark.

Four young men who gave their lives in the Vietnam War were finally given the honor and recognition they deserved.

It took a long time, but their stories are now part of something greater—a tribute to their courage and sacrifice.

The cemetery, which has been around since 1855, had fallen into neglect over the years.

Volunteers took the initiative to restore it, honoring not only their own loved ones buried there but also all those who rest on its grounds.

Essentially, the restoration was all about remembering and honoring the past.

And this weekend’s tribute was a huge part of that.

The ceremony focused on four servicemen: Marines Vincent Samson Coles and Leon Earl Bell, along with Army soldiers Eason Jasper Maxey and Leroy Williams Jr.

They were so young, just 18 to 23 years old, when they died in Vietnam.

Two of them—Coles and Bell—already had gravestones, but they were in bad shape and needed restoration.

The other two, Maxey and Williams, had no markers at all.

For over 50 years, their graves were unmarked.

Think about that—decades without even a simple gravestone to show where they lay.

It’s heartbreaking, but now, finally, they’ve been given the recognition they deserve.

A new plaque was installed at the cemetery as part of the tribute.

But it’s not just a plaque with names on it—it has photos of all four men, making their memory more personal and real.

Anyone visiting the cemetery can see their faces and connect with their stories in a way that words alone can’t capture.

Each of these men has a story, but one that really stood out was that of Marine Pfc. Vincent Coles.

He was just 17 years old when he went to Vietnam.

Seventeen.

He arrived there on Valentine’s Day in 1968.

That’s so young to face the horrors of war, and it’s a reminder of how much these servicemen gave up.

Then there’s Army Pfc. Leroy Williams Jr.

His grave was in an abandoned area of the cemetery, completely overgrown with brush and weeds.

Volunteers had to use chainsaws and machetes just to clear a path to it.

That kind of effort shows how much these men are valued and remembered.

The Belleville Historical Society, the group behind this project, has worked hard for years to restore gravesites and honor veterans.

Mike Perrone, their president, has restored nearly 100 veteran graves across New Jersey.

He’s been at the heart of this work, dedicating his skills as a mason contractor to cleaning, repairing, and even creating gravestones for those who need them.

The Society didn’t have much luck finding these four servicemen’s families, but with help from locals, they pieced together enough to bring their stories to light.

This is part of a bigger goal, too.

The Belleville Historical Society is working to identify and restore the graves of all 220 servicemen from Essex County who were killed in the Vietnam War.

They’re aiming to finish this by April 2025, which marks 50 years since the war ended.

It’s a huge task, but their dedication shows how important it is to them—and the community.

This is far from solely fixing up gravestones or adding plaques.

It’s about making sure these men are never forgotten.

It’s about saying, “You mattered, your sacrifice mattered, and we will always remember you.”

And the tribute at Woodland Cemetery is a powerful reminder of that.

These four young men may have been overlooked for years, but not anymore.

Their names and faces are now part of this country’s story and will be remembered for generations.

The cemetery, located at 570 South 10th Street in Newark, now holds a special place in the hearts of those who worked on this project and those who visit it.

Thanks to the Belleville Historical Society and the many volunteers who cared enough to take action, these four heroes are no longer forgotten.

Their stories remind us of the cost of freedom and the importance of honoring those who gave everything for it.