It was all red, white and blue in Schroeppel in Oswego County on Saturday. Family and friends turned out to greet and throw a party for two local servicemen who recently returned from Afghanistan: Chris Stanton and Mike Venezia. People held signs and waved along the route to Stanton’s family home on Stewarts Corners Road. The Patriot Guard Riders...
Chris Stanton of Schroeppel greets his sister, Brionna Schuur, 2, and mother, Andrea Schuur, after arriving home from Camp Lejeune Saturday. Stanton is a Navy corpsman attached to a Marine Corps battalion that recently returned from a tour in Afghanistan.
It was all red, white and blue in Schroeppel in Oswego County on Saturday.
Family and friends turned out to greet and throw a party for two local servicemen who recently returned from Afghanistan: Chris Stanton and Mike Venezia.
People held signs and waved along the route to Stanton’s family home on Stewarts Corners Road. The Patriot Guard Riders — a motorcycle group of veterans — and another motorcycle group escorted them into town.
Andrea Schuur, who is Stanton’s mother, planned the greeting and party for her son and 50 members of his battalion from Camp Lejeune, N.C. At the last minute, work duties and other obligations prevented most from attending, family members said.
The party includes roasted pig, burgers, brownies, hot dogs and more, much of it donated by local residents or businesses.
Venezia is currently stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. Stanton is a Navy hospitalman attached to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines Gulf Company out of Camp Lejeune, N.C..
They both are graduates of Paul V. Moore High School in Central Square.