Longwood HS Alum Sgt. Kurt Schramm Receives Warm Homecoming Welcome

A homecoming celebration was held for Sgt. Kurt Schramm of the United States Marine Corps at Middle Island’s Bartlett Pond Park on Friday, Aug. 15.

Schramm, who graduated from Longwood High School in 2008, was deployed to Afghanistan in September 2011 as a part of the CLB-1’s wrecker section in charge of maintaining and operating the Marine Corps’ Heavy Recovery vehicles, the M88A1 Hercules Vehicles.

The celebration was attended by Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilwoman Connie Kepert, along with the Middle Island, Coram and Ridge Fire Departments, the local VFW, members of the Longwood Alliance and Middle Island Pizza, which donated dinner.

“It was an honor to join in the celebration welcoming Sgt. Schramm back home,” said Supervisor Romaine. “I thank him for serving our country in defense of freedom. The men and women of the armed forces deserve all the accolades we can give them when they return, but what matters most is that they are safely back with their loved ones. I wish Sgt. Schramm and his family the best of luck in the future.”

Sgt. Schramm was honorably discharged from 29 Palms, C.A. this summer after two tours in Afghanistan. His name appears on the Longwood Global War on Terror Memorial at Bartlett Pond Park, which is dedicated to the brave men and women from Longwood who have served in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

“Thanks to his wonderful parents, girlfriend Stephanie Noulis and the organizational abilities of Ms. Gail Bailey, [Kurt’s] welcome home was nothing less than outstanding,” said Councilwoman Kepert. “The entire community came out to welcome Kurt home and thank him for his service. It was a wonderful home town event for a home town hero.”