VENTNOR — Zaid F. Al-Bayati was a college student in Baghdad when American forces entered Iraq in 2003. He would later help U.S. troops as an interpreter, flee threats against those who assisted Americans, come to the United States — and ultimately enlist in the U.S. Army himself.
On Tuesday, the medically retired Army veteran and his family will arrive at the Jersey Shore for a weeklong vacation courtesy of Longport American Legion Post 469.
What Al-Bayati doesn't know is what will be waiting for him when he gets here.
Residents throughout the Downbeach communities are being asked to line the streets with American flags, signs and cheers for a surprise Wounded Warrior welcoming motorcade beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.
It's the kickoff to Post 469's 15th annual Wounded Warrior Week, which provides an all-expenses-paid Jersey Shore vacation to a wounded veteran and his or her family.
Larry Pacentrilli of American Legion Post 469 discussed Al-Bayati's remarkable journey Monday on Talking with Anne on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
“This one's quite different from our usual wounded warriors,” Pacentrilli said.
From Baghdad to America
Al-Bayati was born and raised in Baghdad and was in his third year of college during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
After Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled, Al-Bayati volunteered to assist U.S. forces as an interpreter and cultural adviser, eventually working at numerous operating bases in the region.
As American forces began drawing down, Pacentrilli said, Al-Bayati and other Iraqis who had assisted the United States faced serious threats.
“Zaid's life, as well as other interpreters, were being threatened by the insurgents,” Pacentrilli told host Anne Baker. “They were going to be killed for helping the Americans, basically.”
Al-Bayati ultimately obtained a Special Immigrant Visa and came to the United States.
But his service to the country wasn't finished.
“He was here for a few years, fell in love with the country, and decided he wanted to give back,” Pacentrilli said. “And so, he went and joined the Army.”
A 12-year Army career
Al-Bayati went on to serve 12 years in the U.S. Army, completing three extensive overseas deployments to Jordan, Syria and Iraq in support of a Joint Operations Task Force, according to information released by the American Legion.
He served on a specialized four-member Special Operations team as a civil reconnaissance noncommissioned officer and targeting NCO.
Al-Bayati also deployed to Poland and Romania, where he served as executive assistant to the commander of the 16th Sustainment Brigade.
Pacentrilli said Al-Bayati excelled after joining the Army.
“He not only qualified as a paratrooper, but also got certified as a special operations combat lifesaver, something that's very difficult to qualify for,” Pacentrilli said, adding that the training enabled Al-Bayati to provide medical assistance to wounded soldiers in combat.
Al-Bayati was also an expert marksman and certified Master Fitness Trainer.
His lengthy list of military honors includes four Army Commendation Medals — including one with a Combat Device — eight Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency at the Gold level and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.
Pacentrilli said Al-Bayati suffered a severe back injury during a jump in a combat zone. He continued serving afterward, but subsequent injuries eventually made continuing his military career too painful, Pacentrilli said.
Today, Al-Bayati works as an assistant exercise planner and cultural adviser, supporting strategic training and joint exercises involving U.S. and international partners.
A surprise awaits Tuesday
Al-Bayati will spend Wounded Warrior Week at the Jersey Shore with his wife, Viktoria, and their 5-year-old son, Daniel.
The family knows about its vacation.
The motorcade is supposed to be a surprise.
“They don't know that they're going to have a motorcade parade in their honor, and they're going to be in the parade,” Pacentrilli said Monday.
The family is scheduled to arrive at Ski Beach in Ventnor at approximately 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, where police vehicles, fire engines and American Legion Riders on motorcycles will be waiting.
Al-Bayati and his family will then be placed in a red Cadillac convertible before the motorcade departs Ski Beach at 5:30 p.m. sharp, Pacentrilli said.
The procession will travel along Dorset Avenue to Atlantic Avenue, then through Ventnor and Margate before ending at 26th Avenue in Longport.
Ventnor City is also encouraging residents to line the route and welcome Al-Bayati and his family.
Pacentrilli stressed that this isn't a traditional slow-moving walking parade. The motorcade will travel at approximately 15 mph, meaning spectators may see the family for only a matter of seconds.
But he said those few seconds can create a memory that lasts much longer.
“From their perspective, what they see along the roadside as they pass along the parade route, that's an image that's going to last with them forever, for the rest of their lives,” Pacentrilli said.
The Legion is encouraging people to bring American flags, handmade signs or simply stand along the route and show their appreciation.
“Be there to be part of that memory that's going to be created tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.,” Pacentrilli said, “and be part of that memory that's going to last them forever and make them feel that their sacrifices and their service was appreciated.”
‘Wow, Dad, this is all for you’
Pacentrilli offered a story from an earlier Wounded Warrior Week to illustrate why the roadside turnout matters.
A Navy SEAL honored by the Legion had brought his family to the Shore, including a 12-year-old son from a previous marriage.
As the family rode in the convertible and watched people cheering and waving flags along the route, the boy looked at his father.
“Wow, Dad, this is all for you,” the boy said, according to Pacentrilli.
Pacentrilli said the veteran later told him that moment during the parade was something that would stay with him for a lifetime.
“That set the tone for everything for them,” Pacentrilli said. “And it does the same thing for every family.”
Post 469's Wounded Warrior Week will continue through Sept. 21. Al-Bayati and his family will stay in a stocked beachfront home and participate in dinners, fishing and other activities funded through community donations.
For Pacentrilli, however, Tuesday evening's welcome is something the entire community can help provide.
“Recognize the sacrifice that these people have gone through, because it is a family thing,” he said. “It's not just a Wounded Warrior. It's a family that's involved.”
Larry Pacentrilli discussed Wounded Warrior Week and Zaid Al-Bayati's story Monday on Talking with Anne on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND. Talking with Anne airs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon.
About the Author
Scott Stephens
Scott has been an on-air personality, producer and newscaster for 30+ years. He has been a mainstay in the South Jersey Community and on the air across many different area stations. Scott can currently be heard on Kool 98.3 and News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
