Last patrol: Toms River man and his aging dog seek overgrown veterans graves

MANCHESTER - Whiskey staggered but forged ahead, carefully limping around the headstones in Old Whiting Cemetery. The 16-year-old miniature pinscher might not have much time left, but he’s still a faithful companion to Pete Sztybel — and a partner in an unusual quest.

The 63-year-old Sztybel, a Toms River resident who also is ailing after multiple bouts with skin cancer and years of backbreaking construction work, searches cemeteries for overgrown graves of military veterans. When he finds one, often with the help of Whiskey’s expert nose, he cleans it up and plants a small American flag.

Last Memorial Day, as they examined Old Whiting Cemetery, Whiskey staked out an unmarked patch of ground.

“He sat down and would not move until I cleaned it off,” Sztybel said.

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They uncovered the footstone of Glen Shaul, who was buried in 1991. The engraving told the story: A first sergeant in the U.S. Army, Shaul served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and earned citations for bravery, including the Silver Star — the armed forces’ third-highest decoration for valor in combat.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found this fella in such a condition,” Sztybel said. “He was in Korea and Vietnam, Purple Heart and Silver Star, and he was buried in the mud.”

WATCH: Check out the video of Whiskey and Pete atop this story

A deep bond

Sztybel grew up in Newark and worked in road paving, a grind that left him stooped and wracked with aches and pains. In 2006 he adopted Whiskey, then a puppy, from a Union County pet shop.

“I brought him home and the next day he was limping,” Sztybel recalled. “His hip was fractured in two spots. They (store managers) told me to bring him back and ‘We’ll give you another dog or your money back.’ I refused and I made them pay for half the surgery. Ever since then we’ve been together.”

Sztybel’s late brother spent 20 years in the military, so although he never served, he developed deep respect for those who did. That respect fuels his cemetery mission; he estimates they’ve found and spruced up 150 forgotten graves.

“Cemeteries do the best they can, and I don’t blame the families,” he said. “It’s just the way things go.”

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Time takes its toll. Two years ago Whiskey was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, which causes progressive muscle weakness. Sztybel said a veterinarian told him Whiskey’s days were numbered.

“I dried my eyes and went home and did my research on Cushing’s disease,” he said. “I treat him holistically. He’s still with me.”

The support is mutual.

“Sometimes I lay in bed and I can’t get out — I’m stuck,” Sztybel said. “He’s on my chest saying, ‘Come on pops.’ He forces me to get up and take him out no matter how hurt I am, and that’s good for me. Because if I just lay there, I’m done.”

He’s still going, so is Whiskey, and a war hero’s daughter is eternally grateful.

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'He was committed to our country'

Raised in Earlville, New York, Glen Shaul enlisted in the Army in 1948, rose to the rank of first sergeant and served 22 years. He was a paratrooper who saw combat in Korea and Vietnam. He received the Silver Star for his actions on Jan. 31, 1968, in Vietnam. According to the citation:

“When an element of his unit became pinned down by intense hostile fire, First Sergeant Shaul, disregarding his own safety, exposed himself to the hostile fire as he moved to the forward fighting positions to assist the embattled element. Upon reaching the contact site, he immediately organized and maneuvered his men into effective fighting positions. … At this time Sergeant Shaul was wounded, but continued to direct the movements of his men.”

Shaul also was a three-time Bronze Star recipient, once for his actions in Korea and twice in Vietnam. He earned two Purple Heart citations, the Army Commendation Medal and the Air Medal.

His daughter, Terry DeLude, keeps a file full of these honors that she shared with the Asbury Park Press.

“He was committed to our country — loved it, lived for it,” she said. “He was heroic but he was also unassuming.”

Delude, 66, lives in upstate New York. She was young when her parents divorced but remained in touch with her dad when he moved to New Jersey, worked out of Fort Dix and eventually retired to Toms River, where he remarried. Shaul was living in Lacey at the time of his death from a brain tumor at age 61.

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“I did see him before he passed away, spent a weekend with him,” DeLude said. “Probably one of the best weekends of my life.”

Shaul’s headstone remains in perfectly good condition next to that of Ida Shaul, his second wife. It’s the accompanying footstone, which contains his service details, that had vanished under the earth.

DeLude said Shaul was eligible for burial at Arlington National Cemetery, but she chose to keep him in the family plot. It’s a decision she’s thought about over the years. In Arlington, nobody’s marker gets grown over.

But things happen for a reason. On Thursday, when she received a message out of the blue from a reporter — and when she learned the story of Pete and Whiskey — it felt like a sign from her father.

“I cried,” she said.

Postscript: Old Whiting Cemetery

Pete Sztybel describes his quest as “nothing spectacular” and “just something I do,” but that’s underselling it.

“It just touched my heart, the profound respect,” DeLude said. “It tells me he equally loves our country and the people that dedicated their lives to keeping everybody safe. It takes a very special person with a good heart to do that. And his dog is extraordinary.”

This would have been a perfect column for Memorial Day. The truth is, Whiskey might not make it that long.

“I tell him to go, but he’s fighting it,” Sztybel said. “He doesn’t want to go.”

On Wednesday, in Old Whiting Cemetery, Whiskey walked most of the way to Glen Shaul’s grave and back. A few yards from Sztybel's car, when he slowed and just about stopped, his partner picked him up and carried him.

“I love this little guy,” Sztybel said. “He’s my best friend.”

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River man and aging dog seek overgrown veterans graves