Herald & Lantern 11 January '84

19

Sam Kuncevich: Herald He Designs Military Insignia

, By E. J. DUFFY VILLAS — Eveptime the USS New Jersey has slipped its moorings and put to sea, Sam Kuncevich of Bayside Village has been aboard — in spirit, *at least. When the battleship’s heavy guns pounded Syrian4>06iUons in Lebanon last month, the latest insignia he designed for BB-62 trembled on a wardroom plaque and creased on the shoulder patches of crewwork jackets as the seamen answered the bugle call to general quarters. “I did* all four that it carried,” Kuncevich, 62, said of the insignia he created for the battlewagon’s 1943 commissioning and those he redesigned when the New Jersey was recommissioned in 1950, 1968 and 1962. Beyond his talents as an amateur historian, freelance writer and professional illustrator, the seasonal resident of Oakdale Avenue is a genuine herald — not the miniskirted variety associated with trumpet blasts and royal proclamations from days of yore. Kuncevich traces his heraldic roots to the equally ancient if more obscure type who practiced heraldry He is a recognized expert in the modernized Jxit still obscure (and very limited) field that stems directly from the medieval heralds who devised and recorded insignia — coats-of-arms — granted knights and nobles by their European rulers. THE LOWER TOWNSHIP homeowner became a herald by accident. Just a few years out of Central High School in Philadelphia, the city native was working as a technical illustrator for the naval shipyard there when the U.S. entered World War II. An officer from a ship whose name Kuncevich can’t recall asked if someone at the base could devise an insignia for the vessel. Kuncevich accepted the task. “The New Jersey was the second one,” be noted, remembering the 1943 design for the warship that, depicted one of its three original 16-inch turrets. The 1962 version

LaBounty f (From Page I) Florida operation. “I HELPED DEVELOP the package,” he said. Funding was attracted, be said, on the basis of LaBounty’s “ability and background.” He is a former auto racer and former editor of automobile and racing publications. “I was told early last year it was impossible to put the packge together the way I wanted to do it/’ said LaBounty. “I just sat back and said ‘I sure as hell can; it’s just going to take more time’.” “Jack's come a long way with a long shot,” said Frankel. “It’s an exciting idea for the region, providing economic rejuvenation for an economically depressed area." Asked if the financial package was assured, Frankel responded: “Should all of the conditions established be met, I don’t foresee any obstades.” LaBounty, 43, and his wife, Jo-Ann, came to Stone Harbor from Cape Cod in October 1981. He had a public relations firm in Avalon, but gave that up last April to devote full time to Cape Motors port Promotions, Inc.

Hi, George (From Page 1) affect Guarantee customers. “They’ll be getting some new forms to fill out,” be said, “but they’ll be dealing with the same people." THAT’S TRUE in six offices including Court House, where First Jersey is simply taking over the Guarantee location at the corner of Main and Mechanic streets. But the three Guarantee branches sold to First National Bank of Toms River will be operated by First National. They have deposits of about $30 million, officials have said. The changes are not supposed to cost any bank employes a job. Guarantees 21 banking offices indude nine in the county. The First Jersey acquisition gives it 69 offices in 12 counties and assets of more than $1.9 billion. First Jersey came to Cape May County in August of 1962 with the purchase of the five-office First People’s Bank erf New Jersey.

shows that main armament over the missiles BB-62 now carries. While serving as an aerial photographer with the U.S. Army Airforce, Staff Sgt. Kuncevich created insignias for the B-25 crews flying “The Hum^" into China from his base in Karachi, Pakistan (then part of British India). He also saw his first newspaper illustrations circulated in the base press. In 1952, he returned to his drafting table at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where his skill at heraldry continued to draw requests for official plaques, seals and emblems. “All told, there are more than 200 I’ve done for the (U.S.) military,” Kuncevich estimated, adding that he has also designed insignia for the navies of Spain, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Turkey and Iran. “Sometimes they have no idea of what they want,” he said of the military brass asking for his heraldic talent. “What I'll do is, maybe give them six or seven choices Generally, they will make a selection from one of them and I’ll go from there." WHEN THE CAPTAIN of a war ship named after a county in the Midwest, asked Kuncevich to come up with an insignia for his vessel, the herald incorporated that county’s official seal into the design, just as medieval heralds (and their few modem successors) included something from an individual's background when designing that person’s coat-of-arms. With six years training in commercial art and an interest in historical research, Kuncevich acquired the expertise that earned him « 1960 designation as an ‘Bon Jour(From Page 1) Catanoso. *‘He seems to, be happy and I think everything will be all right again.” Lou Rodia, assistant director of public affairs for the-county linked to prior “personality conflicts” with Payette, was even more enthusiastic. “He’s doing a fantastic job for the kind of money we’re paying him,” said Rodia. “We'may even be able to move into the unexplored market of Toronto.” The Canadian tourist promotion operation will cost the county less this year because Payette moved from an annual rent of about $15,000 to $5,400 ($450 a month). PAYETTE SAID he still has a good downtown address and even bigger office. Payette, 67 and a former newsman, got the Cape May County job 19 years ago where be met Catanoso at a sportsman's show in Montreal. He worked part time out of his home until seven years ago. Canadian tourism suffered a sharp decline in 1962, but bounced back last year. Payette appealed to County hotels, motels, restaurants, etc. to mail his small packages of their literature to avoid a 9 percent Canadian sales tax. His new address is 1117 Ste. Catherine West, room 221, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3B1H8. Use Boulevard (From Page 1) Reider said that losing half of this year’s construction time will not affect the schedule. “We will have the bridge opened as required,” he said,” and completed as required.” Completion is due by April 19,1965. Reider said Raymond could start erecting detour signs any time, but they will remain covered until the bridge, and road, are closed. He said that could well be Jan. 23. TTie official state detour in and out of Stone Harbor will bp via Avalon. But an alternate route via North Wildwood is about the same distance. It has a 30-cent bridge toll, however. Raymond's low bid was opened Nov 3. The state awarded the contract on Dec. 12 a week earlier than the maximum time allowed. The state and Raymond had different explanations for the month delay since then. State officials said Raymond was waiting for the detour signs. Reider said it has been waiting for the state to schedule the pre-construction conference. Both agree the first stage of construction will have to be “modified" because of the shorter time available, ft

heraldic authority from the Army College of Heraldry in Washington, D.C. While he created insignia for warships and other military units, Kuncevich also devised more personalized symbols. “I search for the origin of the name,” be explained, "What is the meaning of a person's name?" Currently he's designing a coat-of-arms for a client named McGee. That name, in an earlier form, traveled with its Norman owners from Scandanavia to northern France, then to Scotland and Ireland, Kuncevich’s research shows. Since McGee meant “Son of the Fiery One,” he said, he’ll create a coat-of-arms which conveys the ancient title. , One of the McGees was knighted during the Third Crusade, so, Kuncevich added, he’ll research the crusader’s coat-of-arms and, if appropriate, add something from it to his client's desum. HIS INTEREST in history led Kuncevich into a freelance sideline as illustrator-writer. One of his earliest efforts appeared as a double page spread of "American Weekly” in 1958. The New York newspaper's editors, he recalled, “were kind of afraid to publish” the color illustrations and report about U.S. and Soviet missiles "without some kind of military approval,” so Kuncevich went to The Pentagon to get it. ‘To my-surprise, they were very cooperative," he said of American military leaden. » From 1955 to 1975, more than 30 of his illustrated freelance articles appeared as two-page color spreads in Sunday editions of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the former Philadelphia Bulletin. With maps and other artwork, he recreated for their readers the battles of Germantown and Gettysburg, Washington’s winter encampment at Valley Forge, the British seige of Fort Mifflin during the Revolutionary War and histories *of pirates in the Caribbean, or warships, and their construction. He has also illustrated his articles on sunken ships in color or black and white for the Sunday newspaper supplement. “Parade,” and was recently commission-

Dorit Ward -HERALD — Sam Knacevich: historian, writer, illustrator, and herald, with some of his work. ed by the Inquirer to illustrate and write two series for its Sunday magazine. “Philadelphia Firsts,:-; will appear next month, he said, followed by "Famous Women in World History." 7 , Since he retired from the shipyard last winter, Kuncevich has had more time to devote to his research, writing, illustration and heraldry. He and his wife. Rose (Mastuno), divide their time between their homes in Philadelphia and Villas. Their son. Jack, lives in Villas with their three grandchildren. Local lore and legends have booked the herald on projects in this vicinity, but there’s no telling yet what the multitalented retiree will pursue. “I’ve done some research on the lower county area, but I’m still in the procss of gathering information," Kuncevich explained.

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