Austin Freni has a long road to recovery ahead of him.
WATERFORD TWP. -- Like thousands of others, Austin Freni came to South Philly on New Year's Day to see the Mummers. While taking in the sights and sounds, he took the time to thank every single city police officer on duty that day -- and there were plenty of them.
It was around 11 p.m when 19-year-old Freni, his girlfriend, his mother and his 15-year-old brother were approached by a group of about 10 young men who apparently took umbrage with the fact that Freni was a member of the U.S. Army.
"The Army bashing continued throughout the whole thing," Lori Freni, mother of the soldier who just completed airborne training and is due back at Fort Benning, Georgia by the end of this weekend, said of the fight that left her son hospitalized.
In the wake of the scuffle at 3rd Street and Oregon Avenue, a dozen members of the local Rolling Thunder veterans support chapter paid the Freni family a visit at their Atco home Friday evening to comfort and swap war stories with a brother in arms.
"They shouldn't disrespect anybody," chapter Vice President and Upper Township resident Rickey Pramov said of the attackers who've yet to be identified.
According to Lori Freni, the group were working on hailing a taxi at the time of the altercation and Austin Freni -- home for the holidays for a few more days -- was on the phone with a nearby hotel to coordinate booking a room.
He apparently mentioned that he was in the U.S. Army and the group of alleged attackers in their late teens to early 20s overheard, prompting some "derogatory comment about the Army in general," according to Philadelphia police. Austin Freni went to confront the man who'd insulted him and was punched in the face, forcing him to the ground.
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Lori Freni stressed that the Army-issue jacket her son was wearing at the time was black and gold in color, not camouflage -- something she hopes some of the officers her son thanked that day remember.
She added that detectives have told her a Tommy Hilfiger hat was recovered from the scene and is undergoing forensics testing, but video footage of the brawl remains to be seen.
Last Sunday's fight was quite literally insult to injury. Lori Freni, whose husband died recently from brain cancer, said she was laid off two weeks ago and both she and her 15-year-old son sustained serious injuries in the scuffle. The military is covering Austin Freni's medical costs, but approximately $11,000 raised via a GoFundMe page established by a family friend will help her pay for mounting personal medical bills.
Dressed in a camo T-shirt and socks while recovering from oral surgery that left a metal plate in his mouth to hold his jaw together, Austin Freni stood out of respect for the Rolling Thunder members.
"I miss all my brothers over there," he said of fellow soldiers he'd completed basic and airborne training with, adding that he may join a unit bound for Iraq upon his return to home base.
"If anyone has seen anything, contact Philadelphia police," Freni said through a severely swollen mouth. "It's not just for me -- for my family."
Tips can be submitted to Philadelphia police by calling 215-686-TIPS, texting PPD TIP or 773847, or with an online form.
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.