MANVILLE, NJ - A special award ceremony will be held on December 27, 2001, at 11 a.m.. at the Manville VFW Post 2290, 600 Washington Avenue, Manville, N.J.  Assemblyman Rich Bagger will present the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal, the state’s top military award, to 80 state residents who are combat veterans of the World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars.

The NJ Distinguished Service Medal was originally issued in 1858 for those who had distinguished themselves in the New Jersey Militia, but was infrequently used until re-authorized by Governor Kean in 1988. 

After the Spanish American War, the Mexican Border Expedition and again after World War I, the State of New Jersey minted special medals for returning NJ veterans to honor their service. After WWII, Korea, Vietnam and subsequent combat actions no such medal was available. The State of New Jersey was looking for an appropriate way to honor all of these returning combat veterans and acknowledge the debt the state owed them for their service. The NJ DSM was then authorized for that purpose. It is New Jersey’s highest military award.

Since its re-authorization in 1988, more than 8,500 medals have been awarded to combat veterans from New Jersey. 
“The New Jersey veterans receiving the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal are a credit to our state and our nation.  Their sacrifice and their bravery in combat is truly deserving of New Jersey’s highest military award.  The award also serves as a great way to thank our veterans for their extraordinary achievements while our nation has been at war,” said Acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco.

In order to be eligible for the Distinguished Service Medal you must meet all the following criteria:

~ currently be a resident of New Jersey
~ have been a resident of New Jersey  at the time you entered into military service
~ have been honorably discharged
~ have proof of having served in combat while on active duty during wartime. 

Those recipients whose service was recognized by the award of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal or equivalent medal will receive a NJ Distinguished Service Medal with an oak leaf cluster. 

The DSM can be awarded posthumously to the next-of-kin of a veteran who meets the criteria.

Anyone interested in applying for the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal should send a written request together with copies of all pertinent information, discharge document (e.g. DD 214 ), award citation, honorable discharge, etc. to: 

Rank	First Name	MI	Last Name	Posthumous	Branch	City	Cluster	War
Corporal	Sean	T.	Alfred		Marine Corps	Plainfield		DSS
Corporal	Scott	M	Batori		Marine Corps	Neshanic Station		DSS
Private 1st Class	Walter	W.	Becker		Army	Springfield		II
Private 1st Class	John		Bukovecky		Army	Manville		II
Specialist Five	Wilfredo		Burgos		Army	Skillman		V
Petty Officer 3rd Class	William	B.	Cadmus		Navy	Barnegat		V
Airman	Robert	J.	Campione		Navy	Warren		K
Sergeant	Joseph	O.	Cherubino		Army	North Plainfield		K
Corporal	Kevin	G.	Clarke		Marine Corps	Manville		V
Sergeant	Leonard	M.	Cohen		Army	Scotch Plains		II
Private 1st Class	Adolph		Cybowski		Army	South Plainfield		II
Technician 4th Grade	Angelo	M	D'Amato		Army	Watchung		II
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Carmine	T.	Del Casale, Jr.		Navy	Somerset		II
Staff Sergeant	Alexander	A.	Dipace		Army	Scotch Plains	cluster	II
Technical Sergeant	James	E.	Esposito		Army	Somerset	cluster	II
Specialist Four	John	R.	Flynn		Army	Rahway		V
Corporal	Henry	F.	Frank	posthumous	Army	Union	cluster	II
1st Lieutenant	Louis	J.	Giacona		Army	Union		II
Private 1st Class	Nicholas	L.	Giordano		Army	Union		V
Specialist Four	Paul	M.	Giraldi		Army	Raritan		V
Specialist Four	John		Gratacos		Army	Elizabeth		V
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Elmer	R	Hansen		Navy	Somerset		II
Staff Sergeant	Joseph	R.	Heelan		Army	Scotch Plains		II
Technician 4th Grade	Emil	W.	Hintze		Army	Union City		II
Specialist Five	Clyde	R.	Horan		Army	Bridgewater	cluster	V
Sergeant	Daniel	J.	Iasello		Army	Summit		II
Specialist Four	William	H.	Isaksen		Army	Rahway	cluster	V
Private 1st Class	Herbert	D.	Jacob		Army	Union City		II
Private 1st Class	David	L.	Jacobus		Army	Far Hills		K
Specialist Four	Stephen	M	Kassay		Army	Hillsborough		V
1st Lieutenant	Melvin	S.	Kaye		Army	Basking Ridge		II
Seaman 2nd Class	Edward	C.	Kochanowski		Merchant Marines	Linden		II
Corporal	Clara	R.	Kouba		Army	Union City		II
Petty Officer 3rd Class	Joseph		Krainatz		Navy	South Bound Brook		V
Sergeant	Joseph	F.	Krakowski		Marine Corps	Hillside		V
1st Lieutenant	Warren	E.	Kremer		Army	Union	cluster	II
Specialist Four	Robert	B.	LaCosta		Army	Scotch Plains		V
Airman	Paul		Lenzi		Navy	Somerset		DSS
Corporal	Roger	W.	Liggon		Marine Corps	Westfield		V
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Daniel	A	Lime		Navy	Bedminister		II
Specialist Four	Joseph		Lucash		Army	Hillsborough		V
Sergeant 1st Class	Anthony	N.	Mack		Army	Cranford		K
Private 1st Class	King		MacLellan		Army	Westfield	cluster	II
Gunners Mate 3rd Class	Robert	F.	Maehr	posthumous	Navy	Somerset		V
1st Lieutenant	Jeffrey	D.	Mandel		Army	Basking Ridge	cluster	V
Private 1st Class	Walter	E.	Mathews		Army	Vauxhall		II
Private 1st Class	Joseph	P	Mazeika		Army	Manville		V
Private 1st Class	Mitchell		Mazur		Army	Union		II
Technician 5th Grade	Vincenzo		Milazzo		Army	Elizabeth		II
Corporal	Barry	N.	Miller		Marine Corps	Neshanic Station		V
Sergeant	Joseph	F	Mullen		Army	Basking Ridge		II
Sergeant	Theodore	A.	Nesson		Army	Rahway		K
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Ralph	E	Nevitt		Navy	Basking Ridge		K
	Nicholas	S.	Nicale		Merchant Marines	North Brunsicwk		II
Technician 4th Grade	Henry	H.	Nissen		Army	Union		II
Corporal	Ernest	R.	Notzelman		Army	Belle Mead		K
Corporal	Francis	G.	O'Such		Army	Garwood		K
1st Sergeant	Lawrence	C.	Obenhuber		Marine Corps	Lincoln Park		II
Private 1st Class	Robert	W.	Ohl		Army	South Plainfield		II
Specialist Four	Willie	G.	Owens		Army	Plainfield		V
Corporal	Michael	J.	Pannullo		Army	Summit		II
Petty Officer 1st Class	Andrew	J.	Peluso		Navy	Warren		II
Radioman 2nd Class	David	A.	Piscitelli		Navy	South Plainfield		V
Sergeant	Michael	J	Polak		Marine Corps	Manville		K
Seaman 1st Class	Jack		Potashkin		Navy	Springfield		II
Private 1st Class	Joseph	F.	Regal		Army	Union		II
Staff Sergeant	Cesar	C.	Rondon		Army	Elizabeth		DSS
Technician 4th Grade	Louis	E	Santucci		Army	North Plainfield	cluster	II
Corporal	Ernest	P	Schieppe		Marine Corps	Warren		K
Motor Machinist Mate 2nd Class	William	A.	Sharpe		Navy	Basking Ridge		II
Fireman 1st Class	Joseph	F.	Sheehan		Navy	Clark		II
Corporal	Leonard	J.	Siegalovsky		Army	Springfield		II
Private 1st Class	Vincent	J.	Slavin		Army	Elizabeth		II
Specialist Four	Daniel	T.	Snell		Army	Summit	cluster	V
Specialist Five	Dwight	L	Staehler		Army	Somerset		V
Technician 4th Grade	Michael	F.	Suleski		Army	North Plainfield		II
Corporal	Joseph	E	Valimski		Marine Corps	Manville		V
Private 1st Class	William	F.	Walsh		Army	Berkeley Heights	cluster	II
Specialist Four	Harold	E.	Williams		Army	Linden		V
Staff Sergeant	John	J.	Zabielski		Army	Springfield	cluster	II