An additional five residents who are combat veterans will receive the New Jersey Meritorious Service Medal for their service in the military during the 10 a.m. ceremony and nine additional residents will receive the NJMSM during the 2 p.m. ceremony. 

The N.J. 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 N.J. veterans to honor their service. After World War II, 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 N.J. 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. 

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. 

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 Form 214), award citation, honorable discharge, etc. to: 

NJDMAVA
ATTN: Distinguished Service Medal
P.O. Box 340 
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0340

 The New Jersey Meritorious Service Medal is being awarded to those combat veterans who were not residents of New Jersey when they entered the military service, but who are current residents of New Jersey and have resided in the state for the previous five years.  All other qualifications are the same as for the DSM.  To apply for the MSM, send the application to the same address as the DSM.

Rank	First Name	MI	Last Name	Posthumous	Branch	war	City	Remarks
Staff Sergeant	Howard	M.	Aiello		Army	V	West Milford
Petty Officer 1st Class	Walter		Anros		Navy	II	Passaic
Staff Sergeant	Theodore	C.	Argeson		Army	II	Wayne
Specialist Four	Louis	J.	Assante		Army	V	Passaic	MSM
Sergeant	Peter	C.	Aupperlee		Army	II	Hawthorne
Technician 5th Grade	Thomas		Balistrieri		Army	II	Wayne
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Stanley	J.	Baran		Navy	II	Wallington
Corporal	Donald	J.	Bird	Posthumous	Army	K	Bloomingdale
Technician 4th Grade	Harold		Blumberg		Army	II	Hewitt	MSM
1st Lieutenant	Reimund	W.	Breimer		Army	V	Wayne
Private 1st Class	George	J.	Bruzgis		Army	K	Haledon
Seaman 1st Class	Sabbatto	A.	Busecca	Posthumous	Navy	II	Wayne
1st Sergeant	John	J.	Byrnes		Army	K	Pompton Lakes
Corporal	Lawrence	F.	Carey		Army	K	Pompton Lakes	MSM
Quartermaster 2nd Class	Carlo	M.	Carlucci		Navy	II	Wayne	MSM
Private 1st Class	Alphonse	A.	Castello		Army	II	North Haledon
Private 1st Class	Benjamin	J.	Chadwick		Army	II	Wayne
Private 1st Class	Victor	I.	Colon		Army	V	Passaic
Private 1st Class	Joseph		Connizzo		Army	II	Haskell	Cluster
Captain	James	J.	Coyne		Army	V	Wayne	Cluster
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Edward	V.	Crowley		Navy	V	Pompton Lakes
Corporal	Adolph	H.	De Jonghe		Army	II	North Haledon
Seaman 1st Class	Donald		Diaz		Coast Guard	II	West Milford
Captain	Harold		Dinzes		Army	II	Passaic
Sergeant	Gene	E.	Dittamo		Army	V	Wayne	Cluster
Corporal	Charles	T.	Dorrie		Marine Corps	II	Pompton Lakes	MSM
Captain	Alexander	R.	Drisgula		Marine Corps	V	Ringwood	MSM
Private 1st Class	Aart		Dubbeld		Army	II	Haledon
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Edward	L.	Esso		Navy	II	Wayne
Sergeant	Samuel	E.	Fairley		Air Force	V	Passaic
Petty Officer 1st Class	John	H.	Fredericks		Navy	II	Wanaque
Private 1st Class	Bernard		Gasparini	Posthumous	Army	II	Hawthorn	Cluster
Hospital Apprentice 1st Class	Diego		Gianduso		Navy	II	Little Falls
Sergeant	Raymond	W.	Giele	Posthumous	Army	II	Passaic
Corporal	Joseph	B.	Golebieski		Army	K	Wallington
Private 1st Class	Fredrick	C	Hartmann	Posthumous	Army	II	Bloomingdale
Staff Sergeant	John	F.	Holderman		Army	II	Wayne
Airman 2nd Class	Edward		Hughes		Air Force	K	Pompton Lakes	MSM
Technician 4th Grade	Frank	G.	Incremona		Army	II	Hawthorne
1st Lieutenant	Sanford		Kalb		Army	II	Passaic
Petty Officer 3rd Class	Peter	P.	Kaminski		Navy	II	Wayne
Sergeant	William	J.	Kelleher	Posthumous	Army	I	Little Falls	Cluster
Sergeant	Thomas	E.	Kochakji		Army	V	West Milford	Cluster
Corporal	Stephen	A.	Kozak		Marine Corps	II	Delawanna
Staff Sergeant	Samuel		Krantzow		Army	II	Passaic
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Matthew	I.	Kudla		Navy	II	Wallington	Cluster
Sergeant	Harold	P.	Loeffel	Posthumous	Marine Corps	II	West Milford	Cluster
Corporal	John	A.	Marinaro		Army	K	Hawthorne
Technician 5th Grade	Herman	J.	Marobito		Army	II	Midland
Staff Sergeant	Edward	S.	Marsh		Army	V	Haskell	Cluster
Petty Officer 3rd Class	Adolph	P.	Matulewicz		Navy	II	Ringwood
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Charles	W.	Mawhinney		Navy	V	North Haledon
1st Lieutenant	Alfred	M.	May		Army	V	West Milford	Cluster
Specialist Five	Donato	R.	Mazzaro		Army	V	Ringwood	MSM
Fireman	Michael	G.	Menger		Navy	DSS	Bloomingdale
Private 1st Class	Lewis	E.	Morgan		Army	II	West Milford
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Leonard	J.	Mott		Navy	II	Hawthorne
Petty Officer 2nd Class	George	H.	Nagel		Navy	II	Little Falls
Sergeant	Michael	T.	Napurano		Army	V	Little Falls
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Anthony	S.	Niedzialek		Navy	II	Wallington
Private 1st Class	Joseph		Palmieri		Army	II	Wayne
Corporal	James	J.	Parolie		Army	II	Wayne
1st Lieutenant	Donald	J.	Pasquariello	Posthumous	Army	II	Haskell	Cluster
Private 1st Class	George	B.	Pasquaye		Army	II	Wallington	Cluster
Corporal	Robert	E.	Petrarca		Army	II	Toms River
Captain	Herbert	A.	Pollard		Army	II	Oak Ridge	Cluster
Staff Sergeant	Thomas	H.	Pomroy		Marine Corps	II	Hawthorne
Radioman 2nd Class	Joseph		Puccio		Navy	K	Wayne
Private 1st Class	James	J.	Quinn		Army	II	Little Falls
Machinist Mate 2nd Class	Walter	F.	Rever		Navy	K	Wallington
Private	Mannie		Reynolds		Army	V	Passaic	Cluster
Seaman	Robert	R.	Roy		Navy	K	Wayne
Staff Sergeant	Joseph		Royko		Army		Wayne
Petty Officer 3rd Class	Martin	M	Schuster	Posthumous	Navy	K	Hawthorne
Airman 1st Class	John	L.	Shannon		Air Force	V	Hawthorne
Corporal	Leonard	F.	Shuhnicki		Army Air Corps	II	Bloomingdale
Technician 4th Grade	Michael	J.	Simone		Army	II	Little Falls
Seaman 1st Class	George	W.	Sklader		Navy	II	Little Falls
Technician 4th Grade	Dominick	D	Sole	Posthumous	Army	II	Llittle Falls
Technical Sergeant	Eugene	J.	Sperber		Army	II	Oak Ridge	Cluster
Corporal	George	L.	Spiess		Army	II	Wayne
2nd Lieutenant	Louis		Stern		Army	II	Passaic	Cluster
Private 1st Class	Joseph	S.	Stolarz		Army	II	Passaic
Sergeant	Stanley		Szostek		Army	II	Wallington
Captain	Charles	H.	Tanis		Army	II	Hawthorne
Fireman	John	H.	Thomas		Navy	K	Wayne
Sergeant	Michael	J.	Timmins		Marine Corps	DSS	West Milford
Sergeant 1st Class	Woodbury	W.	Tottle		Army	K	Wayne
Ensign	Edward	F.	Valeich		Navy	II	Newfoundland
Corporal	Charles		Van Der Eems		Marine Corps	K	Hawthorne
Sergeant	Jacob	M.	Van Housen		Army	K	Haledon
Staff Sergeant	Edward	C.	Van Zile		Army	II	Wayne
Specialist Four	Peter	W.	VanDerVelde		Army	V	Hawthorne
Corporal	Thomas	J.	Vatrano		Marine Corps	II	Wayne
Sergeant	Edward		Villegas		Marine Corps	V	Prospect Park
Specialist Five	Michel		Vitiello		Army	V	Ringwood	MSM
Private 1st Class	Kenneth	J.	Vogel		Army	II	Prospect Park
Airman 1st Class	Kurt	W.	Wagner		Air Force	V	Hewitt	Cluster
Sergeant	Robert	J.	Woolley		Air Force	V	Bloomingdale
Technician 4th Grade	Cornelius	J.	Zysling		Army	II	North Haledon