128 Union County Residents Will Receive State Military Awards September 30 

Two special award ceremonies will be held on Sept. 30, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., at the Westfield National Guard Armory, 500 Rahway Avenue, Westfield, N.J.  During the 11 a.m. ceremony, 45 veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf and Operation Enduring Freedom will be presented with the state’s top military award, the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal.  At the 1 p.m. ceremony, 81 veterans of the Korean War will be presented with the New Jersey Korean Service Medal.

At the earlier ceremony, 2 county residents who are combat veterans will receive the New Jersey Meritorious Service Medal for their service in the military.

The N.J. Distinguished Service Medal was originally issued in 1858 for those who distinguished themselves in the New Jersey Militia, but was used infrequently 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 25,000 medals have been awarded to combat veterans from New Jersey.

In order to be eligible for the New Jersey 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 N.J. 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.

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.

Posthumous awards can be awarded; application must be made by the surviving spouse or immediate family member.

To be eligible for the New Jersey Korean Service Medal, veterans must meet the following criteria:

be a current resident of New Jersey and have resided in the state for at least the past five years,

combat veterans who served on active duty on or after June 23, 1950 and on or before January 31, 1955, in Korea, Japan or contiguous waters or airspace thereof; served one or more days with an organization directly participating in or supporting military operations or on temporary duty in contiguous areas for 30 consecutive days and 60 nonconsecutive days

Have an honorable discharge or be currently serving in the military

Posthumous awards can be awarded; application must be made by the surviving spouse or immediate family member. 

Anyone interested in applying for the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal or Korean Service Medal should send a written request, e-mail or telephone call, requesting an application form to the following –

Mail

NJDMAVA
ATTN: Kathy Burek
P.O. Box 340
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0340

Be sure to include full name, home address and a daytime phone number

e-mail:  patricia.richter@njdmava.state.nj.us

Phone:   1-800-624-0508, Press 7

NEW JERSEY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL LIST OF RECIPIENTS 

Westfield Armory, Westfield, N.J. 

September 30, 2004 

LEGEND:  (WAR ) CW=Civil War, I=World War I, II=World War II,  K=Korea, BP=Bay of Pigs, V=Vietnam, LC=Lebanon Crisis (1958), LPM=Lebanon Peacekeeping Mission (1982-1987), G=Grenada, P=Panama (Operation Just Cause), DSS=Desert Shield/Storm, S=Somalia (Operation Restore Hope), B=Bosnia (Operation Joint Forge), DOM=Dominican Republic, KSV=Kosovo (Operation Joint Endeavor/Joint Guard), H=Haiti (Operation Uphold Democracy), OEF=Afghanistan & Iraq (Operation Enduring Freedom), OIF=Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom), NCTS=No Combat Theater Service 

Award	Rank	Last Name	First Name	MI	Posthumous	Branch	war	City
DSM	Specialist Three	Abitante	Joseph	J.		Army	K	Roselle
DSM	Staff Sergeant	Astone	Victor	C.		Marine Corps	K	Union
DSM w/C	Private 1st Class	Butler	Fred	G.	Posthumous	Army	II	Mountainside
DSM	Technician 4th Grade	Carollo	Peter	J.	Posthumous	Army	II	Bridgewater
DSM	Technician 5th Grade	Celani	Emil	J.	Posthumous	Army	II	Ho-Ho-Kus
DSM w/C	Specialist Four	Coit	Frank	E.		Army	V	Somerville
DSM	Sergeant	Curia	Richard	J.		Marine Corps	V	Cranford
DSM	Private 1st Class	Del Grippo	Joseph	T.		Marine Corps	K	Cranford
DSM	Corporal	DeVito	Robert		Posthumous	Army	II	Elizabeth
DSM	Corporal	Dulemba	John	A.		Army	K	Linden
DSM	Specialist Four	Ezekian	Gregory	T.		Army	V	Union
DSM	Sergeant	Fee	William	M.	Posthumous	Army	K	Rahway
DSM w/C	Specialist Four	Frankshun	Robert	A.		Army	V	Kenilworth
MSM	Specialist Five	Graff	William	J.		Army	V	Linden
DSM	Master Sergeant	Hartsfield	Jacqueline	M.		Air Force	OEF	Roselle
DSM	Specialist Four	Hospes	Alan	J.		Army	V	Kenilworth
DSM	Corporal	Hunt	William	F.		Army	K	Cranford
DSM	Sergeant	Iungerman	Joseph	F.		Marine Corps	V	Roselle Park
DSM	Petty Officer 2nd Class	Kaufman	Robert			Navy	K	Hillside
DSM w/C	Staff Sergeant	Kelsay	Leroy	W.		Air Force	V	Berkeley Heights
DSM	Water Tender 3rd Class	Lindquist	Walter	S.		Navy	II	Linden
DSM w/C	Technical Sergeant	Mauko	Richard	T.	Posthumous	Army	V	Elizabeth
DSM w/C	Corporal	McLaughlin	Thomas	H.		Marine Corps	K	Hillside
DSM	Sergeant	McLeavey	Anthony	T.	Posthumous	Army	II	Scotch Plains
DSM	Specialist Four	Nelson	Anthony	E.		Army	V	Plainfield
DSM	Staff Sergeant	Petracco	Erasmo	J.		Army	K	Summit
DSM w/C	Private 1st Class	Petracco	Robert		Posthumous	Army	V	Summit
DSM	Sergeant	Petro	Vito	A.		Army	K	Neptune
DSM	Corporal	Pilot	Walter			Army	II	Kenilworth
DSM	Corporal	Rice	John	S.		Army	K	Elizabeth
DSM	Corporal	Rivers	Frank	C.		Marine Corps	V	Plainfield
DSM	Shipfitter 3rd Class	Rogers	Arthur	L.		Army	V	Vauxhall
DSM w/C	Specialist Four	Schott	Donald	J.		Army	V	Roselle
DSM	Sergeant	Seals	Jack			Air Force	V	Cranford
DSM	Specialist Four	Sorber	Thomas			Army	V	Roselle
DSM	Corporal	Specht	Joseph	A.		Marine Corps	K	Cranford
MSM	Electricians Mate 1st Class	Steiniger	William	J.	Posthumous	Navy	II	Linden
DSM w/C	1st Lieutenant	Swajkowski	Matthew	J.		Army	V	Union
DSM	Private 1st Class	Sweeney	Vincent	J.		Army	II	Roselle Park
DSM w/C	Staff Sergeant	Teets	Walter	M.	Posthumous	Army	II	Scotch Plains
DSM	Private	Vest	Stanley		Posthumous	Army	II	Kenilworth
DSM	Specialist Four	Volker	Jeffrey	F.		Army	V	Springfield
DSM	Technician 5th Grade	Wachtel	Ernest			Army	II	Elizabeth
DSM	Private 1st Class	Washington	James	E.		Marine Corps	V	Dunellen
DSM	1st Sergeant	Wasowski	Walter	S.		Army	II	Union
DSM w/C	1st Lieutenant	Widowsky	Jack			Air Force	II	East Brunswick
DSM	Sergeant	Wilson	King	D.		Army	DSS	Roselle

 

NEW JERSEY KOREAN SERVICE MEDAL LIST OF RECIPIENTS 

Rank	First Name	MI	Last Name	Posthumous	Branch	City
Specialist Three	Joseph	J.	Abitante		Army	Roselle
Staff Sergeant	Victor	C.	Astone		Marine Corps	Union
Sergeant	Charles	B.	Babela		Army	Elizabeth
Sergeant	Lavern	M.	Blumhagen		Army	Cranford
Corporal	Robert	L.	Bruton		Army	Newark
Staff Sergeant	Wesley	C.	Burns		Marine Corps	Plainfield
Private 1st Class	Salvatore	J.	Cardella		Army	Kenilworth
Sergeant	Salvi	P.	Consales		Army	Springfield
Corporal	William	P.	Cucco		Army	New Providence
Private 1st Class	Joseph	A.	Cusmano		Army	Elizabeth
Captain	James		Davitt		Navy	Union
Sergeant	James	P.	Doherty		Marine Corps	Westfield
Sergeant	Joseph	W.	Duh		Marine Corps	Piscataway
Corporal	John	A.	Dulemba		Army	Linden
Technical Sergeant	Joseph		Federico		Air Force	Berkley Heights
Technical Sergeant	Joseph	G.	Federico		Air Force	Berkeley Heights
Sergeant	William	M.	Fee	Posthumous	Army	Rahway
Petty Officer 3rd Class	Pasquale		Fernicola		Navy	Mountainside
Corporal	Vincent	J.	Freda		Army	Berkeley Heights
Staff Sergeant	Halon		Freeden		Army	Summit
Corporal	Frank	J.	Gallo		Army	Linden
Private	Frank	L.	Gelormini		Army	Clark
Corporal	George	E.	Germinder		Army	Fanwood
Corporal	Elbert	F.	Getto		Army	Union
Corporal	Charles	E.	Green		Marine Corps	Union
Corporal	John	R.	Grek		Army	Hillside
Corporal	Charles	G.	Guatta		Army	Linden
Captain	Nicholas	P.	Gustina		Army	Berkeley Heights
Private 1st Class	Michael	C.	Harvilla		Army	Kenilworth
Private 1st Class	William		Hendry		Army	Cranford
Airman 1st Class	Andrew	S.	Herkalo		Air Force	Springfield
Airman 1st Class	Edward	G.	Higgins		Air Force	Rahway
Sergeant	Harold	C.	Hill		Marine Corps	Scotch Plains
Sergeant 1st Class	Henry	F.	Hoffman		Army	Scotch Plains
Private 1st Class	Frederick		Hornlein		Army	Union
Private 1st Class	Louis	B.	Hornlein	Posthumous	Army	Kenilworth
Sergeant	Anthony	F.	Hudzik		Army	Rahway
Corporal	William	F.	Hunt		Army	Cranford
Corporal	William	F.	Hunt		Army	Cranford
Petty Officer 2nd Class	Robert		Kaufman		Navy	Hillside
Corporal	John	F.	Kenny		Army	Elizabeth
Staff Sergeant	Ronald		Kirkland		Air Force	Hillside
Sergeant	William	J.	Leber		Army	Mountainside
Corporal	Frank	A.	LoBrace		Army	Union
Sergeant 1st Class	Anthony	N.	Mack		Army	Cranford
Corporal	Robert	E.	Malkmus		Army	Union
Private 1st Class	Frederick	L.	Marchitto		Army	Rahway
2nd Lieutenant	Stuart	D.	McEwen		Army	Linden
Corporal	Thomas	H.	McLaughlin		Marine Corps	Hillside
Yeoman	Robert	L.	Miller		Navy	Mt. Arlington
Sergeant 1st Class	John	P.	Mizzoni		Army	New Providence
Airman	Robert	E.	Morley		Navy	Clark
Sergeant	Robert	E.	Nadler	Posthumous	Army	Rahway
Sergeant	Richard		Nardone		Army	Union
Sergeant	Dominick		Nasuta		Army	Garfield
Sergeant Major	Theodore	A.	Nesson		Army	Rahway
Corporal	Robert	J.	O'Grady	Posthumous	Army	Roselle
Corporal	Francis	G.	O'Such		Army	Garwood
Sergeant	Vito	A.	Petro		Army	Neptune
Private 1st Class	Nicholas	J.	Ponzio		Marine Corps	Plainfield
Captain	Bernard	I.	Quentzel		Air Force	Hillside
Corporal	John	S.	Rice		Army	Elizabeth
Staff Sergeant	Vito	U.	Rizzo		Air Force	Union
Private 1st Class	Russell	J.	Romeo		Army	Westfield
Corporal	Joseph	S.	Romero	Posthumous	Army	Annandale
Sergeant	George	N.	Russo		Army	Union
Private 1st Class	Stuart		Rutledge		Army	Clark
Sergeant	Joseph	P.	Sanguiliano		Army	Scotch Plains
Corporal	Nicholas	A.	Santeramo		Army	Union
Corporal	James	L.	Sinnott		Army	Elizabeth
1st Lieutenant	Arthur	L.	Snyder		Air Force	Cranford
Corporal	James	L.	Sorensen		Army	Edison
Corporal	Joseph	A.	Specht		Marine Corps	Cranford
Airman 1st Class	Alexander	F.	Surma		Air Force	Rahway
Private 1st Class	Anthony	J.	Suszczynski		Marine Corps	Cranford
Sergeant	Charles	M.	Swider		Army	Elizabeth
Corporal	Robert	R.	Wagner		Army	Zebulon
Sergeant	Willie		Wells		Army	Plainfield
Corporal	Richard	F.	Wraback		Army	Union
Corporal	Donald	E.	Wussler		Army	Scotch Plains
Corporal	Thomas	J.	Zydzik		Marine Corps	Rahway