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MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS
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| IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (5 June 2006) |
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Middlesex County Residents Will Receive State Military Awards October 19 Two special award ceremonies will be held on October 19, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., at the Edison Elks Lodge, 375 Old Post Road, Edison, N.J. During the 11 a.m. ceremony, 77 veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Persian Gulf, Haiti, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom will be presented with the state’s top military award, the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal. At the 1 p.m. ceremony, 70 veterans of World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom will also be presented with the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal. An additional 15 residents of Middlesex County who are combat veterans will receive the New Jersey Meritorious Service Medal (NJMSM) for their service in the military in the morning ceremony while 12 county residents will receive the NJMSM in the afternoon ceremony. 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 30,000 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 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. Anyone interested in applying for the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal should send a written request, e-mail or telephone call, requesting an application form to the following – Mail: NJDMAVA Be sure to include full name, home address and a daytime phone number e-mail: patricia.richter@njdmava.state.nj.us 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.
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NEW JERSEY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL LIST OF RECIPIENTS October 19, 2006 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 11 a.m. ceremony
-- 1 p.m. ceremony
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