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July 24, 2025 |  |
Ready To Serve ★ Proud To Have Served |
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 | New Jersey Korean War Memorial |
124 Park Place, Atlantic City, NJ |
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The Korean War | |
A solemn corner of the Atlantic City boardwalk stands in silent vigil to more than half a million lives lost in the Korean War, 1950-1953, including 837 New Jersey service members. Dedicated on November 13, 2000, the New Jersey Korean War Memorial was created to ensure that future generations remember and honor the pride and dedication of those who served, the legacy they continued, and the freedom they preserved.
July 27 marks the 72nd anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, which brought the cessation of hostilities between the fighting powers of the United States, United Nations, North Korea, and China. Since that hard-fought day in 1953, the United States and Republic of Korea have stood together to maintain the Armistice and set the conditions for stability and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula.
The Department will host a ceremony at the Memorial on Friday, July 25 at 11am, commemorating the anniversary. All are encouraged to participate in remembrance of “The Forgotten War.” Service organization attendees at the event will include the Korean War and Korean Defense Veterans-Department of New Jersey, Korean War Veterans of America, and the American Legion.
Since 2023, the Korean War Memorial is one of three DMAVA-stewarded monuments which have benefited from more than $1 million in capital improvement projects. Together with the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel and World War II Memorial in Trenton, investment toward maintenance on the grounds, lighting, and stonework is a small price to pay for the sites’ appropriate attention to detail. These projects are a tangible means of preserving the memory of New Jersey Veterans and ensuring future generations understand the cost of freedom.
As we look to the future, may we uphold the legacy of our Korean War Veterans at home and abroad through bravery, honor, and courage, and strive for our common goals of peace, prosperity, and freedom. |
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| As always, thank you for staying connected to DMAVA.
We invite you to share ideas, events and feedback. Please email our team at outreach@dmava.nj.gov.
Brigadier General Yvonne L. Mays
Adjutant General & Commissioner |
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DMAVA Calendar | DMAVA is sponsoring or will participate in the events below. A DMAVA Veterans Service Officer will be present at many of these events. Please check details to confirm. |
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We add new events to our calendar on a daily basis so please bookmark and check back often. |
| View Full Calendar |
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Exercise "CERBERUS" brings New Jersey and Republic of Cyprus brains together.
Subject matter experts from the Republic of Cyprus National Guard and Police Force Bomb Squad, the U.S. Air Force Reserve 514th Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal team, the Atlantic City Police Department Bomb Squad and the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard work together for training in several New Jersey locations June 1-15, 2025.
The exercise name, "CERBERUS," refers to a 3-headed dog from Greek mythology. The exercise itself provided participants with enhanced tactical EOD capability training as well as the opportunity to enhance the New Jersey-Republic of Cyprus state partnership. |
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 | State Partnership Program - Albania
As part of the State Partnership Program, New Jersey Army National Guard aircraft maintainers and aircrew were in Albania working with Albanian Air Forces to maintain aircraft and prepare for search and rescue missions.
They’re using the same Black Hawk helicopter that saved lives during Hurricane Sandy rescue operations in 2012 - and working with the same maintenance crew.
Ability to handle shocks like natural disasters is an important part of Allies’ resilience - NATO’s first line of defense. |
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 | 63rd Army Band
The New Jersey Army National Guard's 63rd Army Band performed for audiences around the state during the band's summer concert tour, June 26-July 4, 2025. View Images |
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 | NJ Air National Guard
The Jersey Devil F-16C Fighting Falcons from the 177th Fighter Wing performed at the 2025 Visit Atlantic City "Soar and Shore Festival" Air Show.
During the air show, the Jersey Devils flew over the Atlantic City oceanfront as attendees watched in excitement. The jets flew alongside the 108th Wing KC-46 Pegasus refueling tanker.
Great job from our Airmen! |
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Joseph G. Bilby - In MemoriamJoseph G. Bilby, an award-winning historian and longtime curator of the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey, died on Monday.
A proud son of Newark, Joe earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seton Hall University. He served in Vietnam from 1966-1967 as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s First Infantry Division.
After a career in public service with the New Jersey Department of Labor, he spent his retirement as an Assistant Curator with the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs from 2005 to 2018.
During his tenure, he mentored officers, non-commissioned officers, and civilian professionals. He grew the museum’s archives and artifact collection and today that collection ranks among the best in the state. He was dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the rich military history of New Jersey. Above all else, he was rigorous in his insistence on critical thinking and a fact-based approach to understanding both the past and the present.
Joe was the author, editor, or co-author of over twenty books and over 400 articles on Garden State history and folklore, military history, and the outdoors. He was the recipient of the New Jersey Meritorious Service Medal for his efforts to protect and preserve New Jersey National Guard archives and artifacts in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
Among numerous other accolades, he received the Jane G. Clayton Award for contributions to Monmouth County history and the New Jersey Historical Commission’s Richard J. Hughes Prize for his lifelong contributions to the study of New Jersey history. He served as a member of the New Jersey Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee and a trustee of the New Jersey Civil War Heritage Association.
Joe was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the Society of the First Infantry Division, and the Company of Military Historians. He was predeceased by his wife Patricia and is survived by his children and grandchildren. He was the father-in-law of Lt. Col. Jarett Feldman, Executive Officer of OC/T Operations Group, New Jersey Army National Guard.
Vincent Solomeno is the Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs. He served as Command Historian and Curator of the National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey from 2010-2014. Click here to access Joseph G. Bilby’s Vietnam War Oral History. |
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 | NJ Service Medals
The State of New Jersey awards medals to honorably discharged Veterans of the state who served in various conflicts and combat theaters.
State medals include the Distinguished Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, POW/MIA Medal, Desert Storm Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Medal.
Learn More |
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 | Get Connected to Resources & Services |
The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has partnered with Unite Us to connect individuals and families to a wide variety of services and resources.
Unite Us is a coordinated care referral network of health and social service providers. Unite Us can connect our New Jersey military and veteran community to resources to obtain benefits, food assistance, housing, education, transportation, behavioral health services, peer support and more. |
| Learn More / Request Assistance |
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Veteran Homelessness | The mission of Bringing Veterans Home (BVH) is to effectively end veteran homelessness in New Jersey by enhancing existing systems, creating rapid access to housing, and ensuring homelessness becomes rare, brief and non-recurring.
BVH creates a clear path to stable housing for veterans experiencing homelessness through a coordinated network of services and support. |
| Learn More / Refer a Veteran |
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Office of Records and ArchivesDMAVA’s Administrative Services Division’s Office of Records and Archives is the office that receives military discharges from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and occasionally, the Merchant Marines. This applies to both the Active Duty and their Reserves, to include the National Guard.
The DMAVA employees of the Records and Archives Office are some of the busiest people within the Department. They are responsible for the archiving, storage and issuance of copies of military records of all the State’s service members and Veterans.
For more information, visit our website at Request Military Records. |
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 | Welcome to NJYCA Class 60
The staff and cadre of the New Jersey Youth ChalleNGe Academy welcomed in Class 60 on July 15, 2025 at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, NJ.
Class 60 "Intake Day" involved check-in, bag drag, haircuts (males only), security check, supply, medical screening and then assignment to one of three platoons: Alpha, Bravo, or Charlie.
Cadets also had a chance to say goodbye to their families until the "Family Day" events halfway through the 22-week program.
The mission of the NJYCA is to train and mentor disengaged teenage youth so they become responsible and productive citizens of their community, state, and country.
Follow their progress on our social media until their graduation in December 2025. Facebook | Instagram |
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Employer OutreachSoldiers assigned to the 254th Regiment (Combat Arms), New Jersey Army National Guard, hosted servicemembers' employers at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, NJ and the Battle Lab on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ on July 12, 2025.
The event gave employers and local stakeholders a chance to see the capabilities of the facilities under the 254th, as well as the demanding training schedule required to maintain the two facility training-focused unit.
The event started in Sea Girt with the a tour through the Regional Training Institute at Sea Girt followed by transportation by Blackhawk to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to see the Regional Training Site-Maintenance.
The tour was capped off by a overhead view of the USS New Jersey (BB-62), ported in Camden, before returning back to Sea Girt.
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SGT Kristopher PiwowarczykCongratulations to Sergeant Kristopher Piwowarczyk, 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard, for reaching the finals of the Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition!
Congratulations to Sergeant Michael Fouts from the Arizona Army National Guard and Sergeant Luke Cloward from the Utah Army National Guard for winning Soldier and NCO of the Year, respectively. |
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 | A1C Colin Haniffy
Airman 1st Class Colin Haniffy, an HVAC Technician assigned to the 108th Civil Engineering Squadron, brushes rust off the interior of an air conditioning unit at Lajes Field, Portugal, on July 2, 2025.
108th CE members practiced their skills, and assisted with base-wide repairs during a deployment for training (DFT) exercise at Lajes from June 30 to July 14, 2025. |
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World War II veteran celebrates 99 yearsAlex Dyer | Star News Group | July 17, 2025
MANASQUAN - The Manasquan Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1838 celebrated World War II veteran Louis Archinal on Saturday, throwing him a 99th birthday bash in recognition of both his service to the country as well as his longevity.
Wall Township resident Archinal, as a private first class in the U.S. Army, aided in liberating a Nazi concentration camp at the end of World War II.
He turned 99 years old last month and was celebrated at the VFW for his contributions by friends, family and several different organizations including the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, the office of U.S. Representative Chris Smith and the Manasquan Elks.
Read Full Story |
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New Jersey Fallen Heroes Memorial | In Honor of all those from New Jersey who gave their lives in the fight against terrorism during Operation Enduring Freedom & Iraqi Freedom.
In humble gratitude, we remember their sacrifice. | Memorial Inscription
"But on the battlefield their feet stood fast, and in an instant at the height of their fortune, they passed away from the scene, not of their fear, but of their glory." ~ Pericles |
| NJ Fallen Heroes Memorial |
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Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. |
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| July 25, 1917 |
The New Jersey National Guard, except for some companies of the 5th Regiment, on guard duty in northern New Jersey, assembled at Sea Girt for World War I duty, and then traveled to Camp McClellan, Alabama, where they were subsequently joined by the remainder of the 5th Regiment. | July 30, 1673 |
New York and New Jersey, which together were New Netherland until 1664, were recaptured from their British conquerors by a twenty-one ship Dutch fleet, the largest ever seen in North America, without a shot being fired. The colonies were returned to British control, however, in a peace treaty signed in November 1674. A Captain Manning, the commander who surrendered to the Dutch, was subsequently sentenced to publicly having a sword broken over his head. |
July 30, 1916 |
The “Black Tom” ammunition pier on the Hudson River in Jersey City exploded. Although America was still neutral in World War I, large amounts of ammunition manufactured in the United States were shipped to the allies in Europe, and German saboteurs had placed bombs on the pier. A postwar Claims Commission found Germany guilty of sabotage in both Black Tom and the subsequent Kingsland explosion in Lyndhurst, and awarded $50 million in damages to claimants. World War II intervened, but in 1953 the West German government, without ever admitting responsibility, agreed to pay the compensation. It was finally paid in 1979. |
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August 1, 1920 |
Thomas McGuire was born in Ridgewood. McGuire moved to Florida with his mother after his parents separated in the 1930s, and left Georgia Tech in 1941 to join the United States Army Air Corps. After flying in the Aleutian Islands, he became a Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilot in 1943 and then flew combat missions in New Guinea and the Philippines, where he became one of America’s leading aces. McGuire had thirty-eight kills and rose to the rank of major before being killed on January 7, 1945 in an accidental crash on Negros Island in the Philippines while maneuvering in a dogfight.
McGuire, who earned the Distinguished Service Cross, three silver stars, six Distinguished Flying Crosses, fifteen Air Medals and three purple hearts by the age of twenty-four, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In 1948, Fort Dix Army Air Force Base was renamed McGuire Air Force Base in his honor. |
August 5, 1775 |
The New Jersey Provincial Congress ordered that 54 companies of Minute Men, of 64 men each, be raised and organized into battalions. The Minute Men were required to have “their own firelocks upon their shoulders, 23 cartridges in their cartouch [sic] boxes; the worm, priming wire and 12 flints in their pockets and a pound of powder and three pounds of bullets at home.” |
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Camp DixOn July 18, 1917, Camp 13 officially became Camp Dix, named in honor of the War of 1812 and Civil War Veteran, Maj. Gen. John Adams Dix. He also served as a United States Senator, Secretary of the Treasury and Governor of New York.
The facility was originally laid out by the forerunners to our namesake 104th Brigade Engineer Battalion as one of 13 camps established for the large influx of draftee soldiers detailed for World War I service. Camp Dix later became Fort Dix in the run up to the Second World War and continued to serve as a major training hub for many decades after and into today.
After restructuring to combine into Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Army portion of the nation's first tri-service base is now officially Army Support Activity Dix. |
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We Are Hiring!At the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs we take our work in support of Veterans, Servicemembers and their families very seriously. Whether supporting our Veterans with nursing care, transitional housing, or assisting them in navigating access to their Veteran benefits, the Department provides valuable services and can offer rewarding career opportunities to members of the public.
We also have opportunities in facilities management and program management. In addition, we have job openings for members of our military to serve in AGR and Federal Technician roles.
Subscribe to DMAVA Jobs Bulletin to stay updated on job openings.
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We hope you enjoy receiving our newsletter and find it both educational and engaging. If you have questions about our department, our programs or your benefits, please visit our website at nj.gov/military to get contact information. |
| Contact DMAVA |
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Please email us at outreach@dmava.nj.gov with feedback and comments regarding the newsletter. If you would like to contribute with an item of interest to our subscribers, please email us your proposal.
Visit the DMAVA archives to view previous editions of our newsletter. |
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nj.gov/military NJ Department of Military & Veterans Affairs 101 Eggerts Crossing Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
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Disclaimer: The appearance of any non-DMAVA information or hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement of the products or services on the part of the New Jersey Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. |
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