A special awards ceremony was held recently at the Elks Lodge, 600 Washington St., Toms River. Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Sullivan, assistant adjutant general army, presented the New Jersey Vietnam Service Medals to 242 Ocean County residents who are veterans of the Vietnam conflict.
Approved by the New Jersey Legislature on Nov. 13, 2000, the medal commemorates the 25th anniversary of the ending of the Vietnam conflict in January 1973.
To be eligible for the Vietnam Service Medal, veterans must meet the following criteria:
• Must be a current resident of New Jersey;
• Must have served in any branch of the armed forces of the United States in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or the contiguous waters or airspace thereof on or after Dec. 31, 1960 and on or before May 7, 1975;
• Must have received an honorable discharge or be currently serving in the military.
Posthumous awards can be awarded — application must be made by the surviving spouse or an immediate family member.
Anyone interested in applying for the New Jersey Vietnam Service Medal should send a written request together with a copy of the individual’s discharge document (DD Form 214) to: NJDMAVA, attn: Vietnam Service Medal, P.O. Box 340, Trenton, NJ 08625-0340. Be sure to include full name, home address and daytime telephone number.
Following are the recipients from the local area:
Army Specialist Five Emmett R. Bivins, Army Specialist Five David Conover, Army Capt. James P. Donegan, Navy Petty Officer Third Class John F. Doyle, Army Sgt. First Class Charles M. Ferraro, Army Specialist Five John E. Fetyko, Army Specialist Four Daniel G. Germann, Army Specialist Four Raymond V. Hallock, Army Sgt. Dennis B. Higgins, Navy Petty Officer Third Class Russell Kleber, Army Specialist Four Robert N. Newhardt, Marine Corps Corporal James R. Noll, Army Specialist Four Theodore S. Pawlyshyn, Marine Corps Lance Corporal Walter L. Ross, Army Specialist Four Patrick Scalzo, Marine Corps Corporal Robert L. Wesby, and Army Lieutenant Colonel David J. Woehr; all of Lakewood;
Army Specialist Four Thomas M. Campolo, Army Sgt. Paul D. Fusco, Army Specialist Four Jack Giameo, Army Private First Class David L. Nash, Air Force Sgt. Richard D. Ossowski, Army Capt. Richard G. Reisher, Air Force Sgt. Matthew C. Rogalski, Air Force Technical Sgt. Rea J. Smith, Army Specialist Four Steven Veve, Army Specialist Four James R. West, Army Specialist Four Thomas G. Wiedinger, and Army Sgt. Joel C. Wohlman, all of Jackson;
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael Owen of New Egypt.