Two award ceremonies to honor 191 Monmouth County residents will be held April 28 at the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt. At 11 a.m., 143 veterans of the Vietnam War will be presented with the state’s Vietnam Service Medal. To be eligible, veterans must be a current resident of New Jersey; served in any branch of the U.S. armed forces in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or the contiguous waters or airspace thereof between Dec. 31, 1960, and May 7, 1975; and have an honorable discharge or be currently serving in the military. At 1 p.m., 48 veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf will be presented with the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), which is the state’s top military award, or the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), which is presented to combat veterans who were not residents of New Jersey when they entered the military service but who are current state residents of at least five years. All other qualifications for the MSM are the same as for the DSM, including having served in combat while on active duty during wartime. Veterans from the local area who will receive the New Jersey Vietnam Service Medal are: Middletown residents Seaman Dewey J. Bralton, Navy; Lance Cpl. Mauro V. Corvasce, Marines; Cpl. Joe S. Deer, Marines; Sgt. Louis J. Grosdowsky, Marines; Spc. 4 Charles A. Kane, Army; Sgt. Frederic N. Goger, Marines; Sgt. James M. Grazide, Marines; Spc. 4 Christopher Mulvaney, Army; Lance Cpl. John E. Smith, Marines; and Sgt. Edward P. Striedl, Army. Also, residents of the Leonardo section of Middletown Sgt. Anthony Alleva, Army, and Pfc. Robert P. Bergstrom, Army; Hazlet residents Pfc.. John C. Baeder, Army; Cpl. Kenneth R. Fischer, Marines; Sgt. John C. Morfit, Army; Spc. 4 George M. Pulizzano, Army; and Chief Master Sgt. John Sefel, Air Force. Holmdel residents Cpl. Richard A. Bergen, Marines; Sgt. John H. Flemer, Army; Spc. 5 Thomas Ford, Army; and Petty Officer 2nd Class Herman T. Jew, Navy. Residents of the Lincroft section of Middletown are Pfc. Pasquale M. Berzito, Army, and Seaman John M. O’Keefe, Navy. Matawan residents Spc. 4 William J. Campbell, Army; Staff Sgt. James T. Maroney, Air Force; Sgt. Donald M. Montuori, Army; Petty Officer 3rd Class Stanley J. Szczepaniak, Navy; and Lt. Joseph S. Wallace, Navy. New Monmouth, section of Middletown, resident Sgt. Thomas P. Carroll, Marines. Aberdeen resident Spc. 5 Michael A. Dipreta, Army. Belford, section of Middletown, residents Sgt. Edward Dunn, Army, and Spc. 4 John J. Jordan, Army. Keyport residents Cpl. Thomas G. Hoff, Marines; Cpl. Thomas J. Kuchinski, Marines; and Maj. Frank W. Lawson, Army. West Keansburg, section of Hazlet, resident Spc. 4 Gerald C. Pflug, Army. Port Monmouth, section of Middletown, residents Spc. 4 John R. Szalinski, Army; Spc. 4 Stephen Torres, Army; and Chief Petty Officer Robert W. Wilson, Navy. Local veterans who will receive the Distinguished Service Medal are: Sgt. Angelo J. Cinquegrana, Army, Korean War, and Technical Sgt. Donald M. Optz, Marines, Korean War, both Hazlet; Holmdel resident Pfc. David Cohen, Army, World War II; and Matawan resident Ship Fitter 2nd Class Fred H. Remer, Navy, World War II. Also, Keyport resident Pfc. John F. Jankovich (posthumous), Army, World War II, DSM with oak leaf cluster; Cpl. William J. Mack, Port Monmouth, Army, Korean War; Pfc. George J. Melyan, Keyport, Army, Korean War; and Belford resident Technician 5th Grade Stanley J. Urbine, Army, World War II. Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal are: Pfc. Donald G. Barbuscia, Army, Korean War, Lincroft; and Matawan residents Seaman 1st Class Florindo P. Gonzalez (posthumous), Navy, World War II; Pvt. Patrick J. McNamee (posthumous), Marines, World War II; Cpl. Thomas H. Peterfesa, Army, World War II; and Petty Officer 3rd Class Stanley J. Sczepaniak, Navy, Vietnam. Also, Middletown resident Cpl. Leo J. Lechtanski (posthumous), Army, Korean War; Holmdel resident Cpl. Stelianos G. Papadam, Navy, World War II; Hazlet resident Aviation Machinist Mate 3rd Class George Poosikian, Navy, World War II; and Aberdeen residents Cpl. Peter S. Mancuso, Army, World War II, and Pfc. George Shapiro, Army, Korean War. Anyone interested in applying for the New Jersey Vietnam Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal or the Meritorious Service Medal should write to the N.J. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Attn: Kathy Burek, P.O. Box 340, Trenton 08625-0340, and include the veteran’s full name, a home address and daytime telephone number; or e-mail [email protected]; or call (800) 624-0508, and press 7. Posthumous awards can be awarded; the application must be made by the surviving spouse or immediate family member.