NORTH BRUNSWICK – The Township of North Brunswick resumed its veterans street naming program on Aug. 27, marking Linwood Place and Cleremont Avenue with a secondary sign for Luczu Way, and Fillmore Drive and Spruce Road with a secondary sign for Seckrettar Way.
Louis Joseph Luczu was born on July 30, 1946, in New Brunswick. He graduated Rutgers University in Army ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1969, with a Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture. He completed an Engineer Officer Course in Virginia and was stationed there as an instructor at the U.S. Army Engineer School where he rose to master instructor, according to a proclamation read in his honor.
Luczu volunteered for the Vietnam War and served with the 92nd Engineer Battalion, 815th Engineer Battalion and the Engineer Region, Military Region III. As a first lieutenant, he was in charge of a carpentry shop, construction platoon, a high voltage team, a maintenance group, a road maintenance team, and a large construction materials supply yard.
As the war was ending, he was responsible for the largest Army installation in the Republic of Vietnam. His last duty station was at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He was the intelligence officer where he monitored all security operations including security clearances, according to the statement. In Battalion S-4 Supply and Logistics, he was in charge of all supply ordering and maintaining operational readiness levels as well as supporting the Mobile Bridge Company and training schedule.
Luczu was honorably discharged on Sept. 15, 1975. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with four stars, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal 1st Class, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Device, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal with Palm Device and the New Jersey Vietnam Service Medal.
Luczu worked for IBM and GE and retired from the Middlesex County Engineers Office in 2014. He is married to Susan and they have three children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Also honored the same evening was the late Louis Luczu Jr., who was born on Dec. 7, 1919, in Newark.
Luczu Jr. entered the U.S. Army in March 1942. He trained in Fort Dix, New Jersey and Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. He was part of the 506th Ordinance Company Heavy Maintenance who were sent overseas and around the world on a mission that lasted 110 days, according to his proclamation.
After Pearl Harbor was attacked, the company, which consisted of machinists, small arms repair, tank and truck mechanics, medics and a doctor, headed to the Persian Gulf. Their mission was unloading crates, feeding the assembly lines and assembling vehicles. They headed for Russia, Iran, France, then into Belgium and Germany, crossing the Rhine River at Remagan. When reaching their destination, some did guard duty while others went house to house looking for ammunition and small arms, according to the proclamation.
Luczu Jr. was honorably discharged from Fort Monmouth on Nov. 24, 1945. He earned the Central Europe & Rhineland Medal with two Battle Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, Occupation of Germany Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Medal and the 40th and 50th Anniversary of The Great Victory Medals from USSR by President Boris Yeltsin.
Luczu Jr. worked for Studebaker Cars on Livingston Avenue in North Brunswick after returning from World War II. He then went to work for Princeton University as a tool and die maker where he retired.
Luczu Jr. married the late Julia Varga and together they have one child, Louis J., who is married to Susan. They also have three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great, great-grandchild. He passed away in January of 2015.
The late John G. Seckrettar Jr. was also recognized on Aug. 27. He was born on Nov. 13, 1928, in Perth Amboy, living in Somerset before moving to North Brunswick in 1953.
Seckrettar served in the U.S. Navy from September 1950 through July 1954. He served on the USS Wright as an armament installer in the Korean War and was recommended for reenlistment. He completed firefighting, bombs and fuses and 20mm courses while serving in the Navy, according to his proclamation.
He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal with European Clasp and the Good Conduct Medal.
After returning from war, he started Seckrettar Brothers Inc. and worked in the construction business for many years. He later went to work for the North Brunswick Board of Education as a carpenter. In 1981 he was appointed by Mayor Paul Matacera as North Brunswick’s first code enforcement officer. He worked in that position until his death on Dec. 12, 1991.
Seckrettar lived in North Brunswick for 38 years and was married to Gloria, who passed away in 2015. They have three children, Jeffrey, John and Michael. They also have two grandchildren, Brian and Jennifer, and three great-grandchildren, Ryan, Luke and River.