The Ocean County Veterans Day parade on Nov. 12 will be led by two grand marshals who are Toms River residents.
The parade will begin at 9:45 a.m. in downtown Toms River.
The veterans who will lead the parade are Sgt. Richard Monticello and Capt. Peter Hartman. They were announced as grand marshals at the Oct. 23 meeting of the Toms River Township Council.
“Each year in January we start looking for candidates. I have 13 members of the Veterans Commission. We vote on the best candidates for the year and this year we selected Sgt. Richard Monticello and Capt. Peter Hartman,” said Bob Larned, who chairs the Veterans Commission.
“Sgt. Monticello and Capt. Hartman are really good people, patriots for sure. They both were willing to make the sacrifice to serve in combat. They are just outstanding citizens,” Larned said.
Mayor Thomas Kelaher said, “These two men are the perfect embodiment of the legacy of service our military shares.”
He said as Americans, it is the nation’s duty to honor and thank its veterans every day.
“These two grand marshals are exemplary individuals who will lead hundreds of veterans, civic groups and musical bands at this very meaningful event,” Kelaher said.
According to information provided by the Veterans Commission, Monticello graduated from Toms River High School East. He went on to serve in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of sergeant. He completed an overseas deployment in Egypt and assisted allied units in the Sinai desert.
Monticello is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he received a master’s in policy management in public policy. Since 2007, Monticello has served as the Resident Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Defense for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).
During his service, Monticello received the Parachutist badge, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal and the Dutch Army light machine gun marksmanship badge.
Hartman graduated from Penn State University and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1969, according to information provided by the Veterans Commission.
In 1973, Hartman flew 12 combat missions as an F-4 pilot in Cambodia. He has also flown in Taiwan and South Korea. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1974. Hartman has resided in Toms River since 1974.