(BELVIDERE, NJ, May 30, 2009) – They served from the beaches of Normandy to the jungles of Vietnam, from the skies over Italy to the waters of the Pacific Ocean, from the hills of Korea to the mountains of Afghanistan and the dusty towns of Iraq.

Angela Eve Ortiz of Hackettstown, who served with the Air Force in Afghanistan, receives her Distinguished Military Service certificate from Warren County Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain. Also pictured are (l-r) Jack Trimmer of the Warren County War Memorial Corp., and Freeholder Angelo Accetturo.

What they had in common was their bravery and their willingness to serve their country. Now, they also are linked by having received commendation for their service from their home county.

In all, 79 current or former Warren County residents were honored with the Warren County Distinguished Military Service Medal, presented by the Board of Chosen Freeholders during the county’s seventh Veterans Recognition Ceremony.

“As far as I am concerned, Warren County will continue this annual tradition until every veteran of our great county is recognized publicly,” Freeholder Director Richard D. Gardner wrote in a statement read during the ceremony. Gardner, who was unable to attend the ceremony, wrote, “Politicians come and go with all their varied ideologies, but members of the United States Military, past and present, stay true to the foundation of our Constitution, and that is that the United States of America must always remain a sovereign and independent democracy for all. I thank all the veterans and their families for their courage, commitment and sacrifice.”

“It’s very humbling that we have the opportunity to honor you and participate in this ceremony and thank you and your families for the sacrifices and service you have given,” Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain told the veterans among the crowd of about 200 who attended the ceremony, held outdoors at the Warren County War Memorial next to the Courthouse in Belvidere.

“On behalf of the freeholder board, we deeply thank you,” Chamberlain said.
Freeholder Angelo Accetturo, who joined the board this year, noted it was his first time participating in one of the veteran recognition ceremonies that the County started holding in 2004. “This is such a great day to recognize the people of Warren County who have served in the military,” he said, offering his congratulations to every veteran.

Freeholder Angelo Accetturo, along with Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain, thanks Army veteran Pasquale C. Todaro of Phillipsburg, NJ, for his service during World War II.

Warren County launched the Veterans Recognition Program in late 2003 when the freeholders honored the County’s last surviving World War I veteran shortly before his death at age 108. The first public ceremony was held the following June at the War Memorial, and to date, 1,818 veterans who served during wartime have been honored with the County’s Distinguished Military Service Medal, a commemorative pin, and a certificate from the freeholder board.

This year’s ceremony honored wartime veterans, living and deceased, from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, in Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, in Bosnia, and in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

World War II Army veteran Norman S. Cole, Sr., of Easton, Pa., is congratulated by Warren County Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain. Also pictured are (l-r) Leo Becker and Jack Trimmer of the Warren County War Memorial Corp., and Freeholder Angelo Accetturo.

“It’s one of the most moving ceremonies that we do here in the County,” Chamberlain remarked. “It allows us to thank our veterans and their families for all the sacrifices they have given to this county and to this country.”

Also participating in the ceremony were all three state legislators who represent Warren County in Trenton, and members of the Warren County War Memorial Corp., who conduct the recognition program in conjunction with the freeholders.

“Let’s not ever forget about our veterans,” said Terry Lee, Vice President of the War Memorial Corp. and the master of ceremonies for the event.

		Applications are accepted throughout the year for the recognition program, and the next ceremony will be held in the spring of 2010. To be eligible, an honorably discharged veteran must be a current Warren County resident or have been a county resident when he or she entered the military, and have served during wartime. More information about eligibility and applications are available on this website or by calling the Warren County Public Information Department at 800-554-8540.

Karrow added, “I’m so glad that Warren County does this for all of you.” Assemblyman Michael Doherty saluted the veterans groups present, especially those involved in the County’s recognition program, noting, “They came off active duty years ago but they never stopped serving the military and serving our community.”

Doherty, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point who rose to the rank of captain in the Army, told the assembly, “We can all be proud, every American, that the United States military is the one institution that has never failed our country. The U.S. Military has always stepped up to the challenge, has always defended the United States, has always respected the Constitution, and has always kept us free.”

“You’ve done quite a thing. You’ve done something greater than any of us ever in elective office could do,” DiMaio told the veterans. The freedoms we enjoy every day do not survive because of anything that politicians do, DiMaio said, but rather, “it’s because you went out and beat down tyranny and kept us free.”

The following veterans were honored in this year’s ceremony