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Freeholders honor area vets in annual recognition ceremony
Harold Latourette, Jr., of Washington, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War, receives the Warren County Distinguished Military Service Medal from Freeholder Director John DiMaio as Freeholders Richard D. Gardner and Everett A. Chamberlain prepare to present him with a commemorative pin and certificate during the county’s sixth Veterans Recognition Ceremony.
Freeholders honor area vets in annual recognition ceremony
Representatives from every branch of the U.S. Military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and even the Merchant Marine – were honored for wartime service during this year’s Warren County Veterans Recognition Ceremony.
The Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders paid tribute to a total of 72 veterans in the sixth public ceremony held at the Warren County War Memorial next to the Courthouse. Despite the threatening skies and a downpour at the beginning of the ceremony, 39 of those veterans were present or represented by family members to receive the county’s Distinguished Military Service award.
In all, 1,737 veterans from Warren County who served during wartime, from World War I through to the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, have been honored with the medal, a commemorative pin and a certificate from the freeholders. Those unable to attend the ceremony are receiving the award by mail.
“Thank you very much for your service. This medal and this certificate that we offer is just a small token of our appreciation for what you sacrificed for our country,” Freeholder Director John DiMaio told the veterans.
“I’m just delighted to be here today to congratulate each and every one of you who has given selflessly,” Freeholder Richard D. Gardner said, praising each veteran’s “commitment to our freedom in this part of the world.”
Gardner noted that it is not by happenstance that the United States has not been attacked again since Sept. 11, 2001. There are people trying to strike at this nation, Gardner said, “but it has not come to fruition, because of the United States military.”
All three freeholders noted that the efforts of those who served should never be forgotten or taken for granted.
“This program allows the freeholder board on behalf of all the residents of the county to say ‘thank you’ for your courage, your commitment and your dedication,” Freeholder Everett A. Chamberlain said.
“We deeply appreciate it because your sacrifices, your commitment and your service to this country have protected our freedoms, and too many of our residents of this country take those freedoms very lightly,” Chamberlain said, adding, “We as a freeholder board do not. We understand how precious they are, and how much you have committed to defending those rights we have here in this country, and we deeply appreciate it.”
One of the speakers during the ceremony, Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow, urged veterans to share the stories about their time in the service with their families, so that younger generations learn of the sacrifices made to secure our freedoms.
“I know a lot of you carry scars with you that you don’t want to talk about,” Karrow said, relating that in her own family, “My dad never told us any of the bad stuff. He only chose to tell us the funny stories, about the C Rations, about his buddies, about his captain, his major.”
“I know that’s hard,” she continued, “But it’s important that you share something, whether it’s the good stuff or the bad stuff, so that your children and your grandchildren know to put their hands on their hearts for Taps, they know that they’re supposed to salute the flag, whether it’s the Star-Spangled Banner or when the color guard comes in.”
The ceremony opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Shovkat Scott, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 146, White Township; an invocation by Warren County War Memorial Corporation Trustee Leo Becker; and the National Anthem led by soloist Caleb Dean of Belvidere. War Memorial Corporation President Dennis Smith and Vice President Terry Lee, who served as master of ceremonies, also spoke, and War Memorial Corporation members assisted the freeholders in presenting the awards to the veterans.
War Memorial trustees and members of the Warren-Sussex Great War Association in period military garb from the Revolutionary War and World War I provided an honor guard.
Taylor Rental Center of Washington donated the chairs used for the program and Gro-Rite Inc. of White Township loaned plants and flowers to decorate the War Memorial plaza, while all veterans attending received goodie bags with items donated by PNC Bank of Belvidere.
The Warren County Veterans Recognition Program began in 2004 and is conducted by the freeholders with assistance from the Warren County War Memorial Corporation and the county Public Information Department. Applications for recognition are accepted year-round, and can be obtained from the Public Information Department by calling 908-475-6580. The application also is available to download from the county website, www.co.warren.nj.us.
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