If you are near the Morris County Courthouse at noon on May 23, stop by for ceremonies honoring several area veterans.
The keynote speaker is Montville resident Landi Simone. Her son, Marine Lance Corporal Adrian Simone, lost the lower portion of both legs from an explosion of an IED while he was serving in Afghanistan last year.
Medals for distinguished military service also will be presented by the Morris County freeholders to these veterans:
FROM THE MORRIS COUNTY FREEHOLDERS:
RICHARD BARRY (Hackettstown)
Richard Barry was born in Morris Plains into a family of 15, six of them Marines. He served in the Marine Corps between 1960 and 1964. In 2001 he joined Rolling Thunder, New Jersey Chapter 3, which is a non-profit organization that promotes POW/MIA awareness programs and supports veterans from all wars. He speaks at school programs about the organization’s purpose. He is also chairman of “Trikes 4 Vets,” a project to build three wheeled motorcycles that are equipped for a veteran who has lost the use of a limb or limbs while deployed in U. S. service. Mr. Barry is a past Commander of American Legion Post 164 and a member of a band that travels to veterans’ events and programs at VA Hospitals to bring some cheer to veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Mr. Barry received the Legion of Honor Award presented by the Chapel of Four Chaplains, an organization that advocates for cultural harmony and religious tolerance. The organization was formed as a result of four clergy who gave their lives to save soldiers aboard the United States Army Transport ship Dorchester sunk in WWII by a German U-boat.
KEITH G. BYARD
Keith Byard of Chatham enlisted in the Marines in 1981 with the intention of becoming one of the world’s finest fighting men. After infantry training he was assigned to the 1st Marine Division. An excellent high school wrestler, he made the Marine’s base team and went on to win the All Navy South Pacific Championship. He also made the All Marine Wrestling Team at Quantico, Virginia, and that squad won five U.S. Open National Championship titles. Mr. BYARD and his teammates traveled throughout the United States and the world as ambassadors of the Marine Corps. After leaving the Marines, he decided to utilize his skills to help others reach their optimum health. He conducted large group exercise events to raise money for causes such as AIDS, cancer and the Special Olympics. He volunteers as a coach at his former middle and high schools, and his fitness and positive attitude provide an exemplary role model for students to follow.
RICHARD W. EASTMAN, JR.
Richard Eastman was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the U.S. Army in 1964. He completed his training at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland and graduated from the Army’s Ordnance Guided Missile School in Alabama. His army reserve duty included service as a computer systems officer and support command with the Pentagon. He returned as a Lieutenant Colonel. His volunteer activities are a result of his awareness of the needs of post WW II veterans in need of housing. His father was a military policeman who served under General MacArthur in Japan. Following the war, there was a shortage of housing for returning troops so his family first lived on a houseboat and then became beneficiaries of the New Jersey veterans housing program. A Morristown resident, Mr. Eastman’s volunteer activities include chairing the NJ National Guard State Family Readiness Council, which supports military families; NJ Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army; Morris County Support to Military Families; the county’s Disaster Recovery Committee; Educational Outreach Programs with an emphasis on building peace through learning; and volunteering with the Bickford Theater Advisory Committee.
DAVID STRACENER
David Stracener is a Marine Staff Sergeant stationed at Picatinny Arsenal. He is an inspector instructor who makes sure that reserve units throughout NJ and the rest of the nation are in compliance with military orders. This position is assigned only to Marines who have excelled in various duty stations. He also coordinates the Toys for Tots campaign, which raised more than $140,000 in donations to help needy children during the Christmas holiday. Sgt. Stracener’s coordinates the Toys for Tots campaign that distributes toys throughout 7 counties, including Morris.
FREDRICK J. WIEDENMANN
Staff Sergeant Frederick Wiedenmann is also stationed at Picatinny Arsenal. He is an administrative chief who interprets military orders to ensure that all Marine Reserve units are in compliance with same. It is a very specialized area and given only to those marines who have demonstrated skill in legal matters. Staff Sgt. Wiedenmann volunteers his time assisting the Toys for Tots program by buying toys which are then distributed to needy youngsters during the Christmas season. He says his goal is to deliver a message of hope, which will in turn aid in building the youngsters’ self-esteem. Over the 62 years of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, Marines have distributed more than 400 million toys to over 188 million needy children.
WILLIAM S. BLAHER (Flemington)
William Blaher was sent to France on December 7, 1944, and was attached to the 106th Infantry Division. The Battle of the Bulge began on December 16 that year, and three days later, 7,000 of his division were captured by German forces and sent to various concentration camps all over Europe.
He was liberated in April 1945 and remembers all too well the horrors of being a prisoner of war. He left camp weighing only 100 lbs., suffering from dysentery and numerous other ailments. His history has been recorded in the “Oral History Program” at Rutgers University.
Today Mr. Blaher volunteers his time with a POW support Group at Lyons Veterans Hospital. There, he helps other military personnel suffering from the stress of being captured. He speaks to student groups about the war and asks that they give back to their country. He also participates on a regular basis in Battle of the Bulge meetings at Picatinny Arsenal.
LAWRENCE E. OPPEL
Lawrence Oppel joined the Navy in 1963 and participated in several conflicts including those in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. After his discharge he joined the Bernays Apgar American Legion Post and over the next 46 years served in numerous leadership positions with the posts including Commander. He is also a volunteer with the Long Valley Fire Department and has been secretary of the Fireman’s Relief Association for the past 20 years. In May 1979 he, along with other Vietnam veterans, was awarded the Outstanding Community Achievement Award from the President Jimmy Carter. In 2005 Mr. Oppel was part of a committee that worked to bring back the remains of local veteran Sergeant Larry Maysey, who had been killed in action in November 1967 during the Vietnam War while flying a rescue mission over Laos. His remains were recently found and his friends from high school raised funds and erected a bronze likeness of him in his home town of Chester. The memorial is dedicated to not only Sgt. Maysey, but to all those from Chester who died in that war.
JERMAINE DUNHAM (Picatinny Arsenal)
Captain Jermaine Dunham joined the Marine Corps in 1991, and served in the Marine Reserves until 2001 as a field artillery scout or forward observer. He was commissioned in the Army in 2002 and was sent to Iraq as a platoon leader. In 2007 he became the company commander and his unit supported efforts in Iraq, Croatia and Romania. He was involved in an accident in June 2009 that almost resulted in the loss of his right hand. After about a year of rehab Captain Dunham attended a course offered by the military on business planning. He enjoyed it so much that he requested a transfer into the Acquisition Corps for business administration. This is the management and procurement process that deals with our nation’s investments in technologies, programs and products to achieve our national security. As an example, the Manhattan Project involved more than 130,000 people at a cost of $24 billion. Captain Dunham now raises funds for many local and national military organizations, and he also volunteers as a mentor to children who have a mother or father on active duty.
VINSON MORRIS (Picatinny Arsenal)
After earning a BS degree from Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky, Major Vinson Morris completed infantry officer training and ranger school at Ft. Benning. He was assigned to the 2nd battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He was deployed to Afghanistan where he served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Growing up in South Carolina, he did a great deal of hunting and fishing as a child. Drawing on that background, he decided to start a program at Picatinny Arsenal for veterans who were wounded and disabled in the current conflict, but who wanted to continue their outdoor activities as hunters and fisherman. With the support and guidance of General Jonathan Maddux and Lieutenant Colonel Charles Koehler, he was able to start a ‘Hunters Helping Heroes’ program for disabled vets, designed to provide them with outdoor recreation opportunities. Local businesses such as Home Depot assisted and provided materials to construct facilities needed to support the outdoor activities.
JAMES B. SMITH
James Smith grew up in Dover…joined the Army in 1977…and was assigned to the Naval Explosive Ordnance School in Indian Head, MD. His military service took him to Korea; Washington, D.C.; Giessen, Germany; Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and Picatinny Arsenal before retiring after 20 years. He participated in a number of task forces in countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Ethiopia and Kuwait. Mr. Smith is currently the Commander of American Legion Post 91 in Wharton. This post raises approximately $50,000 to support local soldiers in need, military support programs, scholarships and New Jersey Boys State. He has volunteered with the Wounded Warrior Fund, Toys for Tots and numerous other veterans programs. His American Legion Post 91 also provides needed transportation and assistance to veterans throughout the family assistance process.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHARLES H. KOEHLER
Lieutenant Colonel Koehler’s medal will be accepted by Lieutenant Colonel John M. Thane, Picatinny Military Deputy. He is accompanied Sgt. Major Dewey L. Blake Jr., serving as Picatinny’s Garrison Command Sgt. Major.
Lieutenant Colonel Charles “Herb” Koehler is a 1992 distinguished military graduate from Ohio University. He has served as a platoon leader, company commander, battalion operations officer and most recently the Executive Assistant to the Director of Defense Logistics Agency. He is currently Commander of the U.S. Army Garrison at Picatinny Arsenal. He has been honored with the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Unit Citation and the Honorary Order of Saint Christopher. Lieutenant Colonel Koehler is an active member of the community, and he is a member of Leadership Morris and the Army Emergency Relief Campaign. He is a supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project and is often heard on radio talk shows and at schools and community events discussing issues regarding military life.
JOSEPH LEAL
Joseph Leal enlisted in the Marines on June 29, 1959, and was attached to the 2nd Marine Division. He served during the Cuban Missile Crisis while aboard the USS Mulipen. After his honorable discharged he went to work with the United States Postal Service, where he spent 20 years. Since 1995 he has been actively involved with Freemasonry and their charitable work. In 2002 he was president of this organization, which raised money for 22 hospitals that help children with burn and spinal problems. Mr Leal, a Morris Plains resident, is legally blind and a member of the Blind Veterans Association. As such, he volunteers his time at Lyons Veterans Hospital training visually impaired veterans how to function in their daily lives. In April of this year he and the Blind Veterans Association sponsored a “White Cane Day,” to reach out to veterans experiencing visual problems.
KEVIN M. HILTON
Kevin Hilton of Florham Park joined the National Guard in 2003 and was deployed once to Iraq and once to Kuwait. He is subject to recall. While in Kuwait he volunteered with the Catholic Church as a music minister. Between deployments and while back here in the United States, he volunteered to assist the National Guard in patrolling the U.S. Border between Mexico and the state of New Mexico. His other volunteer work while in the service was recognized by his being awarded the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. He volunteers as an EMT in Florham Park, and being a former Eagle Scout, he remains active with the Boy Scouts as an advisor. Sgt. Hilton will remain with the National Guard until his enlistment runs out in November, and he is beginning a new career with the Phillips Companies.
