NEW JERSEY VIETNAM VETERANS’ MEMORIAL FOUNDATION HONORS MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS WITH VETERANS DAY CEREMONY

For Immediate Release:
11/4/16

Ceremony Special Guest and Keynote Speaker Steven Fulop, Mayor of Jersey City.

Holmdel, NJ (November 4, 2016) - The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation will host its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday, November 11 at the Memorial, 1 Memorial Lane, Holmdel, NJ. The event is open to the public, Veterans, and their families.

Organizations from throughout the State will lay wreaths as part of the ceremony honoring veterans.

Executive Director, Bill Linderman, announced Mayor Steven Fulop as the keynote speaker at this year’s ceremony, “The Foundation is pleased to have Mayor Fulop address our Veterans Day attendees. As a veteran of the Iraq War and a public servant, he’s got an important perspective and we’re looking forward to his message.”

Steven Michael Fulop was elected the 49th Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey on May 14, 2013. He is routinely hailed as a ‘smart, progressive leader’, responsible for making Jersey City the first city in the state -- and the 6th in the country -- to ensure paid sick leave. Fulop is also credited with passing legislation that encourages small business development, public safety reform and promoting green building and diversity through practical, sustainable policy.

The son of Romanian immigrants, Steven grew up in a Jewish family living in Edison, New Jersey. He graduated from Binghamton University in 1999, and after graduation worked for Goldman Sachs in both their Chicago and Manhattan offices. Steven was working in lower Manhattan on the morning of September 11, 2001.

A few weeks after seeing the first plane strike the Twin Towers, Fulop took a leave from Goldman Sachs and joined the United States Marine Corps. He was deployed to Iraq in January 2003 and served as part of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion, completing his service in 2006 with the rank of Corporal.

After his service in Iraq, Steven returned to banking, earned his MBA and entered politics, serving on the Jersey City Council for eight years before being elected Mayor.

In Memory Program: Veterans from Across New Jersey Honored

Each year during the Veterans Day ceremony, five Veterans are inducted into the Foundation’s In-Memory Program, a special recognition that honors those who served and later died as a result of complications from their Tour. This year’s inductees include: Ralph C. DeJulia of Saddle Brook, Richard Hatem of Wall, Richard Tuttle of Elizabeth, Martin Vaccaro, Jr. of Allenhurst, and Robert Vecchio of Hillsborough.

About Veterans Day

There are approximately 20 million veterans living in the United States, men and women from every state and territory who served honorably in their nation’s armed forces. Veterans Day honors all veterans, whether living or deceased. Across the nation and in every community, it is an opportunity to give special thanks and show support for those who have defended and protected our nation, often at great personal sacrifice.

Initially established as Armistice Day, it commemorated the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI. After the end of World War II and the Korean War, this national day of celebration was renamed Veterans Day by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Five Star General in the US Army, to honor American veterans of all wars. Veterans Day is always celebrated on the 11th day of November, and in 2001, Congress passed a resolution that designated the week of November 11 National Veterans Awareness Week.

About New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation

The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation oversees the operation of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center. The Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Museum and Educational Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Memorial is a fitting tribute to the valor displayed by New Jersey residents who never returned from Southeast Asia. It commemorates the courage shown by all who served and continue to serve in America’s Armed Forces. Its companion project, the Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center, is a respected, national resource that presents factual and unbiased information about the Era.

The Memorial and the Museum and Educational Center attract visitors from across New Jersey, the US and from around the world. Compelling exhibits present a balanced perspective into the politics, personalities and the domestic and international policies that shaped -- and were shaped by -- this remarkable era in global history. School students, community groups, citizens from all walks of life, and especially veterans and their families, all are welcomed by a staff of dedicated professionals and volunteers working together to provide visitors with a moving and memorable experience.

For more information, visit www.njvvmf.org.

Anthrax, Now Ricin

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

You no doubt remember the atmosphere of fear and even panic in mid-September 2001 as 22 people contracted anthrax from letters mailed to news outlets and to Congress. People died then – two postal employees and three other innocent citizens. Those troubling days returned to my mind last week when we learned that the deadly poison ricin had been found in letters mailed to the Senate and to President Obama. Fortunately, no one has died this time.

The manner in which these letters were discovered shows that our nation has, at least, learned one lesson from the anthrax attacks: Both letters were opened and tested in off-site mail facilities set up after the anthrax attacks. Yet I am troubled that other lessons remain unlearned.

How could the FBI have responded more appropriately in the immediate aftermath of the anthrax attacks? Did the FBI truly build a sound scientific and criminal case against Bruce Ivins, the suspect held responsible for the attacks? Is the government’s current response to the ricin attacks repeating errors of the past?

I have previously offered legislation that would create a special commission, modeled after the 9/11 Commission, to investigate the anthrax attacks and determine what lessons we can learn still. As last week’s poisoned mailings demonstrate, the need for answers remains.

For security reasons, all letters sent to Congress since 2001 undergo intensive screening that can take days or weeks to complete. Should you ever wish to contact me, please feel free to e-mail me at holt.house.gov/contact to ensure your message reaches me without delay.

See Work From 100+ High School Artists on Tuesday

On Tuesday evening, I will showcase more than 100 outstanding artworks entered into the Congressional Art Competition by high school students from all over the four counties of the 12th Congressional District. I invite you to attend to view the artworks and to see the announcement of this year’s winners.

Tuesday, April 30, 6 p.m.
Imperia Banquet Center
1714 Easton Avenue
Somerset, New Jersey

As a member of the Congressional Arts Caucus, I will continue to do all I can to maintain strong federal support for the arts and arts education.

Learn About Our Nation’s Military Academies

America’s military service academies provide a four-year college education, with full scholarship, to young men and women who pledge to serve as the next generation of leaders in the U.S. military services.

On Sunday, May 5, I will host an Academy Day for high school and middle school students and their families to learn more about the U.S. military service academies. Presentations will be offered by the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Military Academy, and U.S. Naval Academy.

Sunday, May 5, 1:00 p.m.
Ewing Township Municipal Building
2 Jake Garzio Drive (off of Upper Ferry Road)
Ewing, New Jersey

Seating is limited, so please RSVP to Scotia.MacRae@mail.house.gov with your name, grade, and school. For more information, please call 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658), or visit the Academy Nominations section of my website to see the procedures that applied for the applicants last fall. This year’s procedures will be similar.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress