NEW JERSEY VIETNAM VETERANS’ MEMORIAL FOUNDATION HONORS POW/MIA GOLD STAR MOTHERS SEPTEMBER 16

The ceremony on September 16 will remember those missing in action, those returned and those still unaccounted for from our nation’s wars.

Holmdel, NJ (September 9, 2016) – The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Foundation will hold its annual POW/MIA Gold Star Mothers Recognition Day Ceremony on Friday, September 16, 2016 at 11 a.m. at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, 1 Memorial Lane, Holmdel, NJ, on the grounds of the PNC Bank Arts Center. The ceremony will honor America’s prisoners of war, those missing in action, those returned and those still unaccounted for from our nation’s wars.

Judith Tapper, President of New Jersey Gold Star Mothers, will be the guest speaker at the event. Judith lost her son, Navy Seal David Tapper, in Afghanistan in 2003.

The Gold Star Mothers provide support to American mothers who have lost children in the line of duty of the United States Armed Forces. They focus on providing emotional support to their members, volunteering with veterans and veteran’s hospitals, and fostering patriotism and respect for members of the Armed Forces. September 25, 2016 is National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Gold Star Mothers Day is the last Sunday of September.

Ken and Helen Gurbisz, who lost their son Jim in 2005 in Iraq, have been extremely active in the Gold Star Mothers organization and worked to erect a Gold Star Family Monument at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial. The monument was dedicated September, 29, 2015.

“People don’t realize what happens when you suddenly lose a family member,” said Ken. “It’s important for all groups to bring attention to this for those who have suffered this tremendous loss.”

The POW/MIA Gold Star Mothers Ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Memorial and is open to the public. John Ricker, a Trustee of the Foundation, will lead the ceremony and the color guard will be from the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 12. Chaplain Joe Formola will give the invocation and benediction. Wreaths will be laid at the Memorial by various organizations.

Museum admission is free for all visitors on September 16. The museum is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial off the Garden State Parkway at exit 116 in Holmdel, N.J. The museum was recently renovated with an update to the sepia mural, a timeline featuring iconic people and events that formed the fabric of America during the tumultuous Vietnam Era. Thanks to Governor Christie Todd Whitman, and her late husband John, as well as the NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Foundation was able to replace the 20-year-old faded timeline with new technology that will last for 100 years.

The memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is free to visit. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the Memorial or Museum, please call 732- 335-0033 or visit www.njvvmf.org.

Vietnam Veteran Wins Local Phase Of National Writing Competition

For Immediate Release:
6/23/15

Carl Burns

Holmdel, N.J. (June 23, 2015) — Carl Burns, a Vietnam veteran residing in Manalapan, N.J. won first place in the New Jersey Veterans Administration local phase of the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. His essay, “Hangar Crew,” tells the story of a group of veterans who came together to restore a Bell-UH-1D helicopter (“Huey”), left in a field in New Jersey for 20 years, forgotten by time. The essay has moved on to the national portion of the competition. The winner will be announced at the end of June.

“I wrote this for the guys, it’s not for me,” said Carl. “That’s what makes it so special.”

Carl tells the unlikely story of the restoration of the helicopter, a “hunk of metal with broken windshields and missing parts.” The Huey eventually found a home, mounted and displayed at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Holmdel.

For 14 months, a group of veterans from Vietnam and Afghanistan, along with the occasional visit from grandsons, daughters and others, met each Monday, painstakingly and lovingly restoring the once forgotten piece of machinery that was such an important part of Carl’s life story.

“Once we got the helicopter, we never got a ‘no’ from anyone,” said Carl. “Needed parts magically showed up. No contractor or supplier said no to our requests.”

“Vietnam was full of the good, the bad and the ugly,” said Carl. “This is nothing but the good.”

Carl is no stranger to writing. “Centaurs in Vietnam: Untold Stories of the First Year,” was published in 2008 and is full of tales from Carl’s first year in Vietnam as an air cavalry helicopter pilot and the troop based at Cu Chi.

The Huey became the symbol of U.S. combat forces in Vietnam. In country, more than 12,000 helicopters served alongside our troops. The 7,000 Hueys that served flew 9,713,762 hours. At home, millions watched them fly on nightly news reports. The Huey is an iconic image of the Vietnam Era and a fitting display at the Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center.

The restored Huey was dedicated on May 7, 2014, the helicopter’s 50th birthday. It is a fitting tribute to all who have served our country, as well as a unique and historically important teaching tool for the thousands of students and visitors who experience the Memorial and Museum each year.

Interested in seeing the newly-restored Huey? Visit at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Museum on the grounds of the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey. Free, guided tours of the memorial are offered the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tours are also available by request. Visit www.njvvmf.org for more information.

For a $350 donation, a personal message can be engraved on one of the pavers within the Plaza. Each personal message is a maximum of 3 lines with 14 characters per line. Proceeds from paver sales support programming at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center. For more information, call (732) 335-0033.

About New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation

The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation offers a meaningful and engaging experience that recognizes the sacrifice, courage and valor of Vietnam Veterans and encourages and fosters a thorough understanding of the Vietnam Era including the political, historical, social, cultural and military aspects, which affected the United States, and especially New Jersey.

The Foundation operates and manages the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial and the adjacent Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center located at 1 Memorial Lane off Exit 116 (PNC Bank Arts Center) in Holmdel, NJ. The Memorial honors all those who served our country and state during the Vietnam War, especially the 1,563 New Jerseyans who did not return home. It is a powerful and fitting tribute to their sacrifice. The Memorial is open 24 hours, seven days a week. The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center is the first educational center and museum of its kind in the United States. Dedicated in September 1998, the Museum is devoted solely to gaining an understanding of the conflict in Southeast Asia and the surrounding political strife in America. For hours and directions, visit www.njvvmf.org.

SEVENTH ANNUAL ‘RUN WITH DENNIS’ SET FOR NOVEMBER 4th To Include Second Annual One-Mile Youth Run Proceeds to Benefit Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund

Red Bank & Holmdel, NJ (Friday, October 5, 2012) -- The seventh annual Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial 3.5-mile run and 2.0 mile walk is slated for Sunday, November 4, 2012 (rain or shine) at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ.  Race registration begins at 7:45 AM, followed by an opening ceremony at 8:50 AM, and the start of the race is slated for 10:00 AM.

All proceeds will benefit the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund, which sponsors programs for injured soldiers and scholarships for students attending Christian Brother’s Academy in Lincroft, NJ.

Participants can now also join in a run clinic to be held at RoadRunner Sports, 490 Broad Street, Shrewsbury, NJ on Wednesday, October 24 from 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM.  Participants are advised to bring a Run flyer or tell the clerk they are there for the Run with Dennis. There will also be a race package pickup at RoadRunner Sports scheduled for October 30 from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.  Participants will be able to pick up their bibs and shirts prior to the day of the race.

Funds raised by over 1,200 participants and generous corporate and individual sponsors in 2011 were donated to: Underwater Warriors, Inc.; The Fisher House; a presentation of four hand-crank bikes to our wounded warriors; scholarships for Christian Brother’s Academy; a donation to LCPL Adrian Simone, US Marine Corps and NJ resident; Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon for KIA bracelets; Honor and Remember flags for 12 NJ Gold Star Moms; Jersey Shore Marines and AMP Surf; 1,000 pounds of dog supplies for military working dogs in Afghanistan; the funding of school and care packages to the troops in Afghanistan, and providing four wounded warriors suffering with PTSD and TBI injuries with service dogs.

Different sponsorship levels and registration information for this year’s event can be found at www.runwithdennis.org or by emailingrunwithdennis@yahoo.com.  Cash donations, as well as in-kind sponsorships for items such as water, beverages, fruit, printing, banners, etc. are needed.  Sponsorships must be received by October 31 for print recognition.

This year’s sponsors include: Investors Savings Bank, Timothy 6:17 Foundation, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, The Dardin Fund, Howell Township PBA, Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Tort family.

About the Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski II Memorial Fund:

The Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski, II Memorial was created and founded in 2006 in order to honor Lt. Zilinski’s memory and spirit for life.  All proceeds raised on behalf of the fund are used to support programs that assist our wounded soldiers and their families, and to provide scholarships in Dennis’ name to his alma mater, Christian Brothers Academy.  The Fund strives to improve the morale and welfare of members of the United States Armed Forces and their families and provides scholarships that invest in the future of high school students who embody the leadership qualities and community spirit of Lt. Zilinski.

For more information including sponsorship opportunities and race registration please visit: www.runwithdennis.org. 

Additional donations may be sent to: Lt. Dennis W. Zilinski Memorial Fund, PO Box 35, Holmdel, NJ 07733.