Veterans Day 2019

Honor a Veteran today

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.

Veterans Day Parade, Sunday, November 6th

From Middletown Public Info:

1pm Bayview School, Leonardville Road

The 59th annual Veterans’ Day Parade begins at 1pm at Bayview School on Leonardville Road. Marchers will proceed through Campbell’s Junction, turning right at Cherry Tree Farm Road, then right at Wilson Avenue and right again at Garrett Place ending at the rear entrance to VFW Post 2179.

The theme of this year’s parade is Welcome Home Brother in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Vietnam War. Refreshments will be served at the VFW facility, 1 Veterans Lane, Port Monmouth immediately following the parade. The parade is sponsored by VFW 2179 and the Township of Middletown.

NOTE:

Municipal Offices Closed Nov. 11
Please note that municipal offices will be closed on Friday, November 11th in observation of Veterans Day. Call 911 for emergencies.

President Obama's Weekly Address 11/14/15: Giving Veterans Their Chance

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week's address, President Obama honored our nation’s veterans, who have served and sacrificed in defense of our country. This past week, Americans came together on Veterans Day to pay tribute to those men and women in uniform who have risked their lives to protect our freedom. In recent years we’ve worked to reduce the veterans’ unemployment rate to 3.9 percent and slash the disability claims backlog at the VA by nearly 90 percent from its peak. But there is still more that can be done. Since day one of his Administration, the President has remained committed to serving the brave men and women who have served us. And in his address, he reminded us that we all have a role to play in ensuring that veterans have the opportunities and support they deserve.

Veterans Day 2015

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” — President John F. Kennedy

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death!” — Sun Tzu

“Our veterans accepted the responsibility to defend America and uphold our values when duty called.”
 — Bill Shuster

"On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free." – Dan Lipinski

Congressman Pallone Statement on Veterans Day 2015

The text of Pallone’s statement follows.

“Just as the military pledges to leave no solider behind on the battlefield, Veterans Day is an opportunity to renew our commitment to leave no veteran behind when they return home. It is an opportunity to renew our commitment to the nation’s nearly 22 million veterans, including more than 30,000 in my Congressional District – and to our current troops and reservists, and their families. We must ensure that their sacrifice to our nation is never forgotten and that they have the tools they need live successful and healthy lives when their services are concluded.

“My father fought for our country during World War II, and I have gained an understanding – from him and many other veterans in my Congressional District – of the successes and challenges of our efforts to support our veterans.

“In many ways, the successes of programs designed to help veterans with the support they deserve – and have earned – are overwhelmingly positive. Thanks to Veterans Affairs, 80,000 veterans avoided foreclosure last year and 2.3 million veterans, service members and spouses are VA home loan participants as of this year. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill we enacted, nearly 1.5 million veterans and their family members have pursued their education.

“Yet, there is still much more to do.

“I am proud to be working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure the Veterans Administration no longer fails our veterans. Among other efforts, it is important that we remove the needless obstacles and complexities in the VA, as well as implement new technology to improve the VA’s health care delivery.

“We must also address the employment of veterans when they come home. Members of the armed forces who defend our safety and freedoms should not have to fight for a job here at home, which is why it is critical that we work to expand job opportunities for returning veterans.

“This day and every day, let us honor the service of our nation’s veterans and pledge to fulfill our commitment to them when they return home.

“To our veterans --- Thank you.”

NJ Vietnam Veterans 11/11 Veterans Day Ceremony

NEW JERSEY VIETNAM VETERANS’ MEMORIAL FOUNDATION TO HOST VETERANS DAY CEREMONY

Holmdel, N.J. (November 3, 2014) – On Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 11:00 a.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation (NJVVMF) will host its annual Veterans Day Ceremony, sponsored by NJM Insurance Group, at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, located at 1 Memorial Lane, Holmdel, N.J. (Garden State Parkway Exit 116 on the grounds of the PNC Arts Center). Veterans, their families and the general public are invited to attend the ceremony.

The Keynote Speaker will be Lieutenant General (Ret.) George Flynn, United States Marine Corps. Lt. Gen Flynn has enjoyed a distinguished career of more than 38 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. While on active duty, Lt. Gen Flynn created the Joint Force Development Directorate at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, managing more than 2,000 people and a $1 billion organization that developed new military operational, concepts, doctrine and training. He supervised all elements of the Combatant Commander exercise program, which provides staff training and evaluates the mission performance of the largest military command organization in the United States. He also developed policy for and provided oversight of all professional military education.

As Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for Combat Development and Integration, Lt. Gen Flynn determined future requirements for all equipment, training, personnel, facilities, and supporting activities of the Marine Corps. His role as the Deputy Commanding General, Multi-National Corps, Iraq, involved leading combat operations and providing direct supervision of support activities of more than 50,000 service members and civilians, while conducting operational planning and execution to enable coalition operations, including extensive interaction with United Kingdom and Coalition Special Operations Forces.

Lt. Gen Flynn supervised and provided oversight, policy and guidance for Marine Corps training as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Training and Education Command. As Chief of Staff, U.S. Special Operations Command, Lt. Gen Flynn supervised all support requirements for a 2,000-person organization, responsible for the planning, direction and financial execution of the headquarters. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has several Masters Degrees in National Security and Strategy, and International Relations.

The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will honor the late Tony Dellanno for his significant work on the design, coordination and construction of the Memorial. His involvement beginning in 1987 was critical to the progress and completion of the Memorial in 1995. A plaque honoring Dellanno will be placed in the lobby of the Vietnam Era Museum.

In Memory Program Inductees
As part of the Veterans Day ceremony, NJVVMF will induct five veterans into its In Memory Program. The In Memory Program is a unique program that honors those who served and died as a result of the war in Vietnam, but whose names are not on the Memorial. Family members will say remarks on their behalf.

The four inductees are: Norman Bernstein, US Army, 12/3/44 – 5/12/09, Lincroft, NJ; Joseph M. Hurley, Jr., US Army, 10/26/46 – 7/20/04, Keansburg, NJ; Walter L. Kudlacik, US Army, 7/26/46 – 10/22/11, Jersey City, NJ; Phillip D. Mecca, US Marine Corps, 6/30/47 – 2/10/10, Union, NJ; Eugene T. Puzio, US Navy, 9/14/48 – 12/6/11, Bridgewater, NJ.

The Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Holmdel, N.J. Musuem hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission is $7 adults; $5 senior citizens and students; and children 10 years of age or younger and veterans and active military personnel are free. The Memorial is free and open to visitors 24 hours daily. For more information, visit www.njvvmf.org or 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. To support the Foundation, visit www.njvvmf.org.

Humbled

he following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

We are always humbled on Veterans Day to recognize that we, as a nation, cannot repay the debt we owe to those who served.  But we can at least honor and commemorate their service.  I was privileged on Monday to present tokens of gratitude to two of our local veterans.

George Scherer of Ewing graduated from Trenton State College in 1965 and was drafted into the Army.  He served in Vietnam as a Crew Chief and Door Gunner on a UH-1C Helicopter Gunship.  He earned seven medals that, because an administrative error, he never received during his service, including a Purple Heart.

William Boyle of Lawrence enlisted on May 6, 1943 in the Bronx as a Construction Machine Operator and served in the 628th Engineer Light Equipment Company.  He earned four medals that he never received during his service, including the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

Both veterans called me earlier this year to ask for help, and I intervened with the Army to obtain their long-overdue medals.  This week, I joined the community at a Ewing Veterans Day commemoration to present these decorations and express our deep gratitude for their service.

If you know a veteran who also is due a medal or award that he or she never received, please e-mail me or call me at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT so that our nation may properly honor our heroes. 

Adapting Together to the New Normal
When hurricanes strike, the federal government must play a key role in the response – but much of the day-to-day work of disaster prevention and mitigation is intensely local:  the coordination of first responders, the construction of levees and floodwalls across municipal boundaries, and so on.  It is critical that local, state, and federal officials collaborate to address natural disasters as effectively as possible.

Last week, I convened a roundtable with U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, federal and state emergency management officials, and representatives from local governments across Middlesex County – including Old Bridge, South River, Dunellen, East Brunswick, and Middlesex Boro.

Sandy was not the last superstorm that will strike New Jersey.  Stronger, more intense storms are becoming the new normal, and we must continue to work together across all levels of government to adapt, prepare, and serve our constituents.

The Quakers in New Jersey
Central New Jersey is full of diversity and home to many people of many different faiths.  Our state and country have benefited greatly from their many varied contributions.  From 1674 on, members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, have played a prominent role in the history of New Jersey and have been leaders in commerce, manufacturing, and the development of ideas for an emerging American democracy.

The 1676 document “Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors, Freeholders, and Inhabitants of the Province of West New Jersey in America” introduced into American law some of our most revered freedoms, principles, and institutions:  freedom of religion; democratic government through a predominant, powerful assembly elected “by all free men;” no taxation without the consent of the governed; trial by independent jury; sunshine laws; safeguards against bribery; restorative justice; and equal rights for native Americans.  Known as a “peaceable community,” Quakers have been active in abolishing slavery and inhuman practices and in seeking ways to avoid war.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Pallone Visits Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home in Edison, NJ to Mark Veterans Day, Calls for End to Backlog of Benefits Claims

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) visited the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home in Edison, NJ to mark the upcoming Veterans Day holiday. Pallone spoke with New Jersey veterans and called for an end to the backlog of disability claims within the Veterans Administration (VA).

“On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, it must be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind,” said Pallone. “As we approach Veterans Day 2013, on this day and every day, let us honor their service with actions that fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our veterans – and that are worthy of our grateful nation.”

With the war in Afghanistan winding down and more servicemen and women returning home, there is an even more prevalent need for a fully functioning VA, but a backlog of disability claims climbed to unprecedented levels with more than 900,000 benefits claims hanging in the balance. Upon the urging of Congress, the backlog was reduced by over 190,000 claims, but the Republican-led shutdown last month put that progress on hold.

Pallone discussed the package of legislative solutions he backs to further reduce the VA’s backlog and get veterans the services they have earned. The package of 10 bills passed the House with bipartisan support on October 28, 2013 and is awaiting action in the Senate.

On Monday, October 28, the House passed legislation (H.R 2189) which included key provisions from the Democratic backlog reduction package including:

•  Paying veterans more quickly by paying as their individual conditions are adjudicated.
•  Providing veterans with information that may lead to quicker routes to the successful adjudication of their claim.
•  Strengthening accountability by requiring VA to regularly track and provide information to the public on claims processing and the performance of VA regional offices.
•  Taking steps to help ensure the VA has the needed information from other agencies to accurately process claims in a timely way.
•  Encouraging VA to expand the use of automation in processing veterans’ claims.
•  Speeding up claims by allowing veterans’ medical examinations to be done by physicians outside the VA system and encouraging veterans to file fully developed claims.

“Never again should those who served this nation hang in the balance because of political infighting or bureaucratic holdups,” said Pallone. “This Veterans Day, the best way to honor the brave men and women who have protected our nation is to make sure they have the benefits they are due and the tools they need to thrive when they return home. We need to do more than just thank American servicemen and women; we need to honor and carryout the obligations we made to them and come through for them the way they did for us.”

It's Trunk or Treat on Sunday Then It's Back To School On Monday

The following notification came via email earlier today but it does not mention that Middletown schools will be back in session Monday 11/12:

In place of door to door Trick or Treating the Township of Middletown and Board of Education will be running "Trunk or Treat" on Sunday, November 11 in the afternoon as a safe Halloween alternate for the children of Middletown at the following elementary schools. Children are invited to all schools for this event no matter what school they attend, including all parochial and private school students. Children of all ages including those who not yet of school age, are invited to their neighborhood Trunk or Treat.

· Harmony 1-3 pm
· Ocean Avenue 1-3 pm
· Lincroft 1-3 pm
· New Monmouth 2-4 pm
· River Plaza 1-3 pm
· Bayview 3-5 pm
· Middletown Village 1-3 pm
· Nut Swamp 12-2 pm
· Leonardo 1-3 pm
· Fairview 1-3 pm
· Navesink approximately 2-3 pm following the Halloween parade at the Navesink firehouse
· Port Monmouth students who missed their event are invited to Ocean Avenue’s event.

According to the Middletown Township Board of Education website, township schools will reopen Monday, canceling the Veterans Day previously planned closure.

You can read all about it... Here

President Obama's Weekly Address 11/12/11: Honoring our Veterans for their Service and Sacrifice

WASHINGTON—In this week’s address, President Obama spoke from the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego during Veterans Day, and he called on all Americans to rededicate themselves to serving our brave men and women in uniform as well as they have served us. Today, there are more than 850,000 veterans unemployed, which is why the President issued a challenge to private companies to hire or train more than 100,000 post-9/11 veterans or their spouses by 2013, and he was pleased to see the Senate pass proposals in his American Jobs Act on Thursday to give businesses tax credits for hiring veterans. President Obama told veterans that just as they have fought for us, he will continue to fight for jobs and opportunities for them, and that the United States will always honor their service and sacrifice.

Congressman Congressman Pallone Honors New Jersey's Veterans

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. Thursday released the following statement recognizing the sacrifices and bravery of New Jersey’s veterans in honor of Veterans Day Friday, November 11, 2011.

“As today’s veterans return from deployment it’s important we continue to fulfill the same promises to them as we have to past generations and that we also respond to the unique needs veterans face today as they reenter civilian life. If you have the opportunity, thank a veteran for fighting to protect freedom we enjoy every day,” Pallone said in a statement.

Rush Holt - Long-Overdue Honors for Carl DeAngelis, A Local Veteran

On this Veterans Day, we extend our thanks as a grateful nation to the men and women who have defended our freedom.

Each of the 22 million American veterans has a unique and extraordinary story. Today, I’d like to share one story about a remarkable veteran in our community.
Carl DeAngelis joined the Army in September of 1942, at the height of the Second World War. His training was a time of great sorrow: his mother died shortly after his enlistment, and Carl’s service prevented him from attending his funeral. Yet it was also a time of surprising joys. One day, unexpectedly, a fellow soldier pulled a photo of his sister from his wallet and showed it to Carl. “I’m going to marry her,” Carl announced – and sure enough, after the war, he did.

Carl fought in Normandy, dodging bullets that sped just inches away from him. Later, he served on guard duty in France, where he was assaulted one evening outside a bar. Carl was forced to shoot in self-defense, and only later did he learn that the FBI had been seeking his assailant for a long time: this man, Carl was told, was wanted in a series of deaths.

When the war ended, Carl came home and started a family with Flora Terranova DeAngelis, the girl in the picture, and they have been married for 65 years. Now Carl is 90 and living in a rehabilitation home on Staten Island. Yet even after so many decades, the story of his military service remains unfinished. Carl had earned seven medals for his faithful and dedicated service – but he never received any decorations at all.

A few months ago, Carl’s daughter, who lives in East Brunswick, contacted me in an effort to right this wrong. Tomorrow morning, on Veterans Day, I will have the honor of presenting to Carl the medals he has so long deserved. You can watch live on WPIX 11, broadcasting from New York City, at about 8:40 a.m.

I hope you will join me in honoring our veterans tomorrow. And if you or someone you know is also due a medal or award that you have never received, please contact me so that our nation may properly honor our heroes.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

Senator Robert Menendez: Honoring our Veterans This Veterans Day

Dear Friend,

This Veterans Day, it is time to recommit ourselves to helping every military family across the Garden State.

We need to help businesses help veterans and their spouses build careers, make sure that our schools are doing all they can to help military kids, and all of us need to do what we can to help military families in our local communities.

But truly honoring our veterans means providing jobs. It means job training, and giving every job opportunity possible to unemployed veterans.

In New Jersey we have 453,498 veterans -- 12 percent of them are unemployed. That’s why I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act that gives businesses a tax credit for hiring returning veterans, and more of a tax credit if they hire a wounded veteran.

As our troops begin coming home from Iraq, our duty to them is not just remembering their service, not just saying thank you on Veterans Day, it’s delivering on the promise of a grateful nation every day.

New Jersey’s hero-sons-and-daughters did not wait to sign up to serve this country, and they should not have to wait to get the benefits they have earned defending it. And they should not have to come home only to stand on the unemployment line after putting themselves on the line serving this nation.

That’s why the Veterans jobs bill encourages employers to hire veterans, ensures that disabled veterans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits get the training and rehabilitation they need, the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits they need and job assistance tailored to today’s job market.

The bill provides a competitive grant program for nonprofits that provide mentoring and training programs for vets. It allows employers to be paid for providing on-the-job training to veterans and it would provide Work Opportunity Tax Credits for businesses that hire veterans -- and more for businesses that hire disabled vets.

We made a promise to veterans, and it’s a promise we must keep.

Happy Veterans Day to all.

May God bless our troops. And may God bless America.

Veterans Day 2010, Have You Hugged a Veteran Today?

Today is November 11,2010, Veterans Day

If you haven't hugged a veteran yet today make sure you do before the day is over. Let them know that they are appreciated and without their service to us and our Country, the world would be a far different place to live in.

Go ahead, give a veteran a hug and let them know that you care about the sacrifices that made gave for us.

NJPP Monday Minute 11/8/10: Honoring veterans with a tax break

On Thursday, Americans will formally honor the nation's military veterans. Veteran's Day is a federal holiday and is observed annually on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. On that day, major hostilities were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. The holiday is officially celebrated in other parts of the world as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day.

Former New Jersey Governor and U. S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 30, 1919. Seven years later Congress declared the holiday should be moved to November 11 as "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace..."

One of the ways New Jersey and most other states honor their veterans is through property tax breaks. New Jersey provides a $250 annual property tax deduction to veterans who are U. S. citizens and New Jersey residents and who have been honorably discharged from active service during war-time. Since 1947, this benefit has been protected by a provision in the State Constitution and has increased from $50 to its current level. Since 2003, when the deduction was raised to its current level, there have been no increases. Surviving spouses and domestic/civil union partners continue to receive this benefit as long as they do not remarry.

These property tax deductions are available only to veterans who served during wartime, including those who have served or are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of veterans claiming this deduction has decreased by more than 30 percent in the past 10 years, from 337,344 in 2000 to 257,366 this year. This decrease is expected to continue as New Jersey veterans continue to age.

Municipalities currently administer this program and the state reimburses them 102 percent - the entire cost of the deduction plus 2 percent for administrative costs. This calendar year, the deduction has cost the state $65.5 million, an amount that like the number of veterans has been declining each year since its appropriation peaked at $81 million in 2003.

A smaller number of veterans - those rated 100 percent disabled by the federal Department of Veterans' Affairs and who served during war-time - are totally exempt from paying property taxes. In 2010, 6,790 New Jersey veterans qualified for this exemption.

For more information on this deduction and eligibility for this benefit, go to the deduction application.

As Veterans Day approaches, thank the veterans for their valiant efforts against tyranny and for their peacekeeping efforts around the world.

President Obama's Weekly Address: 11/14/09 Veterans Day and Fort Hood

The President looks back at a week where we honored those who serve on Veterans Day, and mourned those we lost at Fort Hood. He discusses the review he has ordered into the Fort Hood incident, and pledges to stand by our servicemen and women, as well as our veterans, as his most profound responsibility.

In Rahway; "Broken Hearts" For the Fallen

In Rahway, artist Jim McKeon is remembering fallen soldiers from the Iraq War with an unique war memorial to honor those killed and to mend "Broken Hearts"

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Donahue Documentary Takes On The War

by Richard Huff - New York Daily News

If he were a senior in college today, he probably wouldn't pay to see his film, "Body of War."

"Body of War" is a tough film that follows the story of U.S. Army soldier Tomas Young, whose spine was severed when he was shot after being in Iraq just five days.

The film was produced and directed by Ellen Spiro and Donahue. It hit festivals and theaters early this year, and will air tomorrow night(tonight) at 7 on the Sundance Channel.

"It's tough, it's hard-hitting and has a strong message," said Laura Michalchyshyn, general manager of Sundance. "We wanted to be able to tell a story that's real, honest and true and hasn't been manufactured."

Donahue met Young on a visit to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also spoke to Young's mother during her bedside vigil for her son, who is paralyzed from the chest down.

"I couldn't get him out of my head," Donahue said. "The first thing you think is, why him and not me?"

The former TV host remained in contact with Young and his family, and the film emerged.

Donahue has been against the war in Iraq since the start, and lost his show at MSNBC in 2003 because of his nightly stance against the war and the Bush administration.

"Body of War" blends footage from the debate in Congress on the war with scenes from Thomas' struggle to adapt to life without the use of most of his body.

"This is the most sanitized war of my lifetime," Donahue said. "We do not see the pain. Less than 5% of us have sacrificed for this war. What you see in this film is the drama that's taking place in thousands of homes in this country occupied by young soldiers who have come home with hideous injuries."

The film, however, focuses on just one. Young's life involves pain, multiple health problems and trouble dealing with the sort of activities most people take for granted.

"The American people do not see this," Donahue said. "This war is over to them. Less than 10% of us identified the war as a the major reason we were voting."

Sundance's decision to air the documentary on Veterans' Day is not an accident.

"It's not just about Iraq, it's about how we've treated these veterans," Michalchyshyn said. "I don't think a lot of people have conceived of the Iraq war veterans the same way as World War I or World War II veterans."

In addition to Sundance, where "Body of War" will get multiple plays, the film is out on DVD. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam wrote two songs for it, and part of the proceeds of the DVD sales at Pearl Jam's Web site go to Young.

"Before the next President swaggers in front of the camera with a big lone-star belt buckle and says, 'Bring it on,'" Donahue said, "I want them to meet the honorably discharged Army Spc. Thomas Young."

President-Elect Obama: Honor Veterans By Ending the Iraq War

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nationwide - November 10 - Military Families Speak Out, an organization of 4,000 military families opposed to the war in Iraq, and its national chapter Gold Star Families Speak Out, are calling on President-Elect Barack Obama to honor the sacrifices of Veterans and their families by ending the war in Iraq. Military Families Speak Out issued the following statement on the eve of Veterans Day, 2008:

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, an armistice ended the slaughter of World War I along the Western Front. A year later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed a national holiday to honor the sacrifice of the U.S. troops who fought in that war. Since then, on November 11th, people across the United States and around the world have historically given thanks for peace, and observed moments of silence to remember those who fought and died during times of war.

Tomorrow will be the sixth Veterans Day that finds U.S. troops fighting and dying in Iraq, in a war based on lies. Our troops, our Veterans, our families, and the Iraqi people need to know that it will also be the last.

President-Elect Obama, you had the courage and the vision to oppose this war before it started, and you have pledged to end it. As Commander in Chief you will have the power to do that. But leaving U.S. combat troops in Iraq well into 2010, and leaving tens of thousands of additional troops in Iraq indefinitely, is not ending this war - it is continuing it..

4,193 U.S. troops and over a million Iraqis have already died as a result of this war. Countless others will struggle for the rest of their lives with devastating physical and psychological injuries. Each day that this war continues, new tragedies occur.

The war in Iraq was wrong from the beginning and it is wrong today. There is no justification for continuing to risk the lives of our sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, husbands and wives, and the Iraqi people.

President-Elect Obama, please honor the sacrifices of our troops, our Veterans, and our families by committing to the immediate, orderly, and safe return of all U.S. troops from Iraq and assuring that they receive the care they need when they get home.

CONTACT: Military Families Speak Out (MFSO)
Sean Donahue, Communications Director
617-983-0710 (w), 978-809-8054 (c), press@mfso.org

Military Families Speak Out is an organization of 4,000 military families opposed to the war in Iraq, with loved ones who are serving or have served in the U.S. military since fall, 2002. Gold Star Families Speak Out is our national chapter of families whose loved ones have died as a result of this war. Members of Military Families Speak Out and Gold Star Families Speak Out are available for interview -- including members whose loved ones are now serving in Iraq, members whose loved ones will soon be deployed to Iraq, and members whose loved ones were killed in Iraq.