BELLEVILLE, NJ — American Legion Post No. 105 on Washington Avenue in Belleville held a ceremony for National Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29, at which the Belleville Historical Society made a presentation of flags that have flown over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Md., to the local veterans organizations. “The Vietnam War is a story […]
BELLEVILLE, NJ — American Legion Post 105 on Washington Avenue in Belleville held a ceremony and remembrance of the 30th anniversary of the end of Operation Desert Storm on Feb. 28. “We need to remember this shining moment in history, so that future generations know the meaning of the words courage, honor, sacrifice and just […]
SAN DIEGO, CA — Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Oscar Ortiz, from Newark, administers the COVID-19 vaccination aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex as part of the continuation of the “Expanded Distribution” phase of the Department of Defense COVID-19 vaccination plan.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield firefighter Ken Hall returned home from his third tour of duty with the New Jersey National Guard in December, and a celebration was planned for him at Bella Napoli in March. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was delayed until Aug. 6, when the restaurant could expand into its parking […]
PACIFIC OCEAN — West Orange native Ariel Falck Ponce is serving aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), which is continuing to conduct operations in the Indo-Pacific region. Falck Ponce is a machinist’s mate second-class petty officer, maintaining and operating the air conditioning and refrigeration plants aboard the ship. “I am happy to be deployed to this […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — An Army soldier involved in a military vehicle crash in June 2019, killing Cadet Christopher “CJ” Morgan and injuring others, was sentenced to three years of confinement after being convicted of negligent homicide, The New York Times reported on July 21. Staff Sgt. Ladonies P. Strong was driving the truck that […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Downtown West Orange Alliance launched the Hometown Hero program this past February but experienced delays due to the worldwide pandemic. The first group of 26 banners was finally installed on July 29. The Hometown Heroes program is intended to honor hometown veterans and the banners with pictures are submitted and […]
INDIAN OCEAN — Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Airman Keenan Johnson, from East Orange, mans a fire truck on the bow of the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, during flight operations. USS Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, as well […]
NEWARK, NJ — Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Levy Peterson, from Newark, prepares lobster tails for the crew’s dinner in the galley aboard the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Germantown. Germantown, part of America Expeditionary Strike Group, is operating in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve […]
NUTLEY, NJ — Military service requires dedication, resilience, patriotism and strong foundations, all things that Jason Castellanos has in spades. The Nutley native was June’s “Sailor in the Spotlight,” an online feature put together by the U.S. Navy’s Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14. Castellanos, who graduated from Nutley High School in 2015, has been in […]