15 Veterans to Be Honored on Memorial Day

Fifteen West Orange veterans will be honored Monday with the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal at the township's annual Memorial Day ceremony at 10 a.m. on the front steps of Town Hall. 

West Orange, in the 15 years of its Memorial Day service, has recognized the most local combat veterans out of any New Jersey municipality. As a result, the township as been named “New Jersey’s Most Decorated Community.”

After this ceremony, the township will have honored 360 veterans with the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal since 1999. 

Assemblyman John McKeon will host the ceremony and for the fourteenth time retired Gen. William John Marshall III will present the awards.

The following veteran residents will receive the award:

• Michael F. Checkawicz –US Navy – World War II
• Owen M. Curry – USMC – Enduring Freedom
• Gerald L. DeRose – US Army – Vietnam 
• John T. Devlin – US Navy – Vietnam
• John H. Fudge, Jr. - US Navy - World War II
• Jerome H. Ginsberg – US Army – World War II 
• Murray Lifschultz – US Army – World War II
• Dennis L. Linder – US Army – Vietnam  
• Angelo Pericolo – US Marine Corps – Korea 2
• Michael Polizzano – US Marine Corps – Iraqi Freedom
• Robert Polizzano – US Marine Corps – Enduring Freedom
• Philip S. Thomas – US Army – Vietnam
• John P. Washington – US Army – World War II  
• Charles J. Watters – US Army – Vietnam 
• David G. Zeevalk – US Navy – Vietnam

John P. Washington, Charles J. Watters, Dennis L. Linder and Murray Lifschultz will receive their awards with an Oak Leaf Cluster denoting the recipient received a combat decoration equal in stature to, or greater than, the Purple Heart. 

Charles J. Watters, David G. Zeevalk, Dennis L. Linder will also receive the New Jersey Vietnam Service Medal. Angelo Pericolo will also received the Korean Service Medal.

John P. Washington, Charles J. Watters, Jerome H. Ginsberg, Gerald L. DeRose will posthumously receive their awards.