State of New Jersey
Executive Order #56

Governor Jon S. Corzine
WHEREAS, United States Army Chief Warrant Officer John A. Quinlan was born in Morristown, New Jersey, and raised in Phoenix, Maryland; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan spent many holidays and summers at the New Jersey shore, where his parents now reside; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1988 shortly after graduating from high school; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan served proudly in the Marines Corps before volunteering for service in the United States Army where he was admitted into the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Program; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan attended the Army Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course and received Initial Entry Rotary Wing training before attaining commissioned officer status as a chief warrant officer; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan served as a skilled helicopter pilot and instructor at bases in Korea and the United States; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan's deployment on behalf of his country to combat theaters numerous times, including Afghanistan on five occasions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and on two occasions in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom demonstrate how much his country relied upon him; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan's distinguished record of service flying Chinook helicopters with elite U.S. Army Aviation Special Operations groups during combat operations is testament to both his skill and courage; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan was killed while conducting operations in a time of war as a member of the United States Army's renowned 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne); and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan was a highly-decorated combat veteran who earned our nation's highest military honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal for Valor, three Air Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, (Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Citation, Combat Action Badge, Senior Aviation Badge, and Meritorious Service Medal; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan was a committed and highly trained professional soldier as well as a loving father, husband, son, grandson, brother, and uncle, whose memory lives in the hearts of his family and fellow soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Chief Warrant Officer Quinlan's patriotism and dedicated service to his country and his fellow soldiers make it appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to remember him and his family, to mark his passing, and to honor his memory;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

  1. The flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Friday, March 2, 2007, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer John A. Quinlan.

  2. This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 27th day
of February, Two Thousand and Seven, and of
the Independence of the United States, the
Two Hundred and Thirty-First.

/s/ Jon S. Corzine

Governor

[seal]

Attest:

/s/ Kenneth H. Zimmerman

Chief Counsel to the Governor