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New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park |
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Veterans Memorial Homes |
Last week, the Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus experienced heightened media attention in response to a recently concluded 2020 U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation examining the care provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This matter is of great personal importance to me. The care, well-being, and dignity of our residents remain the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ number one priority in all that we do. The department has taken and will continue to take steps alongside our partners in the Administration, the Legislature, Veterans Service Organizations, state and federal agencies, volunteer organizations and beyond to ensure residents receive the high-quality care they deserve.
While independent inspections of the homes in 2023 from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reflect the progress that has been made towards this goal, the department looks forward to working with the DOJ to address the findings of this report on behalf of the Veterans and veteran families we serve.
We continue to invite residents, staff, family and visitors to direct questions, concerns and feedback to the Resident Advocates and Chief Executive Officers in each home.
I look forward to the next steps we take together in care of our residents at the homes, our Veterans, their family members and the broader military community throughout the Garden State. |
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As always, thank you for staying connected to DMAVA.
We invite you to share ideas, events and feedback. Please email our team at outreach@dmava.nj.gov.
Brigadier General Lisa J. Hou, D.O. The Adjutant General & Commissioner |
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DMAVA is sponsoring or will participate in the events below. A DMAVA Veterans Service Officer will be present at many of these events. Please check details to confirm.
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We add new events to our calendar on a daily basis so please bookmark and check back often.
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| View Full Calendar |
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177th Fighter Wing | On September 11, 2023, the 177th Fighter Wing hosted a 9/11 Memorial Dedication and send-off for those deploying.
The ceremony consisted of speeches from Congressmen Donald Norcross and Jeff Van Drew, Col. Derek B. Routt, 177th Fighter Wing commander, and keynote speaker Retired Congressman Frank. A. LoBiondo.
A wreath ceremony honored the lives lost in The North Tower, The South Tower, The Pentagon, Shanksville, Pennsylvania and all else 22 years ago.
The memorial, including recovered pieces from Ground Zero, was constructed by members of the 177th Civil Engineers Squadron. |
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1-150th AHB | Eight Soldiers and two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 1-150th Assault Helicopter Battalion (AHB), New Jersey Army National Guard, arrived in Louisiana on September 3, 2023 to support firefighting operations in the western part of the state.
They join multiple states’ Guard assets as state and local agencies work to contain the largest wildfires in Louisiana history.
“The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is the mechanism which enables states to share critical resources,” said Brig. Gen. Lisa J. Hou, D.O., The Adjutant General of New Jersey. “New Jersey National Guard is proud to be able to answer the call to help our neighbors in need. That’s what we do.” |
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Join Our Team |
100% Free College Tuition
Bonuses up to $20,000
Student Loan Repayment |
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Governor Murphy Signs Legislation to Protect Veterans and Their Families When Seeking Assistance with Veterans’ BenefitsAugust 25, 2023
NEPTUNE CITY – To help protect veterans from exploitation, Governor Phil Murphy today signed legislation (S-3292/A-3286) to establish standard requirements that must be followed if an individual is seeking compensation for providing assistance or advice to veterans and their families regarding veterans’ benefits. The requirements apply to situations in which an individual assists with the preparation or representation of any claim for benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMAVA).
The legislation establishes the circumstances under which compensation may be sought in these situations; requires terms of service and compensation to be in writing; prohibits individuals from guaranteeing any specific result when offering their services; and requires individuals to disclose any affiliations they may have with the VA, DMAVA, or other federally chartered service organizations prior to entering into an agreement with the veteran or their family. Under the bill, any violation of these terms will be considered an unlawful act under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, which may result in monetary or other penalties.
“Our veterans put their lives on the line in service to our country and have more than earned the benefits for which they and their loved ones are eligible,” said Governor Murphy. “We must protect veterans and their families from unscrupulous individuals who would take advantage of them by overcharging for assistance with those benefits. This legislation will help ensure these bad actors either follow all applicable federal standards or face the consequences.”
Full News Release |
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State Medal CeremonyThe New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs held a State Medal Ceremony at the Livingston Senior/Community Center in Livingston, New Jersey, September 12, 2023.
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Transition / Retirement SeminarThe NJ National Guard Transition / Retirement Services Office held a seminar at the Joint Military & Family Assistance Center in Bordentown on September 7, 2023.
NJ National Guard Servicemembers, retirees and spouses can register for upcoming seminars at retirement.njarmyguard.com. |
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National Airborne DayThe National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey at Sea Girt invited the public to stop by for a special event celebrating National Airborne Day on August 23, 2023.
Museum curator, Staff Sergeant Andrew Walker, began the activites with a read aloud of "The Skydiving Beavers: A True Story" by Susan Wood, borrowed from Ocean County Library.
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Base Tour |
Congressman Jefferson H. Van Drew, New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District representative, paid a recent visit to the 177th Fighter Wing. Upon Van Drew's arrival, he met with leadership from the across the 177FW as well as Brig. Gen. Bradford Everman, Chief of Staff for the New Jersey Air National Guard.
Van Drew visited the engine shop where he was provided information about the operation and maintenance of an F-16 Fighting Falcon engine, the main hangar where he got to see a static display of an F-16C, the aircrew flight equipment shop where he was shown some of the gear that F-16 fighter pilots wear while flying, as well as the F-16 simulators where he participated in a simulation flight. |
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Veteran Town Hall | VA Undersecretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal (right) joined U.S. Senator Corey Booker and Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Vincent Solomeno at VFW Post 2189 in Somers Point, NJ for a Veteran Town Hall on August 29, 2023. |
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NJMVC Mobile Van | The NJ Motor Vehicle Commission set up operations at the DMAVA Lawrenceville campus on September 11, 2023. DMAVA employees and members of the local community were able to obtain Real IDs and conduct other business with the NJMVC. |
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| Next PACT Act Deadline
Until 11:59pm local time on September 30, 2023, Veterans who deployed to a combat zone, never enrolled in VA health care, and left active duty between September 11, 2001 and October 1, 2013 are eligible to enroll directly in VA health care.
This special enrollment period gives Veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other combat zones an opportunity to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for VA benefits.
Learn more about how you can sign up for VA health care and apply for PACT Act benefits at VA.gov/PACT.
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ICYMI: VFW, VVA and VA Live event covers PACT Act benefits and eligibility
Recently, VA joined Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) live on Facebook to discuss PACT Act benefits eligibility, who is impacted and what Veterans need to do now. Watch Full Conversation |
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Veterans Can Now File Supplemental Claims Online
Veterans can now file supplemental claims online at VA.gov. Filing a supplemental claim is an option for Veterans who disagree with a previously denied claim decision regarding disability compensation or pension benefits. Learn More at VA News |
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| Survivor Benefit Plan Open Season
Congress provided for a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Open Season in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. The SBP Open Season began on December 23, 2022 and ends on January 1, 2024.
The SBP Open Season allows for retirees receiving retired pay, eligible members, or former members awaiting retired pay who are currently NOT enrolled in SBP or RCSBP (Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan) to enroll.
The SBP Open Season also allows eligible members and former members who are currently enrolled in either SBP or RCSBP to permanently discontinue their SBP coverage.
Learn More |
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National Parks Pass
There is a new lifetime pass for National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands, called America the Beautiful.
This lifetime pass for Gold Star Families & Veterans is being offered to demonstrate the country's immense gratitude and respect for those who have served and defended our country.
Learn More at VA News |
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VALife Insurance
Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) provides guaranteed acceptance whole life coverage of up to $40,000 to Veterans with service-connected disabilities. Lesser amounts are available in increments of $10,000. Under this plan, the elected coverage takes effect two years after enrollment as long as premiums are paid during the two-year period.
All Veterans age 80 or under with a VA disability rating of 0 to 100% are eligible for the VALife program and have no time limit to apply.
Learn More |
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VA Disability - with Mike Figlioli, VFW Director of National Veterans Services In this episode, theSITREP asks Mike Figlioli, VFW Director of National Veterans Services, about VA disability: what is it, how to apply, and more.
theSITREP Podcast |
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#VetResources
| Subscribe to #VetResources to receive a weekly newsletter from the VA for Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. |
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Salute to our Veterans Car CruiseThe 14th Annual Salute to our Veterans Car Cruise was held on August 27, 2023 at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home at Vineland.
The event was hosted by The Nostalgia Knights Classic Car Club and The South Jersey Cruisers. Organizers estimated that there were 400+ cars, trucks and motorcycles that supported the event.
Thanks to all! |
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Canal Walk Veterans Club
The National Guard Militia Museum of New Jersey at Lawrenceville had the pleasure of hosting the Canal Walk Veterans Club on August 22, 2023. The museum docents loved trading stories with these proud Veterans and look forward to seeing them all here again! |
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In Honor of all those from New Jersey who gave their lives in the fight against terrorism during Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In humble gratitude, we remember their sacrifice. |
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September 7, 2004
Operation Iraqi Freedom
SPC Yoe Manuel AnierosU.S. Army Newark, New Jersey |
September 7, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom PFC Vincent M. FrassettoU.S. Marine Corps
Toms River, New Jersey | September 10, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom LCpl Jon T. Hicks
U.S. Marine Corps Atco, New Jersey | September 15, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Cpl Terrence P. AllenU.S. Marine Corps Pennsauken, New Jersey |
September 18, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom CPT Brian R. FaunceU.S. Army
Ocean, New Jersey | September 19, 2005
Operation Iraqi Freedom SGT Michael Egan
U.S. Army Pennsauken, New Jersey |
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September 19, 2006
Operation Iraqi Freedom
1LT Ashley L. Henderson HuffU.S. Army Belle Mead, New Jersey |
September 20, 2003
Operation Iraqi Freedom SSG Frederick L. Miller Jr.U.S. Army
Jackson Township, New Jersey | September 20, 2007
Operation Iraqi Freedom CPL Luigi Marciante Jr.
U.S. Army Elizabeth, New Jersey | September 21, 2013
Operation Enduring Freedom
SSG Timothy R. McGillU.S. Army
Ramsey, New Jersey | September 21, 2010
Operation Enduring Freedom
PO3 Denis C. MirandaU.S. Navy
Toms River, New Jersey | September 26, 2012
Operation Enduring Freedom
SGT Jonathan A. GollnitzU.S. Army
Lakehurst, New Jersey |
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"But on the battlefield their feet stood fast, and in an instant at the height of their fortune, they passed away from the scene, not of their fear, but of their glory."
~ Pericles |
| NJ Fallen Heroes Memorial |
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SS Morro Castle anchored off Sea Girt. |
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September 8, 1934
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The SS Morro Castle, a cruise ship bound from Havana to New York, caught fire off the New Jersey coast. The ship’s controls burned out off Sea Girt, where it dropped anchor and chaos ensued as lifeboat launches failed and people jumped into the ocean. Governor A. Harry Moore, in his summer residence at Sea Girt, deployed the African-American soldiers of the First Separate Battalion training there at the time to assist survivors and took off in a plane from the parade ground to direct rescue ships to the area. Later that day, a Coast Guard cutter began to tow the burned out hulk north, but the towline snapped off near Asbury Park and the Morro Castle drifted into the beach by Convention Hall.
| September 16, 1823 | President James Monroe selected US Senator Samuel Southard of New Jersey to be Secretary of the Navy. |
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September 16, 1940 |
Governor A. Harry Moore traveled to the Philadelphia Navy Yard to address a crowd of workers, naval officers and government officials assembled to celebrate initiation of construction on the battleship USS New Jersey. | September 17, 1862 |
The Battle of Antietam was fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac under Major General (and future New Jersey governor) George B. McClellan. It was the first battle for the Thirteenth New Jersey Infantry regiment, a unit recently organized at Camp Frelinghuysen in Newark. The Thirteenth lost ten men killed, including Captain Hugh C. Irish of Paterson, twenty-three wounded and one missing in action. Captain Irish's statue, waving a sword, is on top of the NJ monument at Antietam. |
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New Jersey Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal is a project of the New Jersey Historical Commission, Rutgers University Libraries, and Monmouth University.
The Journal publishes original scholarship on all aspects of NJ studies, including military history.
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More peer support for NJ vets with mental health struggles | Bobby Brier | NJ Spotlight News | September 4, 2023
When Frank Schupp was going through a hard time after deployment with the U.S. military, he reached out to a fellow veteran who knew the pain that he was experiencing.
A former Army combat medic who served for 13 years, Schupp, nicknamed “Doc,” said he did not have to explain to his fellow veteran why he was depressed. “He got it. He worked around it, and he worked with me. And he knew of those special circumstances,” said Schupp, who now works as the outreach director at New Jersey Veterans Network.
“When a veteran is alone, they feel that isolation [and] it can be twice as harmful and difficult,” Schupp said. “So to have a community who understands what’s going on, wants to work with you, that can make all the difference in the world.”
Now, a program funded by the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, with training provided by the New Jersey Hospital Association and the Mental Health Association of New Jersey, aims to expand access to peer support like this through a new mental health first-aid program. The training provided in the program, which was launched last week, will teach members of faith-based organizations, community organizations and others who interact with veterans, service members and their families on a local level to know the signs of distress and how to connect people with the services they need to get help.
The program, Mental Health First Aid, adds to services already offered to veterans across the state by the New Jersey Veterans Network and other organizations. Advocates said the need is clear, as the suicide rate among veterans is 57.3% greater than among nonveteran adults across the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read Full Story |
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Newark sailor who died in Pearl Harbor attack will finally get Arlington Cemetery burial | Katie Sobko | NorthJersey.com | August 25, 2023
While the family of Archie Callahan Jr. may have known for decades that he had died defending his country in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, they can finally get closure and see him memorialized in Arlington National Cemetery next month.
Callahan, born in Atlanta but raised in Newark, was just 19 years old and had been in the Navy for 15 months on the USS Oklahoma when the Japanese bombed the United States naval base. Callahan was a mess attendant, part of a segregated unit responsible for feeding and serving officers. He received the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (Bronze Star) and World War II Victory Medal for his service.
He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on September 8, 2023.
Read Full Story |
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Linda Clark | The New Jersey Department of Military and Veteran’s Affairs thanks Linda Clark, Supervisor of Nursing Services, for serving Veterans since 2001 at the Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park in Edison, NJ.
Nurses like Linda epitomize what it means to be a caregiver. Take a moment and hear her inspiring words and reflections on her years of service.
Watch Video |
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Gregory Newton |
Gregory Newton is a United States Navy Veteran who currently resides at Veterans Haven North (VHN) in Glen Gardner, New Jersey. Gregory talks about his experiences at the Haven as well as his time in the military and plans for the future.
Watch Video |
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We Are Hiring!
At the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs we take our work in support of Veterans, Servicemembers and their families very seriously. Whether supporting our Veterans with nursing care, transitional housing, or assisting them in navigating access to their Veteran benefits, the Department provides valuable services and can offer rewarding career opportunities to members of the public.
We also have opportunities in facilities management and program management. In addition, we have job openings for members of our military to serve in AGR and Federal Technician roles.
Stay updated on job openings by subscribing to our Jobs Bulletin.
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We hope you enjoy receiving our newsletter and find it both educational and engaging. If you have questions about our department, our programs or your benefits, please visit our website at nj.gov/military to get contact information.
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| Contact DMAVA |
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We welcome feedback and comments from the public regarding the newsletter. If you would like to contribute with an item of interest to our subscribers, please email us your proposal. Contact our team at outreach@dmava.nj.gov.
To view previous editions of our newsletter, please visit the DMAVA archives.
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nj.gov/military NJ Department of Military & Veterans Affairs
101 Eggert Crossing Road Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Privacy Notice
Disclaimer: The appearance of any non-DMAVA information or hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement of the products or services on the part of the New Jersey Department of Military & Veterans Affairs. |
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