Posted on

Wreaths Across America 2023

On Saturday December 16,2023 the Long Valley Knights of Columbus Council 10419  and the American Veterans Association Of Washington Twp. Post 1776 jointly held its annual Wreaths Across America celebration at St Marks Parish in Long Valley.  After the ceremony at St Marks member of the Long Valley Community went to several Township cemeteries and placed wreaths  on  350+ Veteran graves.

 

 

Posted on

Washington Township earns state’s Community Award for its attention to Veterans

Washington Township earns state’s Community Award for its attention to Veterans

  • By MARK KITCHIN Staff Writer Observer-Tribune

Nov 15, 2023 Updated Nov 15, 2023

Washington Township Mayor Matt Murello and members of the American Veterans Association of Washington Township Post 1776 appeared at a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel to received the Governor’s “We Value Our Veterans” Community Award which was given to Washington Township. From left are Post Commander Thomas McBride, Lee Twomey, Murello, John Krayniak, Chuch Dauchet.

Photo by Matt Murello

WASHINGTON TWP. — Mayor Matt Murello and several members of the American Veterans Association of Washington Township (AVAWT) Post 1776 took part in a Veterans Day ceremony at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel Township on Saturday, Nov. 11.

A group of about 650 visitors saw Murello and the veterans presented with the Governor’s “We Value our Veterans” Community Award by New Jersey’s Secretary of State Tahesha Way and Brigadier Gen. Lisa J. Hou. The award was signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.

The award was also sponsored by the State of New Jersey Military and Veterans Affairs Department. AVAWT Post 1776 Commander Thomas McBride attended the event along with Post members Chuck Dauchert, Ed Twomey and John Krayniak.

“This award shows our commitment to honoring and supporting our local veterans and their families,’’ Murello said.

Murello was notified of the award in the summertime but was unaware of the presentation at the public ceremony until recently. He said the township answered a list of questions regarding the relationship of veterans and the township and gathered the required number of points to earn the award.

“It’s an objective checklist,’’ Murello said. “Do we have and active veterans group? Do they participate in the community? Do we have events for them? Do we have special parking for them? Do we have a Senior Center? We met all of those requirements. “We were awarded it and I thought that was the end of it and then I was notified last month that on Veterans Day they have an annual celebration at the Veterans Memorial.

Posted on

4 Veterans Honored In Long Valley With Quilts Of Valor

Four local veterans were recently honored and awarded Quilts of Valor at a ceremony in Long Valley on Tuesday.

article by Vianella Burns, long valley Patch Staff

Posted Wed, Nov 15, 2023 at 3:00 pm ET

Pictured left to right – Mark Vandling, Frank Giaquinto, John Larkin, Ed Twomey (Courtesy of Paul W. Richartz, Public Affairs Officer, American Veterans Association of Washington Township)

LONG VALLEY, NJ — In celebration of Veterans Day, four local veterans were recently honored and awarded Quilts of Valor, which are hand-made quilts designed to honor and comfort veterans touched by war.

The recipients included:

  • John Larkin, Navy Petty Officer Second Class, 1962–1966, served in Vietnam.
  • Frank Giaquinto, Marine Sergeant Frank Giaquinto, 2008–2012, who served in Afghanistan and who currently serves as a police officer in Long Valley
  • Edward Twomey, Army Sergeant 1966–1968, who served in Vietnam
  • Mark Vandling, Navy Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class, who served in Vietnam

Linda Oppel arranged and directed the Quilts of Valor ceremony; her husband Larry, a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, was a former recipient.

The quilts were presented by Charles “Chuck” Dauchert, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam and was also a previous quilt recipient, and Tim Kelly, the Post 1776 Chaplain.

The event was hosted by the Fairmount Fire Company in Long Valley.

Bottom of Form

According to officials, the Quilts of Valor Foundation was founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, whose son was deployed to Iraq.

“In a dream, Catherine saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. She could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional void. Then, as if in a movie, she saw him wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change,” the American Veterans Association of Washington Township said.

The message was simple: quilts equal healing. The Quilts of Valor Foundation has developed into a national organization that has provided approximately 350,000 quilts as of May 2023.

To learn more about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, click     https:www.govf.org/

The American Veterans Association of Washington Township (AVAWT) consists of military veterans who served during war and peace, with the purpose of keeping the contributions and history of veterans alive.

The organization meets at a variety of locations within Long Valley at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. The location of the next meeting can be found on the AVAWT website:  http://www.avawt.org/.