By: Lauren T. Agnew
The Honorable Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. hosted the 13th Annual Essex County Veterans Day Observance in Essex County Veterans Memorial Park in Newark on Thursday, November 10th.
During the ceremony, the County Executive presented Essex County Community Star Awards to eight Essex County employees who have served or continue to serve in the US Armed Forces, including Andres Lebron (Army National Guard) from the Prosecutor's Office, Andres Made (Marines) and Tyronne Winn (Marines) from the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits, Christopher Richardson (Army) and Robert Sutton (Navy) from the Sheriff's Office, Johnny Lawton (Army) from the Surrogate's Office, and Larry Sermons (Army) and Sylvia Velez (Marines) from the Division of Employment and Training.
"Throughout our country's history, brave men and women have put their lives on hold to serve in the US Armed Forces at home and abroad. Our Essex County Veterans Memorial Park was created to provide our veterans with a place to find serenity and comfort and constantly remind the public about their contributions and sacrifices," DiVincenzo said.
"We are proud to stand with our veterans at this critical occasion, give them our respect and thank them for representing our country with valor and bravery.
Our honorees this year demonstrate their commitment to public service by working as County employees and helping us continue "Putting Essex County First," he added.
Andres Lebron is a member of the Army National Guard and serves as a Detective in the Homicide Unit of the Prosecutor's Office.
Andres Made is a Marine Corps veteran and a Data Processing Systems Programmer in the IT Unit of the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits. He was in the Marines for four years as a Logistics Vehicle Systems. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune and Camp Geiger in North Carolina, Twenty-Nine Palms in California and Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.
Christopher Richardson is a veteran of the Army veteran and currently serves as a Detective in the Patrol Division with the Sheriff's Office. He served in the Army for 26 years, attained the rank of Sergeant First Class and was responsible for training recruits when he was stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been a police officer for 12 years, previously worked in the Courts Division, and was on loan to the Prosecutor's Office for one year.
Johnny Lawton is a veteran of the Army and serves as a Records Custodian in the Surrogate's Office.
Larry Sermons is a veteran of the Army and serves as a Counselor with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act team in the Division of Employment and Training.
Robert Sutton is a veteran of the Navy veteran and currently serves as a Detective with the Sheriff's Office. He was in the Navy for four and a half years and was assigned to the Navy Security Forces Unit, providing anti-terrorism and force protection throughout Southwest Asia. He has been with the Sheriff's Office for 15 years and previously was assigned to the Courts, K-9 Unit and Patrol Divisions.
Sylvia Velez is a veteran of the Marine Corps and serves as a Counselor with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act team in the Division of Employment and Training.
Tyronne Winn is a Marine Corps veteran and is a Keyboarding Clerk I in the IT Unit in the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits. He was in the Marines for four years, a member of the Security Forces in NAS Pax River in Maryland, guarded Alert Aircraft with nuclear capabilities and was a member of the Special Reaction Force. In addition, he was an infantry rifleman at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, and was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Joining the County Executive in giving accolades to the men and women who served our country were NJ State Senator and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz, Assembly members Eliana Pintor Marin, Shanique Speight and Thomas Giblin, Essex County Prosecutor Ted Stephens, Register Juan Rivera, Commissioners Patricia Sebold. Brendan Gill and Len Luciano, Deputy Chief of Staff William Payne, Essex County Veterans Affairs Advisory Board member and DAV Chapter 3 of Newark member Clarence Jackson, and Navy Veteran Bill Squires.
Rev. Dennis Hughes, Director of the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, gave the invocation. Jasmine Ramos from the Essex County Clerk's Office sang the National Anthem.
The Essex County Sheriff's Honor Guard presented the colors at the beginning of the ceremony. Bagpiper Joe McGonigal performed the "Armed Forces Medley."
Essex County Veterans Memorial Park became the first new Essex County park developed in Newark in 80 years when it opened in September 2009. It was created on the site of an old parking garage that opened in the 1960s and became a community eyesore. The 2.7-acre park has about 400 trees, shrubs and perennials, two small meadows, the Armed Forces Memorial, walking paths and decorative metal archways at the entrances.
The Armed Forces Memorial includes a circular water fountain surrounded by ten flagpoles and a short granite wall. The flags of the seven branches of the military – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Army National Guard and Air Force National Guard – fly from 25-foot poles. In contrast, the New Jersey State flag and Essex County flag fly from 30-foot poles and the American flag flies from a 35-foot pole at the center of the display.
The official agency or government seal is at the base of each flag pole on the granite wall.