Memorial Day ceremony with guest speaker: Major General Glenn K. Rieth Bayshore Courier News Posted:05/13/10
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Holmdel - The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will hold its Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 31, 2010, at 11:00 am at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Holmdel, NJ. The guest speaker at this year's ceremony will be Major General Glenn Rieth, of Ewing Township, NJ. The ceremony will also include the presentation of two scholarships to New Jersey high school seniors and the induction of two Vietnam Veterans into the Memorial's "In Memory" Program.
The New Jersey State Senate confirmed Major General Glenn K. Rieth as the 30th Adjutant General of New Jersey on March 4, 2002. General Rieth commands more than 9,000 soldiers and airmen of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard. He directs, controls, and manages the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in the execution of federal and state missions. In addition, he manages all state veterans' programs, commissions, and facilities in New Jersey.
Major General Rieth earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from The Citadel-Military College of South Carolina where he was the Distinguished Military Graduate. General Rieth's military service began in 1980. He received his commission as a Second Lieutenant through the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. He earned his pilot's wings at Fort Rucker, Alabama in July 1981. Prior to being appointed as The Adjutant General of New Jersey, General Rieth was the Director of the State Army Aviation Office for the New Jersey Army National Guard.
The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will award two (2) $2,500 college scholarships to: Alexander Rentschler of Robbinsville, NJ, graduating from Robbinsville High School and Samuel Tanner of Linwood, NJ, graduating from Mainland Regional High School.
During the ceremony, the Foundation will induct two Vietnam Veterans into its "In Memory" Program. "In Memory" honors New Jerseyans who served and died as a result of the war in Vietnam but whose names are not on the Memorial. Some of these deaths are due to Agent Orange exposure, Hepatitis C and the physical or emotional wounds received in Vietnam. The inductees' names will be placed on an engraved stone inside the Memorial so that all who visit will know that they are with their honored comrades.
As part of the ceremony, family members will say a few words about their loved one and light a candle in their memory. A book of biographical information, complied by the family, is also placed in the Vietnam Era Educational Center's Resource Room.
The two "In Memory" inductees are: Dennis M. Duffy of Elizabeth, NJ, who served in US Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968. He died on March 5, 2009 and Michael T. Lyon of Kendall Park, NJ, who served in the US Army in Vietnam from 1967 to 1969. He died on November 17, 2008.
The Vietnam Era Educational Center will be open from 10 AM to 2 PM on Memorial Day and admission is free for all visitors. The Educational Center is located adjacent to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial off the Garden State Parkway at exit 116 in Holmdel. The Memorial is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Educational Center is normally open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm. For more information on the Memorial or Educational Center, call 732-335-0033 or visit njvvmf.org.
