Bricks will be installed in the Gloucester City Memory Walk in Proprietor’s Park. 4×8 Bricks – $50.00 and 8×8 Bricks – $90
this covers the brick, engraving and installation in the walk.
To Order your Brick. Copy the order form, fill out how you want the brick engraved and then send the form and your check or postal money order to:
American Legion Post 135, PO Box 172, 474 Cumberland St. Gloucester City N.J. 08030
Category: MILITARY NEWS
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Announces Major Initiative
Today, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam R. Telle announced a major initiative, “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,” for the Army’s Civil Works program.
“Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” will provide greater focus on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) core Civil Works missions, while minimizing non-core programs, direct funding to priority water resources projects that will provide the greatest benefits to the nation, shorten permitting timelines, and reduce or eliminate extraneous regulations and paperwork that slow USACE’s delivery of Civil Works projects and programs.
“President Trump has empowered his administration to work with lightspeed efficiency to make our government deliver more for all Americans. The Army Civil Works’ ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork’ initiative will enable the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deliver critical projects and programs for the nation more efficiently, sooner, and at less cost than the current ways of doing business,” said Telle. “This will eliminate bureaucratic delays and provide fast, clear decisions needed to save lives and empower our economy.”
Continue reading “Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Announces Major Initiative”More Than a Care Package: How Paws of War Is Supporting Deployed Military K9 Teams
Paws of War’s Military Working Dog Care Package Program delivers comfort, connection, and essential support to soldiers and their lifesaving canine partners overseas
Everyone loves to get a special care package in the mail. Not only is it exciting to get a gift that wasn’t expected, but it also shows that someone is thinking of you and cares. This is why the Military Working Dog Care Package Program, by Paws of War, is so popular. It provides military members and their K9s with much-needed and appreciated items, and it also lets them know people are thinking about them and truly care about their well-being.
“Being able to give them a small gift to keep their spirits up and let them know we have their back at home is an honor,” said Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War. “This program’s mission is about connection and making sure these teams deployed around the world know they matter. It’s the least we can do to give back for all they do for us.”
Paws of War began the program because the teams work in dangerous, high-pressure environments. That type of situation can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety, and being able to get an unexpected care package can go a long way toward putting a smile on their faces. The K9 dogs are not just working animals, but rather lifesaving partners, and the care packages include items just for them.
Continue reading “More Than a Care Package: How Paws of War Is Supporting Deployed Military K9 Teams”
From Merchantville to the Heartland, sailor supports U.S. Navy’s “Take Charge and Move Out” mission
By Megan Lemly, Navy Office of Community Outreach
OKLAHOMA CITY – Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Sullivan, this story began in Merchantville, New Jersey, where they learned skills and values that would be foundational to their success in the Navy.
“I learned in my hometown the strength of everyone working towards the same goal,” Sullivan said. “I went to a school where people from all sorts of backgrounds worked together to create an awesome environment. In the Navy, we all come from different backgrounds, but we are all moving to the same common goal. From admin to operations specialists, we all have our piece to play and are all pushing towards the same common goal.”
Sullivan graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia in 2002.
Continue reading “From Merchantville to the Heartland, sailor supports U.S. Navy’s “Take Charge and Move Out” mission”Army-Navy Game: Camaraderie, honor and service
By Henry Howard-Commander-News
American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley compared success in the military to victory on the gridiron as part of the 126th annual Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Dec. 13 at M&T Stadium in Baltimore.
“These guys are defending their turf, trying to keep the other side from getting in the end zone,” said Wiley, an Air Force veteran. “When their service academy time is up, they’ll be officers serving this great country and they’ll be defending America’s turf. And when you think about the things that you learn through sports, you learn teamwork, discipline, leadership and grit. And all those things that not only serve you well in life, but in the military too.”
Continue reading “Army-Navy Game: Camaraderie, honor and service”Events Honoring Veterans
| The Camden County Board of Commissioners and Veteran Affairs is hosting various events honoring veterans and those who have served. Padre Peter Molnar Veteran Appreciation Breakfast – Tuesday, November 11th @ 8 AM |Collingswood Ballroom, 315 White Horse Pike. Registration is required, Click Here.“A Place of Honor” NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Short Film & Panel Discussion – Thursday, November 13th @ 6 PM | Scottish Rite Auditorium. For more information, Click Here. |
‘Puerto Rican Rambo’ Jorge Otero-Barreto passes away
Honor & Remembrance
Otero-Barreto received multiple Silver Stars, took part in more than 200 missions during Vietnam War, and later served as an American Legion post service officer.
Army veteran Jorge Otero-Barreto – nicknamed the “Puerto Rican Rambo” — received multiple Silver Stars, volunteered for five tours in Vietnam, engaged in more than 200 combat and aerial missions, and was wounded five times. He died Oct. 14 at age 87.
Otero-Barreto was a platoon sergeant in the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne, serving from 1959 to 1970.
Later, he joined The American Legion and was post commander and service officer for many years at Vega Baja American Legion Post 14, about 30 miles west of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In 2016, American Legion Magazine ran this profile of Otero-Barreto. He will be remembered as many things to many people: honorable warrior, community leader, veterans advocate.
“I want to be remembered as a good father,” he said during the interview, bowing his head and pausing. “A good grandpa. A good father. A good husband. I want them to remember me.”
Family celebrates legacy of Texas sailor killed during Pearl Harbor attack
By Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes
Robert Stillman Garcia- laid to rest after being identified eight days after being killed while serving on the USS California.
Robert Stillman Garcia may have gone missing in action during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, but his legacy of service held strong in his family during the eight decades it took for him to return home.
“I never thought this day would come,” said Navy Lt. Allison Ledesma, his great grand niece.
She knew Garcia primarily from the portrait of him that hung in her childhood living room alongside the telegram informing the family he was missing. Garcia was 23 and serving as storekeeper 3rd class on the USS California — his first duty assignment — when the Japanese attacked.
Continue reading “Family celebrates legacy of Texas sailor killed during Pearl Harbor attack”Military Training Exercises Happening in South Jersey and Philadelphia Region
Military helicopters flying over Pennsauken and the greater Philadelphia area are part of large-scale, routine Department of Defense training exercises for upcoming events like the FIFA World Cup and the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026. These exercises, which involve troop and equipment movement, are not a response to any specific threat but are designed to ensure preparedness and coordinate with local first responders, according to sources like FOX 29 Philadelphia and 6abc Philadelphia.
- Reason for the exercises: The drills are part of the Department of Defense’s routine training schedule and specifically focus on preparing the Philadelphia area for major events in 2026, including the FIFA World Cup.
- Purpose: The exercises are for preparedness and involve coordination between Department of Defense personnel and local first responders to practice how to respond to emergency situations.
- Not a specific event: The military has stated that the exercises are not in response to any specific event.
- What residents may see: Residents may experience sights and sounds related to emergency response drills.
- Timeline: These specific drills were scheduled to occur during the week of August 31 to September 6, 2025, but similar exercises may continue as part of ongoing training.
Events Honoring Veterans
The Camden County Board of Commissioners and Veteran Affairs is hosting various events honoring veterans and those who have served.
- Veterans Bus Trip to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial & Museum – Thursday, October 23rd @ 8 AM. Registration is required, Click Here.
- Padre Peter Molnar Veteran Appreciation Breakfast – Tuesday, November 11th @ 8 AM |Collingswood Ballroom, 315 White Horse Pike. Registration is required, Click Here.
- “A Place of Honor” NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Short Film & Panel Discussion – Thursday, November 13th @ 6 PM | Scottish Rite Auditorium
For more information, Click Here.