ASSEMBLYMAN CONNERS HONORS POWs & MIAs DURING ANNUAL RECOGNITION EVENT

ASSEMBLYMAN CONNERS HONORS POWs & MIAs DURING ANNUAL RECOGNITION EVENT

(CINNAMINSON) – Assemblyman Jack Conners was joined Friday by about 600 veterans, invited guests and local officials as he hosted his 8th annual POW/MIA Recognition Event to honor those held prisoner in and those still missing from America’s military conflicts.

“American Prisoners-of-War and Missing-in-Action are forced to endure conditions most of us would prefer not to even think about, and the grief their loved ones have faced is immeasurable,” Conners said. “The courage of both must never be forgotten, and I am proud to hold this event each year to bring awareness to those sacrifices made for our country."

It’s estimated that 90,481 Americans remain MIA, including 220 from New Jersey.

Among those attending Friday’s event were 15 former POWs and MIAs - or their relatives - from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

Receiving the New Jersey POW/MIA Medal instituted through legislation sponsored by Conners (D-Camden/Burlington) were:

• Randy Mauterer, of Ocean Township, who accepted the medal on behalf of his father, Col. Oscar Mauterer, who was ejected from his plane after it was shot over Laos in 1966. He is believed to have been captured and is presumed dead.

• Joseph Muoio, Jr., of Pennington, who accepted the medal on behalf of his father, Joseph Muoio, who immigrated to the US from Italy when he was 14, enlisted in the Army at 22 and was wounded at D-Day. He was captured and liberated by American forces 9 months later. He received the medal and a New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal with Cluster.

• Peggie McDonald, of New York, who is the Region II Coordinator for the National League of Families of POW/MIA. Her brother, Maj. Joseph W. McDonald, has been MIA since May 3, 1972, when he never returned from a mission over North Vietnam.

McDonald also accepted a $5,000 donation from Conners made on behalf of all event sponsors. This marks the second consecutive year a donation from the event has been made to the organization, which focuses on funding awareness and recovery missions.

Conners was joined by New Jersey’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Reith; New Jersey Deputy Commissioner of Veterans’ Affairs Col. (Ret.) Stephen G. Abel; and officials and representatives from state and local veterans’ organizations and auxiliary groups.

Also attending was the Young family. Judith Young, from Moorestown, is a former president of the National Gold Star Mothers organization. Their son was killed in action in Lebanon.

Conners, chairman of the Assembly Military and Veteran's Affairs Committee, has seen the event grow from 90 attendees at a local VFW post to the approximately 600 invited guests from all over the state gathering to recognize POWs and MIAs.

The event, always held on the National POW/MIA Day of Remembrance - the third Friday in September - also featured the Missing Man Ceremony, a solemn and moving salute to the unaccounted-for soldiers from New Jersey.

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