New Jersey Statutes 38A:15-2. Distinguished service, meritorious service medals
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 38A:15-2
- person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
- State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
any person who is a member of the organized militia or the Armed Forces of the United States or a Reserve component thereof, or who was honorably discharged therefrom, if the person was a resident upon entry into service or has been a resident of this State for at least 20 years in the aggregate. To qualify for a distinguished service medal, the person, while serving in the organized militia, or while in federal service, shall have served in a combat theater of operations during a time of war or emergency as attested to by the awarding of an honorable discharge and DD 214 or WD 53 by the respective Armed Forces or shall have been officially listed as a prisoner of war or missing in action by the United States Department of Defense. The distinguished service medal may be awarded to a deceased person who would have qualified for the medal pursuant to this section.
The Governor may present in the name of the State of New Jersey a meritorious service medal of appropriate design, and ribbon to be worn in lieu thereof, to any person who is a member of the organized militia, or the Armed Forces of the United States, or a Reserve component thereof who was honorably discharged therefrom, if the person was a resident upon entry into service or if the person has been a resident of this State for at least five years in the aggregate. To qualify for a meritorious service medal, the person shall have served in the organized militia, or the Armed Forces of the United States or a Reserve component thereof. The meritorious service medal may be awarded to a deceased person who would have qualified for the medal pursuant to this section.
The meritorious service medal for a deceased person or a person absent as a prisoner of war or missing in action shall be issued to the parent, spouse, sibling or other relative who submits all of the required forms and documentation on behalf of that person.
amended 1987, c.388; 1994, c.36; 1998, c.131; 2003, c.237; 2007, c.309, s.1; 2007, c.376; 2017, c.376, s.1.