These NJ Medal of Honor heroes gave everything — and most were nearly forgotten

The Garden State is proud of the heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this great country.

This Memorial Day, I wanted to honor some of New Jersey’s unsung heroes — brave men whose Medal of Honor stories are often overshadowed by larger states and more widely known names.

This Memorial Day, I wanted to share a number of unsung heroes who are overshadowed by other larger states and bigger names. One or two of the names on this list will be familiar; the rest of the names, just as heroic, are from small towns, immigrant families, and were blue-collar workers.

Only a handful of Americans ever receive the Medal of Honor

Among the brave, only a few receive the Medal of Honor.

According to the Medal of Honor Historical Society, since the creation of the Medal of Honor in 1861, as of May 2026, there have only been 3,552 Medal of Honor recipients.

The Medal of Honor is the highest declaration of military honor for valor in combat.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, over 44 million people have served in the armed forces since the Civil War in 1861.

New Jersey’s Medal of Honor recipients are part of Hall of Fame history

A tribute to the Medal of Honor recipients from the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Of the 3,552 recipients of the Medal of Honor, 93 are from New Jersey, with 71 born here in the Great Garden State.

The New Jersey Hall of Fame has their unsung heroes, and the class of 2022 saw inductions for Medal of Honor recipients. I am highlighting just a few of those individuals who have received the highest national honor, with receiving the Medal of Honor, and New Jersey’s highest honor, to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

One of the earliest Medal of Honor recipients from New Jersey was James Madison Drake, a Somerset County native and a newspaper publisher in Trenton. James was honored for his actions at the Battle of Port Walthall Junction in Virginia in May of 1864.

Drake, as a first lieutenant, led a scaled-down line of Union soldiers in advance of the Union forces entering the battle. After a 24-hour fight facing Confederate fire, Drake was captured by the Confederate forces but escaped and got back to his Union command to resume the fight.

A World War I Medal of Honor recipient includes James John Madison who was born in Jersey City and was an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and cited for his actions as commander of the USS Ticonderoga, a cargo steamship, while bound for France in September 1918, was attacked by a German submarine.

While severely wounded and under intense enemy fire, Madison directed the defense and maneuvered the severely damaged ship for two hours before giving the order to abandon ship. One of the last personnel to leave the ship, Madison, was lowered into a lifeboat. He succumbed to the severity of his injuries on December 25th, 1922.

From Little Falls to Raritan, New Jersey produced extraordinary war heroes

After graduating from Little Falls High School, Glen Ridge-born U.S. Marine Private 1st Class Franklin Earl Sigler earned his Medal of Honor for his bravery at Iwo Jima.

He took command of his unit with his squad leaders wounded; Sigler bravely led his squad against a Japanese gun position. He attacked with grenades and single-handedly assaulted the neighboring Japanese tunnels and caves.

While wounded, crawled back to his squad, carrying three other wounded men to safety behind enemy lines.

He was from Raritan Borough and attended St. Bernard Parochial School. He was a quiet man who just did what he had to do. John Basilone’s story is amazing.

He is the most well-known Medal of Honor recipient from New Jersey.

After serving three years in the United States Army, John enlisted in the United States Marines, rose quickly to the rank of gunnery sergeant, and deployed to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. From there, he was deployed to the Battle of Guadalcanal and was engaged in a fight with a Japanese unit that had more firepower and men.

He defeated that group of Japanese using a machete, pistol, and machine gun for three days and three nights. He was one of only three U.S. Marines to survive the battle. He received the Medal of Honor for his bravery and success against the Japanese.

New Jersey soldiers gave their lives protecting fellow troops in Korea and Vietnam

The stories continue to be amazing. The list of Korean and Vietnam Medal of Honor winners from New Jersey includes Sergeant Peter S. Connor, of Orange, who died after using his own body to absorb a grenade explosion, saving his nearby soldiers.

Staff Sgt. John Gary Gertsch of Jersey City died during maneuvers in the A Shau Valley while serving as a shield to an aidman as he moved the wounded soldiers to safety.

Master Sergeant Charles Ernest Hosking Jr. born in Ramsey New Jersey died while subduing a Viet Cong prisoner who with a hand grenade was threatening his command group.

Major Charles Joseph Walters of Jersey City, New Jersey, an Army chaplain, went behind enemy lines to rescue injured troopers and was killed while giving aid to the wounded.

Sergeant First Class Fred William Zabitosky from Trenton, New Jersey, led a patrol deep inside enemy-held territory and pulled wounded members of his team from a downed helicopter that had crashed and burst into flames.

These are just a few of the 93 Medal of Honor recipients that you learn more about in our own New Jersey Hall of Fame.

This Memorial Day, please take a minute and pay thanks to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to this great country. I am proud to be from New Jersey.

Follow more unsung heroes by logging onto the New Jersey Hall of Fame here.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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