Remembering New Jersey’s fallen

Whenever I visit Washington, D.C., I’m always struck by the quiet simplicity of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

This is commentary from political blogger and cartoonist Rob Tornoe.

Whenever I visit Washington, D.C., I’m always struck by the quiet simplicity of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

So, on a day where every columnist and newscaster rehashes the generic importance of Memorial Day, I thought I’d mark the holiday by listing the 145 service members from New Jersey who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Adam Froehlich, 21, Pine Hill (Iraq)

Alain Kamolvathin, 21, Blairstown (Iraq)

Alan Sherman, 26, Ocean (Iraq)

Alessandro Plutino, 28, Pitman (Afghanistan)

Andrew Lobosco, 29, Somerville (Iraq)

Anthony Dixon, 20, Lindenwold and Montclair (Iraq)

Anthony Lee Goodwin, 33, Mount Holly (Iraq)

Anthony Sausto, 22, Somers Point (Iraq)

Ashley Henderson Huff, 23, Hillsborough (Iraq)

Augie Schroeder, 23, South Orange Village (Iraq)

Benjamin Moore, 23, Bordentown (Afghanistan)

Benjamin Sebban, 29, South Amboy (Iraq)

Benjamin Sammis, 29, Rehobeth, Mass (Iraq)

Bradley Iorio, 19, Galloway (Iraq)

Brian Faunce, 28, Bensalem, PA (Iraq)

Brian Connelly, 26, Union Beach (Iraq)

Brian Parrello, 19, West Milford (Iraq)

Bruce Miller, 27, City of Orange (Iraq)

Bryan Freeman, Jr., 31, Westampton (Iraq)

Carl Jerome Ware, Jr., 22, Glassboro (Iraq)

Carlos Negron, 40, Lakewood (Afghanistan)

Charles Robinson, 29, Haddon Heights (Iraq)

Charles Robert Soltes, 36, Boonton (Iraq)

Chris Cosgrove, 23, Hanover (Iraq)

Christian Bueno-Galdos, 25, Paterson (Iraq)

Christian Longsworth, 26, Newark (Afghanistan)

Christopher Coffin, 51, Branchburg (Iraq)

Christopher Duffy, 26, Brick (Iraq)

Christopher Hbrek, 25, Westwood (Afghanistan)

Clarence Lavon Floyd, Jr. , 28, Newark (Iraq)

Curtis Christensen, 29, Collingswood (Iraq)

David Bentz III, 20, Newfield (Iraq)

David Tapper, 32, Waterford (Afghanistan)

David Mahlenbrock, 20, Maple Shade (Iraq)

Denis Miranda, 24, Toms River (Afghanistan)

Dennis Zilinski, 23, Howell (Iraq)

Donald Steven Brown, 19, Roxbury (Iraq)

Dwayne Kelley, 48, South Orange (Iraq)

Edward Karolasz, 25, Kearny (Iraq)

Eric Hernandez, 26, West Milford (Iraq)

Eric Wilkus, 20, Hamilton (Iraq)

Eric Rivera, 21, Atlantic City (Iraq)

Eric Snell, 35, Trenton (Iraq)

Farid Elazzouzi, 26, Paterson (Iraq)

Francisco Jackson, 24, Elizabeth (Afghanistan)

Frank Carvill, 51, Carlstadt (Iraq)

Frank Rivers, Jr., 23, Newark (Iraq)

Frederick Miller, 27, Lakewood (Iraq)

Gil Mercado, 25, Paterson (Iraq)

Gladimir Philippe, 37, Roselle (Iraq)

Gregory Dalessio, 30, Cherry Hill (Iraq)

Harry Swain IV, 21, Millville (Iraq)

Humberto Timoteo, 25, Newark (Iraq)

Jamal Rhett, 24, Palmyra, (Iraq)

James Gurbisz, 25, Eatontown (Iraq)

James Matthew Weis, 37, Toms River (Afghanistan)

James Harvey II, 23, Toms River (Afghanistan)

Jason Butkus, 34, West Milford (Iraq)

Jason Mann, 29, Woodlynne (Afghanistan)

Jeffery Stevenson, 20, Stillwater (Iraq)

Jeremy Kane, 22, Cherry Holl (Afghanistan)

Joe Baines, 29, Newark (Iraq)

Joel Perez, 25, Newark (Iraq)

John Quinlan, 36, Baltimore (Afghanistan)

John Charles Spahr, 42, Cherry Holl (Iraq)

John Linde, 26, Seaside Park (Afghanistan)

John Lyons, 26, Seaside Park (Afghanistan)

John McHugh, 46, West Caldwell (Afghanistan)

John Pryor, 42, Moorestown (Iraq)

John Wroblewski, 25, Jefferson (Iraq)

John Hicks, Jr., 20, Atco (Iraq)

Jorge Oliveria, 33, Newark (Afghanistan)

Joseph D’Augustine, 29, Waldwick (Afghanistan)

Joseph Weiglein, 31, Augubon (Iraq)

Jourdan Grez, 24, Long Branch (Iraq)

Kerem Khan, 20, Stafford (Iraq)

Keith Buzinski, 26, Hamilton (Afghanistan)

Kevin James Reinhard, 25, Woodbridge (Afghanistan)

Kyle Griffin, 20, Emerson (Iraq)

Luigi Marciante, Jr., 25, Jackson (Iraq)

Marc Seiden, 26, East Windsor (Iraq)

Marc Ryan, 25, Gloucester City (Iraq)

Marcos Gorra, 22, North Bergen (Afghanistan)

Maria Ortiz, 40, Pennsauken (Iraq)

Marlon Jackson, 25, Jersey City (Iraq)

Matthew Fenton, 24, Little Ferry (Iraq)

Michael Curtin, 23, Howell (Iraq)

Michael Jankiewicz, 23, Ramsey (Afghanistan)

Michael Kirspel, 23, Stanhope (Afghanistan)

Michael Gonzalez, 20, Spotswood (Iraq)

Michael Hook, 25, Little Egg Harbor (Iraq)

Michael Scusa, 22, Lower (Afghanistan)

Michael Hullender, 29, Norcross, Ga (Iraq)

Michael Schwarz, 20, Carlstadt (Iraq)

Michael Tarlavsky, 30, Clifton (Iraq)

Miguel Marcial III, 19, Secaucus (Iraq)

Min Soo Choi, 21, River Vale (Iraq)

Narson Sullivan, 21, North Brunswick (Iraq)

Nicholas Ott, 23, Manchester (Afghanistan)

Omar Vazquez, 25, Hamilton (Iraq)

Osbrany Montes De Oca, 20, North Arlington (Afghanistan)

Predo Antonio Millet IV, 20, Elizabeth (Afghanistan)

Philip Spakosky, 25, Pemberton (Iraq)

Phillip Frank, 20, Aberdeen (Iraq)

Rafael Nieves, Jr., 22, Bayonne (Afghanistan)

Richard Emmons III, 22, Woodstown (Afghanistan)

Richard Orengo, 32, Perth Amboy (Iraq)

Richard Torres, 25, Passaic (Iraq)

Robert White III, 21, Camden (Afghanistan)

Robert Chiomento, 34, Pemberton (Afghanistan)

Ronald Kubik, 21, Brielle (Afghanistan)

Ronald Wildrick, Jr., 30, Blairstown (Afghanistan)

Ronald Harrison, 25, Morris Plains (Iraq)

Ryan Gartner, 23, Fumont (Afghanistan)

Ryan Baker, 24, Pemberton (Iraq)

Ryan Christensen, 22, Wall (Iraq)

Ryan Doltz, 26, Mine Hall (Iraq)

Ryan Iannelli, 27, East Greenwich (Afghanistan)

Salvatore Corma, 24, Wenonah (Afghanistan)

Sameer A.M. Rateb, 22, Woodbridge (Iraq)

Scott Brunkhorst, 25, Bridgewater (Afghanistan)

Scott Smith, 34, Punxsutawney, Pa (Iraq)

Sean Grimes, 31, Bloomfield Hills, Mich (Iraq)

Sean Kelly, 23, Pitman (Iraq)

Seth Dvorin, 24, East Brunswick (Iraq)

Simeon Hunte, 23, Newark (Iraq)

Stanley Sokolowski III, 26, Ocean (Iraq)

Stephen Benish, 20, Linden (Iraq)

Stephen Sutherland, 34, Mantua (Iraq)

Stephen Sherman, 27, Neptune (Iraq)

Steven Checo, 22, Elizabeth (Afghanistan)

Steven Plumhoff, 33, Branchburg (Afghanistan)

Steven Koch, 23, Milltown (Afghanistan)

Steven Thornton, 46, Oregon (Iraq)

Terry Allen, 21, Pennsauken (Iraq)

Terry Hemingway, 39, Willingboro (Iraq)

Terry Holmes Ordonez, 22, Paterson (Iraq)

Thomas Walkup, 25, Millville (Afghanistan)

Thomas Saba, 30, Toms River (Iraq)

Trista Moretti, 27, South Plainfield (Iraq)

Vincent Michael Reassetto, 21, Toms River (Iraq)

Vincent Sullivan, 23, Chatham (Iraq)

Vincenzo Romeo, 23, Lodi (Iraq)

William Neil, Jr., 38, Holmdel (Afghanistan)

Yoe M. Aneiros Gonzalez, 20, Newark (Iraq)

An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the country where Steven Koch of Milltown N.J. was serving. We regret the error. 

Rob Tornoe is a political cartoonist and a WHYY contributor. See more of his work at RobTornoe.com, and follow him on twitter @RobTornoe.