On February 21, Congressman Chris Smith presented the Bronze Star to Mike Vaccaro, a 79-year-old Vietnam War veteran from Middletown. The ceremony was attended by New Jersey State Assemblymembers Gerry Scharfenberger and Vicky Flynn.
Vaccaro served in the Vietnam War from 1971 to 1972 at the age of 24. “What I was doing was helping local people protect themselves, defend themselves and know what to do,” Vaccaro stated regarding his efforts to aid Vietnamese civilians against threats from the Viet Cong or North Vietnamese Army.
The event also saw attendance from Vaccaro’s family, including his wife Lynda, daughter Stephanie, son Michael, and grandchildren Alex and Abigail. Rep. Smith expressed gratitude for Vaccaro’s service: “Your family has to know how deeply you are respected,” he said. “Thank you for that courage. The Bronze Star is about courage and meritorious service. And that’s you.”
Despite being awarded the Bronze Star years ago for “meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces in the Republic of Vietnam during the period of August 1971 to April 1972,” Vaccaro never received the medal itself due to administrative issues following President Nixon’s “Vietnamization” policy.
Efforts over the years by Vaccaro to obtain his medal were unsuccessful until he sought assistance from Congressman Smith. Using a certificate that documented his award, Smith contacted both the U.S. Army and National Personnel Records Center on behalf of Vaccaro. This resulted in an amendment of Vaccaro’s record to reflect his receipt of the Bronze Star.
