Rt. 35 In Old Bridge Renamed For 2 Local Men Killed In Vietnam War

LAURENCE HARBOR, NJ — Rt. 35 as it runs through the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge will be renamed to honor two local men who were killed in the Vietnam War.

The highway will be renamed to honor U.S. Army soldiers James Leonard Francisco and Walter James Schmidt.

Both are from Laurence Harbor and were killed in South Vietnam in the late '60s.

Francisco enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968 at the age of 20 years old. He served as a light weapons infantryman with the 9th Infantry Division. On Feb. 5, 1969, he was killed in action in South Vietnam. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

On Nov. 8, 1966, at the age of 22, Schmidt’s unit was participating in Operation Attleboro when it was suddenly and violently attacked by two Viet Cong main force regiments. Schmidt was serving on a machine gun crew and continued firing at the insurgents until he was mortally wounded by hostile small arms fire and hand grenades. He was awarded a Silver Star for his valor.

The legislation to rename Rt. 35 was sponsored by Assemblymen Rob Clifton and Alex Sauickie, and state Sen. Owen Henry sponsored the companion legislation in the New Jersey Senate. All are Republican. The two pieces of legislation were signed into law this week.

“Too many of our nation’s brave Vietnam veterans didn’t get the homecoming they deserved either because they were killed in action like Private First Class James Francisco and Specialist 4 Walter Schmidt, or because of politics," Assemblyman Sauickie said this week. "This measure rightfully honors our heroes and cements the legacy these young men earned in a community that tragically never got to welcome them home."

Said Assemblyman Clifton:

“We are incredibly proud that James Leonard Francisco and Walter James Schmidt are products of New Jersey and Laurence Harbor. This memorial will serve as a reminder to the community that we have two local fallen heroes who died for the freedoms we hold dear today and forever deserve our recognition and gratitude."