Ho-Ho-Kus Military Veteran Receives American Legion Award

Stanley A. Kober, Life Member of the American Legion and member of Ridgewood NJ American Legion Post 53 since 2006, at the 92nd Bergen County American Legion (BCAL) Convention and Awards Ceremony on May 19, 2018 at Legion Post 170, Rochelle Park, NJ, received the “Bergen County American Legion Legionnaire of the Year Excellence Award” as a result of his submission to the County Legion.

See photo from left to right: Stanley A. Kober, recipient and Maenard Burgess, Commander, Bergen County American Legion.

As a result of the County Award, his submission also was forwarded to the American Legion Department of NJ for review for the prestigious American Legion “Department of N.J. Distinguished Service Award—Individual Legionnaire” award. It subsequently was selected by the NJ Department from those of other NJ County submissions, so he will be awarded the “Distinguished Service Award—Individual Legionnaire” by the American Legion Department of NJ at the Legion’s State Convention in June 2018 in Wildwood, NJ.

This American Legion Americanism award for the specified time period required is divided into two main areas—1) American Legion and Other Veteran Service Activities and 2) Community Service Activities. Kober’s submission to the BCAL covered aspects of Veteran Service Activities such as the following highlights: his major involvement in the Legion Post 53 preparation and conduct of the Gold Star Mother’s Day event held in Ridgewood, NJ each year for the last 7 years; co-organizer, recording secretary, and media information officer of the “Spirit of America’s Story—the Wall” event sponsored by Legion Post 53 and to be held in November 2018 in Ridgewood, NJ; creation of a WWI movie slide presentation from over 1,600 contemporaneous WWI newspaper articles and photos which has received the NJ WWI Centennial Commission logo and endorsement; preparation and assistance in the conduct of the Legion Post 53 Annual Blue Star Dinner; assistance in the original, additional research of WWI veterans from Ridgewood which led to the adding of one name to the military monument in Van Neste Square in Ridgewood, NJ; extensive, on-going investigation and research into the inordinately delayed repatriation of remains of the deceased WWII father of a fellow veteran; presentations on Vietnam experiences to local schools, libraries, and a community college; as well as other activities.

As for the Community Service activities for the period, some of them submitted were activities while being: a current member of the Ho-Ho-Kus Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) [after being the former Ho-Ho-Kus CERT Program Coordinator after he was asked to start the Ho-Ho-Kus program (2004-2015)]; a Bergen County Animal Response Team (CART) Team Leader/volunteer; a mentor and counselor for a Ridgewood Eagle Scout’s project to cleanup and enhance the historical cemetery in Ho-Ho-Kus by installing a park bench and an historic plaque with a QR (Quick Response) Code—apparently the first such technological inclusion in an historic plaque in Bergen County; a Bergen County Senior Citizens Coordinating Council Vice President; the writer of a booklet entitled, “Historic Ho-Ho-Kus Trilogy and Timeline” covering several key historical aspects in Ho-Ho-Kus which is in the process of being completed for publication; a presenter of local historical presentations; a presenter of “Civilian Response to an Active Shooter/Intruder Incident” presentations to the pubic in libraries and members of CERT organizations; a social media (Face Book® and Word Press®) site creator and administrator for several sites; and an on-line news contributor, among other activities.

Kober and his family have lived in Ho-Ho-Kus since 1971 and have a son who is a Lieutenant Colonel and Apache/Longbow helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army. Kober is also a member and the former Post Commander (2005-2013) for the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post 192 (Ho-Ho-Kus—Ridgewood); held the offices of Chief of Staff, Adjutant, and Inspector in the VFW District 2 (Bergen County); and a Vietnam Infantry Battalion Headquarters and Rifle Company Commander (1968).

In addition, he is a “cum laude” and Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) from a New England military university; the recipient of the Senior Parachutist Badge; National Defense Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster—with two “V” devices; Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze service stars; Combat Infantryman Badge; Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster & “V” device; Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 device; Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm; Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class Unit Citation; Expert Badge with Automatic Rifle Bar, Pistol Bar, and Rifle Bar; numerous letters of commendation from Generals and others while in Vietnam and at other duty stations; NJ Distinguished Service Medal; NJ Vietnam Service Medal; Bergen County Service Medal.

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