96-Year-Old Veteran Honored With Street Sign In South Brunswick

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ - South Brunswick held a Veteran Street Sign Dedication Ceremony on Saturday, to honor local Veteran Roy E. Menghi.

The ceremony was held at the intersection of Kendall Road and Palmer Road in Kendall Park.

Menghi enlisted in the United States Air Force on Jan. 13, 1949. He did his basic training at Sheppard AFB in Texas. He then completed Radio Mechanic School at Scott AFB in Illinois.

Menghi was assigned to an Aircraft Warning and Control base in New Jersey and then to Mitchell AFB Long Island, NY. His duties were maintenance and repair of ground-based communications equipment.

He was then transferred to Japan. After serving three months in there, Menghi was assigned to a forward air base in South Korea with the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing.

Due to the Korean War, his enlistment was extended. He served in South Korea from October of 1951 until July of 1952. His responsibilities at the airbase were the maintenance and repair of the ground-based communications equipment used for contact with the base’s fighter jets.

Once a rotation replacement was found for him at the airbase, Roy was shipped back to the United States and returned to Mitchell AFB in Long Island.

Menghi retired from the United States Air Force on October 12, 1952. Airman First Class Menghi was awarded the Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal during his service career.

He is currently awaiting The Ambassador for Peace Medal which is presented by the Government of South Korea.

He also recently received his 70-year pin as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 456.

Menghi was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1928 where he lived until he joined the United States Air Force and then returned home after he was honorably discharged where he met his wife, Joan Tart, and married her in 1954.

He and his wife became residents of Kendall Park, South Brunswick in January of 1957 where they later raised their two sons, Gary and Robert.

Joan passed away in 2019, and Menghi remained in their home until 2023.

In addition to Roy and his sons, Gary and Robert, numerous family members, friends, and neighbors joined Mayor Charlie Carley, Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman, Councilwoman Patty Germain, and Councilwoman Archana Grover at the ceremony honoring Menghi for his distinguished and enduring service to the nation and town.

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