SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The township recently honored the life, service, and sacrifice of Sergeant Theodore W. Lounsbury Jr. during a Veteran Street Sign Dedication Ceremony.
Attended by family members, veterans, township officials, and community residents, the ceremony was held as part of the township’s Veteran Street Sign Program.
The event recognized Sgt. Lounsbury’s distinguished service in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and formally dedicated a commemorative street sign in his honor.
Sgt. Lounsbury is survived by his cousins Arlene Mikkelsen, Karen Busco, David Beier, and Cindy Beier, as well as his nephews William Lounsbury Jr. and Eric Lounsbury.
Family members were among those who joined Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman, Councilwoman Jo Hochman, Councilwoman Patty Germain, Township Manager Bryan Bidlack, representatives of local veterans organizations, members of the South Brunswick Police Department and Honor Guard, and residents for the ceremony honoring the South Brunswick native’s courage, sacrifice, and service to the nation.
The ceremony opened with welcoming remarks recognizing the importance of preserving the memory of local veterans whose service helped protect the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans.
VFW Commander Scott Weyd led the Pledge of Allegiance and shared the service history of Sgt. Lounsbury, reflecting on his courage and devotion to duty while serving with the 1st Marine Air Wing in Da Nang, Vietnam.
A formal Township Resolution was then read by Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman, detailing Sgt. Lounsbury’s military service and accomplishments.
The resolution noted that Sgt. Lounsbury served in a medical evacuation helicopter unit conducting dangerous combat rescue operations in support of wounded servicemen during the Vietnam War.
For his extraordinary heroism and service, Sgt. Lounsbury was awarded the Silver Star Medal and numerous additional military honors, including the Navy Commendation Medal for Valor and the Air Medal, awarded twenty-three times for meritorious achievement during aerial flight operations.
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1945, Theodore W. Lounsbury Jr. was raised in the Dayton section of South Brunswick and graduated from South Brunswick High School in 1963 before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1964.
Sgt. Lounsbury tragically passed away on April 10, 1968, at the age of twenty-three while still serving in the Marine Corps.
During the ceremony, family members unveiled the commemorative street sign that will permanently honor his legacy within the community he once called home.
“As we dedicate this street sign, we ensure that Sgt. Theodore W. Lounsbury Jr.’s courage, sacrifice, and service to our Nation will never be forgotten,” Deputy Mayor Ken Bierman said. “South Brunswick is proud to honor one of our own whose actions reflected the very best of our country.”
The ceremony concluded with the playing of Taps by Paul G. Feldman of Taps for Veterans in honor of Sgt. Lounsbury’s memory and service.
South Brunswick’s Veteran Street Sign Program recognizes honorably discharged wartime veterans with commemorative street signs installed along existing municipal roadways as a
lasting tribute to their service and sacrifice.
To learn more, you can visit the South Brunswick website.
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