Freeholders Urge Obama To Award Yogi Berra Presidential Medal Of Freedom

The Passaic County Freeholder Board is urging President Obama to award Garden State resident Lawrence “Yogi” Berra the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award a United States citizen can receive.

Berra lives in Montclair and played 19 Major League Baseball seasons with the New York Yankees where he made 15 All-Star Game appearances, won three Most Valuable Player awards, and won 10 World Series championships.

“Yogi Berra is worthy of this honor and deserving of our respect and admiration,” Freeholder Director Hector C. Lora said in a statement. “Yogi Berra embodies all that is great about New Jersey and the United States. I hope President Obama honors Yogi for his service to our nation.”

Berra served in the Navy in World War II and took part of the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944.

Berra established the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center at Montclair State University in 1998.

“We are blessed that Yogi settled in New Jersey and that Passaic County was chosen for his Museum’s location,” said Pasquale “Pat” Lepore. ”I hope [President Obama] takes swift action in recognizing Yogi’s contributions to our society over the last century.”

(Pictured: Yogi Berra/Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)