NJ Chamber’s ‘Liberty Gala’ Recognized 10th Anniversary of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and Military Heroes of New Jersey

The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s Liberty Gala on September 25 celebrated the 10th anniversary of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and honored the military heroes of New Jersey dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Among those honored was Sgt. Archie Fagan, a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, helped liberate Dachau concentration camp and attended the Nuremberg Trials. “I’m not a hero, I’m a survivor,” Fagan said.

The festivities included a song-and-dance show produced by the USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey Inc., which is headquartered on the Joint Base.

Overall, more than 225 people packed the Hamilton Manor in Hamilton for the festivities.

Guests included the Joint Base’s commanding officer, Col. Bridget V. Gigliotti, in one of her first public appearances since taking command in July. Also attending was Linda Bowden, chairwoman of the New Jersey Chamber Board of Directors and New Jersey regional president at PNC Bank.

Students from the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Jobs for New Jersey Graduates’ program read profiles of military heroes from New Jersey, including Thomas B. McGuire, the highly decorated World War II fighter pilot; Captain Eleanor Grace Alexander, the only woman commemorated on the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial; and John Basilone, one of the most famous heroes of World War II, who was awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst’s Economic Impact on New Jersey

The event recognized the crucial role that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst plays in protecting our national interests, supporting worldwide humanitarian relief efforts and serving as an economic engine for New Jersey.

Joint Base MDL, formed in 2009 when three bases merged (the Air Force’s McGuire Air Base, the Army’s Fort Dix, and the Navy’s Lakehurst Naval Air Base), is the second largest employer in New Jersey and it annually pumps about $7 billion into our state economy – equivalent to a Fortune 500 company.

“We need to remember these facts each time we hear that Washington D.C. is pondering another round of military base closures or consolidations,” said N.J. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Bracken. “We need to be ready to stand up for the Joint Base and the men and women who serve there.”