On Monday, November 11th, South Brunswick Township will hold a Veteran Street Sign Dedication Ceremony which will take place at 10:00 AM at the intersection of Hillside Avenue and New Road in Monmouth Junction, to honor local US Marine Corps Veteran, Buddy Thomas. This will mark the Township’s last dedication for this year, recognizing local veterans for their military service.
Buddy Thomas enlisted into the United States Marine Corps in 1959. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, which was part of the 2nd Marine Division which was nicknamed “the walking dead” due to the unit having sustained especially high casualty rates. Buddy was stationed in Da Nang where he achieved the rank of Sergeant.
Thomas served until his Honorable discharge in 1965. He earned a Purple Heart for his sacrifice after being wounded during battle. In 2019, Buddy was honored with the South Brunswick Living Local Legend Award. He has been a vocal advocate for helping get the POW flag installed at Township buildings and public schools. He continues to help the Marines during the holidays with their Toys for Tots fundraiser.
