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Honoring Norman Schwarzkopf

On Thursday, December 27th, New Jersey lost one of its most distinguished military leaders – General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. He died of complications from pneumonia in Tampa, Florida where he has lived in retirement since leaving the army in 1992.  

The son of the head of the New Jersey State Police, Norman Schwarzkopf was born in Trenton in 1934 and raised in Lawrenceville. He went on to become one of the most distinguished military leaders of the 20th Century. Before he became the very visible commander during the Gulf War, General Schwarzkopf had a distinguished military career, which eventually took him to a high position in the Pentagon. While he was stationed overseas, his family lived in Englishtown, New Jersey.  

Known affectionately as “Stormin’ Norman” (although he preferred the nickname “The Bear”), Schwarzkopf was beloved by his men, no doubt because of his philosophy, summed up in his own words, “It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”  

He graduated from West Point and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in engineering from USC. His awards include three Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, three Distinguished Service Medals, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and France’s Legion of Honor. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and honored with decorations from France, Britain, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

In May of 2008, General Schwarzkopf returned to New Jersey to accept his induction into the first class of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The backstage at NJPAC was host to many great individuals, including Yogi Berra, Bruce Springsteen and Buzz Aldrin, but General Schwarzkopf held an iconic status among the dozen great New Jerseyans in his class of inductees.  

He may have been a hero to the entire world, but he never forgot his roots and eloquently expressed his pride in being voted into the inaugural class of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Historic Legend Milt Campbell Passes Away

When it comes to adaptability and talent, we instantly draw a connection to our 2012 New Jersey Hall of Fame inductee: Milt Campbell. Milt Campbell became the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal in the decathlon during the 1956 summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He then went on to play professional football for the Cleveland Browns, the Montreal Alouettes, and was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Campbell passed away on Friday, November 2, 2012 in his home located in Gainesville, GA at the age of 78. Although he was dealing with health complications resulting from diabetes and cancer, his triumphant legacy will never be forgotten.

Milt Campbell
Plainfield, NJ (1933-2012)

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