By Joel Keller
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
The office of Patrick McCarthy’s apartment at Cedar Crest is filled with the honors and citations that he collected during his 37 years of service in the Army and National Guard, many of which were spent in charge of the Guard’s engineering battalion based in Teaneck, N.J.
On November 15, he made room for one more plaque, as he received the 2007 Service Award from the New Jersey post of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).
McCarthys recognized for efforts
SAME is a civilian-run organization whose mission, according to their web site, is “To promote and facilitate engineering support for national security by developing and enhancing relationships and competencies among uniformed services, public and private sector engineers, and related professionals.” A member of the organization during his final years in the Guard, he stepped up his participation after he retired in 1987, working as the New Jersey post’s president, a regional vice president, and a national director, coordinating the efforts of posts in the region and around the country.
Along with his years of service to the organization, “he was part of the team responsible for the creation of the post’s scholarship fund and directly contributed to its growth over the past several years by seeking donors and chairing the golf tournament fundraiser event,” says Susan Boone, a past New Jersey post president. She says that “in recognition of his extensive contributions to the post over the years,” the post’s board of directors voted to rename the citation the Pat McCarthy Service Award.
In addition to the award, a scholarship was named in honor of McCarthy’s wife Marie, who passed away in December 2006. “She was always a cheery presence and was an asset at social and military events because of her personality, social skills, and understanding of military protocol,” says Boone. “It was clear to the members of the NJ post board of directors that Marie was an important element in Pat’s involvement in the society.”