10/26/2011 - Flags At Half Staff Honoring Army Staff Sergeant Jorge M. Oliveira

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 79

WHEREAS, United States Army Staff Sergeant Jorge M.Oliveira lived in the Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey;and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Oliveira was an Essex County Sheriff’s Officer serving in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Oliveira was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Regiment, 50th Brigade Combat Team, Riverdale, New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Oliveira was an honorable and courageous young man who loved his country and the military; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Oliveira has received some of our nation’s highest military honors, including the Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievements Medal,National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Mobilization Device (2nd Award), Expert Infantryman Badge, and Air Assault Badge; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Oliveira tragically lost his life while heroically and selflessly serving his country in Paktika province, Afghanistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Oliveira was a brave and dedicated solider as well as a loving son and brother whose memory lives in the hearts of his family, friends, and fellow soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Oliveira’s heroism, patriotism, and service to his country make it appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to remember him and his family, to mark his passing, and to honor his memory;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. The flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Friday, October 28, 2011, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Staff Sergeant Jorge M. Oliveira.

2. This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 26th day of October, Two Thousand and Eleven,and of the Independence of the United States, the Two Hundred and Thirty-Sixth.

 

/s/ Chris Christie

Governor

[seal]

Attest:

/s/ Jeffrey S. Chiesa

Chief Counsel to the Governor
Archives