NORTH BRUNSWICK – The intersection of River Bend Drive and Schmidt Lane in North Brunswick will forever be known as Kemash Way.
Gerald Peter Kemash received an honorary street sign on April 17 through North Brunswick’s Veteran Street Sign Program.
Kemash was born on Sept. 5, 1940, in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge and then moved to the Fords section in 1942 until the age of 61. In 2003, he moved to North Brunswick.
Kemash served in the U.S. Army from October 1963 to August 1965. He began his service in October 1963 in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in basic training, according to the proclamation read during the street naming ceremony.
After basic training, he started military police training in January 1964 in Fort Gordon, Georgia. He was stationed in Fort Chafee, Arkansas, with the 66th Military Police Corp from March to May 1964. In May 1964 he served in Cho Lon, Vietnam, until March 1965. From April to August 1965, he served in Saigon, Vietnam, with the 716th Military Police Battalion, according to the proclamation.
Kemash received numerous medals for his service, including the Sharpshooter Medal with a Rifle and the Marksman Medal with a Pistol. He also received a Commendation Letter and the AFEM (Vietnam) 2 O/S Bars which stands for the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam) with two overseas bars for his service in Vietnam, according to the proclamation.
Kemash was honorably discharged in August 1965.
His two brothers also served in the military: Peter Julius served in the Army and Andrew Edward served in the U.S. Air Force.
Kemash continues to reside in North Brunswick with his wife, Diane Sinisi-Kemash.
