After church, I went to the Walter Scott Brown American Legion Post 226 in River Edge in April of 2009.  I met Richard Medaska, who was an officer with the post at the time and he gave me this information about himself and other family members' military service. 

          Richard Medaska said he graduated from Hackensack High School in 1955 with Norm Gigon, who lived on Asbury Street in New Milford and played for the Chicago Cubs in the late 1960’s, after many years of playing college and minor league baseball.  Richard Medaska said he served from 1958 to 1962 at the outbreak of the Vietnam War on board the U.S.S. Tanner, A.G.S. 15, Betelguese A.K. 260. 

Richard was a retired Hackensack Police officer as well.  

Written by:
Bob Meli
July 3, 2011

Background image of U.S.S. Tanner AGS- 15 a boat that many men in the Navy served on during the Vietnam War obtained from: