(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ralph Caputo to help highlight and promote places and sites in New Jersey of historic significance to the military or the country’s war efforts was signed into law on Thursday.
“New Jersey has played an important role in America’s military history. One of the most important battles of the American Revolution was fought just blocks from the State House. People need to know this,” said Caputo (D-Essex). “This new law creates a website dedicated to New Jersey’s contributions to America’s military efforts, which not only honors these stories, but can help boost tourism to our state by providing a one-stop information shop for individuals interested in visiting these sites.”
The new law (formerly bill A-2805) requires the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, in consultation with the Division of Travel and Tourism in the Department of State and the New Jersey Historical Commission, to develop and maintain a website providing information detailing war battles fought and places of historic significance to the military or war efforts in New Jersey.
Under the law, the website will have to specify the date and location, and describe the importance, of each battle that took place on lands within the state or in state waters; and identify, and describe the importance of, locations that are, or have been, significant to military or war efforts, such as those locations used for military operations or training or that house, berth, or preserve historic military equipment, vehicles, or vessels, including battleships, fighter planes, and tanks.
The list and online tour will include information pertaining to battles fought and places that are of historic significance to military actions or war efforts undertaken in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The department is authorized to call on any state, county, or municipal department, authority, board, bureau, commission, agency, or entity, or of Rutgers University, or any other public institution of higher education in the state, for assistance in carrying out its duties.
The bill, which was approved unanimously by the Assembly in October, was approved 37-0 by the Senate on March 13.