Chatham Veteran Honored At County Ceremony

MORRISTOWN, NJ — George M. Macchia of Chatham was one of six Morris County residents who was awarded with a Distinguished Military Service Medal on Wednesday, during the Morris County Annual Memorial Day Observance ceremony.

Macchia, who was in the Air Force from Sept. 1986 through Dec. 1992, received his award from Morris County’s Board of County Commissioners on the lawn of the Morris County Courthouse.

Among the dignitaries, joining the commissioners were New Jersey State Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-25th Dist., Assemblywoman Aura Dunn, R-25th Dist., U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th Dist. and a veteran representative from the office of U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist.

According to information on the county website, Macchia was stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base between 1987 and 1992, with the 509th Air Refueling Squadron, where he was a captain, navigator and instruction navigator on a KC-135 aerial refueling tanker.

For his service in Desert Storm, he received several medals, including the Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Southwest Asia Service Medal.

He began his military service in Rutgers University’s ROTC program, where he graduated with a Political Science degree in 1986. Following his service, Macchia earned his MBA in 1992 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and then graduated cum laude from Seton Hall Law School in 1998.

He has been employed as an attorney with Fidelity National Title Insurance Co. since 1998, having also worked as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey from 2005 through 2011.

Macchia and his wife Dr. Rosemichele Sorvino-Macchia have three grown children, with Macchia having volunteered his time as a soccer coach when his children were small.

Click the video below to watch the 2021 Memorial Day Observance event.

According to a press release from the county, Since 2000, more than 10,000 Morris County veterans have been honored with Distinguished Military Service Medals.

Questions or comments about this story? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.