Edward H. Meeker, Jr. was born on March 1, 1948, in Newark, NJ, to Edward and Lenore Meeker. His home of record is Edison, NJ. He had a sister, Elizabeth and a brother, Eugene. In 1951, the Meeker Family moved to Hillcrest Avenue in Edison, NJ. Edward attended Washington School and later went to Thomas Jefferson Jr. High School when the family relocated to Central Avenue in the Stelton area of Edison.
As a child, Edward had an interest in typical boyhood pursuits, such as Little League baseball, playing musical instruments, ice skating, sledding and go-carts.
From the time he was a toddler, Edward had an interest in four-wheeled vehicles. In his pre-teen years, it was not unusual to find Edward and his father fashioning a go-cart out of bed frames, shopping cartwheels and lawn mower engines. This love for tinkering with engines, which he no doubt inherited from his father, stayed with him into his teen years. From the time he was able to drive, there was always a car in the backyard – a work in progress – for him to work on.
Edward was also a gifted artist. He was very adept at working with wood and was famous for crafting works of art in shop class. While a student at Thomas Jefferson, Edward was a member of the football team. The coach at the time, Fred Valerio, is quoted as having said about Edward, “…that kid’s got a lot of moxie.”
Meeker was drafted into the US Army in the fall of 1967. Prior to being drafted into the military, he was a member of the Lakewood Skydiving Club. Edward was planning on entering the Mechanics School at Teteboro Airport following completion of his military service. After graduating from basic training at Fort Dix, Eddie was assigned to the 589th Engineering Corps as a mechanic. He attained the rank of Private First Class (PFC).
In December of 1967, he began his tour of duty in Vietnam. Meeker was killed in action on June 18, 1968. He is buried in Resurrection Cemetery in Piscataway, NJ.
Meeker received numerous awards and medals. Some of these include the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon.
The town of Edison named a street in his honor. An eagle photograph was dedicated to Edward at Thomas Jefferson Jr. High School.
Sources: Eugene Meeker (brother) and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024
