John Baccarella, a World War II veteran, was honored by Bayonne’s First Responders on his 100th birthday earlier this month. The ceremony included the police and fire departments, as well as McCabe Ambulances that passed his house with sirens wailing. Baccarella, who served in Europe, trained at Fort Knox for the U.S. Army armored division. He served as a U.S. Army medical technician in the European Theater from 1943 to 1946.

He was attached to the 787th Tank Battalion in the 7th Army. He was a graduate of Bayonne High School, and worked for General Instrument Corporation in Elizabeth, prior to his deployment. He and his brother, Jacob, both served during the war. After the war, he became deeply involved in veteran’s affairs, and held numerous posts in veteran organizations, including the Catholic War Veterans.