Navy Gold Star Program

“Forever Loved, Never Forgotten”

The Navy Gold Star Program is eternally grateful for the sacrifice of those Service Members who have died in service to our country. To help us to never forget, we have set up this tribute page to honor and remember the memory of those lives. If you would like to honor the memory of your Sailor, Soldier, Marine, Airman or Coast Guardsman through the Navy Gold Star website please submit your thoughts and a photo.

Aviation Boatswain Mate Joseph Naglak, USN, of Naval Station Norfolk and formerly of West Windsor, NJ died in service to our country while working on the flight deck aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on September 17, 2018. He was 21.Born in Seoul, South Korea, Joe was adopted by Kenneth Naglak and the late Jeanne Naglak. He was a member of the 2015 graduating class at West Windsor Plainsboro High School North and also studied automotive restoration. While in high school he played football and enjoyed basketball. Joe attended Monmouth University where he studied Homeland Security. In addition to his interests in sports and cars, Joe enjoyed drawing, the culinary arts and was an active and energetic volunteer with the Special Olympics.Joe enlisted in the Navy, because "He wanted to give back to a countrywho gave him so much" his sister Stephanie Blair Naglak said in an interview with NJ Advance Media. "He was everything that I hope to be one day and he should always be remembered as a hero with a big heart." After completing his training, Joe met a young lady with whom he wanted to share his life, got engaged and was working with his fiancée, Nicole Weber of Santa Barbara CA on planning their nuptials. Joe will be greatly missed, but forever remembered as one of the most loving and compassionate persons anyone could wish to have been able to call a son, grandson, brother, nephew, fiancé, and friend.

Tributes

AS1 (AW/SW/IW) Craig R Reuter
October 30, 1982 - December 3, 2017

Craig was born in Iowa. He loved his small town roots but always yearned to see the world. ...

- AS1 (AW/SW/IW) Craig R

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Testimonials

I would like to commend the Navy for providing a single point of contact for Gold Star Families. I have had to use it on occasion and it has really been a valuable asset.

More importantly I would like to put in a positive review of your Gold Star Coordinator, Emily Kolinda. I am a Gold Star spouse AND a retired Naval Aviator 0-6, so I come from both sides of the equation. I married my Naval Aviator 0-6 spouse late in life and so we had our daughter very late. When I lost Eric, I discovered the hardships of being a single parent, something I never truly appreciated. Navigating life without Eric was hard enough, but the VA triples the effort required and works hard to make you fight for every benefit for you and your children. Even today I struggle with just changing my address and bank deposits. DFAS is so much easier but the VA makes you work to find contact numbers etc. And I am an educated computer savvy person. In fact training Emily on the ins and outs of the VA would be a tremendous help for Gold Star spouses and children. I could detail my issues over the years but you don’t have enough time.

So, here is what I want to tell you about Emily. Perhaps this is in her job description, but she makes you feel cared for and special. She is a great communicator. She keeps the information coming and lets us decide what we want or not. She follows up with us to make sure we are getting the emails and info and if you respond to her, she is quick to reply. She takes the time to review who she is talking to, so that when you get an email she know I have a daughter who lost her father, even though my daughter is 25. Both of us get cards and emails and it is important to both of us, but it has a special effect on my daughter, who was only 11 when her father died. She will research questions and provide answers although it may not be exactly in her sphere of knowledge. What can I say, SHE IS AWESOME and I can’t express how much I appreciate both her and the Navy for following up with me even though it has been almost 15 years since Eric’s death. Thank you, we do APPRECIATE your service to us.

- Paula

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