Category: Last Salute Military Funeral Honor Guard NJ

The 2026 Marine Corps Law Enforcement event was a huge success as always. The event spanned 3 days with a formal evening gala including the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle, the Silent Drill Team, many dignitaries and 3 Medal of Honor recipients including; Mike Thornton, Robert Patterson and Donald Ballard. The Medal of Honor recipients honored those in the Last Salute Memorial Prayer and all 3 signed the side of the Last Salute “combat rubber raiding craft” which is used every Memorial Day to carry the Prayer Box 10 miles across the Absecon Bay to honor those inside. U.S. Navy Seal, Mike Thorton added his signature to the Medal of Honor signatures in Last Salute’s 2 Humvees. The black Humvee now has been signed by 11 Medal of Honor recipients and the slant back, “Caisson” has been signed by 9. There are almost 400 photos in the gallery linked below. First a few highlights for the families Last Salute is honored to serve!

Medal of Honor recipient, “Doc” Ballard and Jon DiFrancesco fire Last Salute’s cannons. Jon fires the “Mike D” cannon which is named after his father.

Here are the rest of the almost 400 photos!

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Last Salute was honored to have Medal of Honor recipients continue their tradition of firing Last Salute’s cannons to honor the fallen. You can see the memorial prayer box on the hood of the Humvee. Donald “Doc” Ballard fired the Jaime Lee and Brian Thacker fired the Mike “D”.

“Doc” also signed his name in the caisson Humvee bringing the number Medal of Honor signatures to 8 in that Humvee. He had previously signed the Gun Carriage Humvee dash years ago which has 10 Medal of Honor signatures.

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