The Camden County Board of Commissioners has for 21 years chosen individuals to receive the county Freedom Medal, an annual award that acknowledges civic leaders who reflect the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
One of this year’s recipients is Sicklerville native Mark Bodrog, a former Marine captain who dedicated his post-military career to helping veterans and easing the struggles that come with readjusting to normal life.
While grateful for the recognition, Bodrog said at the award ceremony last month that the honor is less important than fighting for veterans around the country.
“You don’t go looking for awards, you go looking to help as many people as possible,” noted Bodrog, who is especially thankful to be honored by his home state. “But to be recognized in New Jersey is a huge honor.”
Bodrog joined the Marines in 2008 and served two tours in Afghanistan, where he was stationed at the Helmand Province to help in the fight against the Taliban.
“The Helmand Province is probably Afghanistan’s most notorious province; a lot of not so good things were taking place over there,” Bodrog acknowledged. “But we really did a lot of good over there. We tried to break the locals away from the Taliban and help them stay safe.”
Bodrog wrote about his time overseas in the book “Second Platoon, Call Sign Hades: A Memoir of the Marines of the Combined Action Company.” He said he wrote the book because he felt as though many details of the war were not being talked about.
“The book actually began as a journal that I started during the height of the war,” Bodrog recallee. “I felt like there was not a lot of accurate reporting in the American media, compared to the things I was seeing on the ground.
“I wanted to make sure I was telling the good side of the war.”
Bodrog has also written a play aimed at preventing veteran suicide. That work, “22 A Day: A Tragedy in Three Acts” sheds light on the number of veteran suicides in America every day.
Another accomplishment on Bodrog’s long list is the work he’s done with New Jersey legislatures. Thanks to his efforts, every college campus in the state is required to have a coordinator on site to assist veterans with challenges they may face.
“These coordinators are there to help veterans navigate the difficult bureaucratic setup and system at these colleges,” Bodrog explained. “We also passed another law that was signed by Gov. Murphy that requires every veteran who is honorably discharged to receive up to 12 college credits [one semester].
“It’s to give them something for their honorable service,” Bodrog added.
Bodrog also admits that while America “loves their veterans,” their suicide, unemployment, and mental-health numbers do not lie. It’s an issue he believes has to start at the local level, which is why he’s doing his part.
“This all comes back to getting veterans out of that dark place to really [allow them to] pursue their dreams,” he said.
