WAYNE — Robert Carlo wears his military service as a badge of honor.

This week, more than 75 years after the soldier was discharged by the Army, he wore it over his heart, in the form of a shiny medal hanging from a red, white and blue ribbon.

One of the state's highest-ranking military officials gave the World War II veteran the Distinguished Service Medal on Wednesday during a brief ceremony at his apartment on Manchester Court.

The ceremony was extra-special because the medal almost always is given in bunches, rather than at presentations for single veterans. It also marked the first time that Mark Piterski, the state's deputy commissioner for veterans affairs, presented the medal in a private home.

"I'm very honored — very honored to get it," the 94-year-old said about the award. "I never even expected it."

His day started like any other, with crumb cake squares stacked at least 6 inches tall at his kitchen table, and his family seated in an adjacent room. Neighbors popped in, and coffee dripped into a pot.

Then, Carlo got pinned.

"It's an honor, especially with the World War II veterans," Piterski said of his duty to give out the medals. "I just love doing this to thank them for what they've done."

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Carlo and Piterski, a decorated veteran in his own right, spent an hour trading laughs and war stories.

The state Department of Military & Veterans Affairs became aware Carlo did not have the medal when NorthJersey.com reported that he and his family had traveled to France to retrace the path he took in the days after the Normandy invasion.

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Carlo, a Purple Heart recipient, was a rifleman injured by an exploding grenade about a week after his infantry unit's landing at Utah Beach in June 1944.

Kryn Westhoven, a department spokesman, said the veterans affairs office researched whether Carlo had been awarded the medal and found that he had not.

"The problem is veterans do not know that the state medals are available," Westhoven said in an email on Tuesday.

The department tries to spread the word through outreach to veterans' groups and medal ceremonies at shopping malls. Veterans must apply to receive the medal.

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The medal awarded to Carlo initially was issued in 1858 to veterans who had distinguished themselves in the state's militia. But it was rarely used.

Medals were given to New Jersey soldiers who returned from combat after the Spanish-American War, the Mexican Expedition of 1916 and World War I, but there were no such awards for veterans of World War II and later conflicts.

That changed in 1988, when then-Gov. Thomas Kean brought back the original medal. Now it is considered the state's most prestigious military award.

More than 900 veterans were awarded the medal last year, Westhoven said.

To Carlo, the medal is a small, but meaningful, token that recognizes the sacrifice he made to defend his country. His daughter, Barbara Turco, surprised him with news that he would receive it.

"She showed me the picture," he recalled. "And, I said, 'Oh, my God — that's beautiful.'"

Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: devencentis@northjersey.com Twitter: @PhilDeVencentis