Obituary of Adam Rodgers

Adam Rodgers, 92, of Brookside died on Tuesday, January 5, 2010, at Hunterdon Care Center in Flemington, NJ. Adam was born in Rahway, NJ, on June 8, 1917. He was one of 11 children and his mother died when he was young. He dropped out of high school before finishing the 9th Grade, working as a laborer and repairman. When World War II began, he enlisted in the United States Army at Fort Dix, NJ, in 1941 and completed basic training at Camp Croft, SC. Adam was trained as an Infantryman and was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division (the "Big Red One"). In 1942, Adam departed for Europe on the Queen Mary for combat actions in World War II. He served throughout Europe and Africa, participating in Allied operations in Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, and other locations throughout Europe. He was an integral member of his unit and took part in multiple beach assaults, including the landing of the Big Red One on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. For his efforts in Belgium on December 21, 1944, he earned a citation for defeating a series of German counterattacks and defending his mortar position while under heavy enemy fire. Adam returned to the United States in 1945 having achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant and was honorably discharged from the Army, having earned multiple awards during his tour of duty including the Distinguished Unit Badge and the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. After his discharge from the Army, Adam utilized his military training to gain civilian employment and took a job at the Raritan Arsenal in Middlesex County, NJ. The US Army used the 3,200-acre arsenal from 1917 to 1963 as a site for ammunition storage and renovation. Experienced veterans who had knowledge about explosives were in high demand, and Adam worked at the Arsenal for 22 years. Upon leaving the Raritan Arsenal, he started his own landscaping and small home repair business, working by himself for various local customers for over 20 years. In addition to his business, Adam also served as a volunteer fireman at the Brookside Engine Company No. 1 in Mendham Township, NJ. He volunteered at the Engine Company for many years, providing aid to the local community, raising money for the fire department at their annual clambake, and marching the Company in their annual parades. At a square dance in the summer 1947, Adam met the former Ida Mae Woodhull of Brookside, NJ, and the two were married on April 17, 1948. They lived happily for 57 years in the same home in Brookside, NJ, until Ida Mae's death in 2004. Adam was predeceased by nine of his brothers and sisters and his wife, Ida Mae. He is survived by his sister, Mae Rodgers Warda, his nieces and nephews, and the loving family of his wife, Ida. He will be sadly missed by his devoted family and loyal friends, all of whom know the character and honor of this one-of-a kind man, a humble hero of America's Greatest Generation. Always proud of his service to the nation and his part in the storied history of one of America's greatest Infantry Divisions, Adam was a lifetime member of the Society of the First Infantry Division. He was also a lifetime member of the Brookside Engine Company No. 1. A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2010, at Bailey Funeral Home at 8 Hilltop Road, Mendham, NJ, 07945, at 10:00 AM, immediately followed by traditional military honors and internment at Somerset Hills Memorial Park on Mount Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ, 07920. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Society of the First Infantry Division, which provides financial aid to Soldiers and scholarships to the children of fallen heroes of the 1st Infantry Division, as well as maintenance of the First Division Memorial in Washington, DC, at 1933 Morris Road Blue Bell, PA, 19422 ( www.1stid.org/index.cfm) or to the Brookside Engine Company No. 1 at PO Bo 196, Brookside, NJ, 07926-0196 ( www.bec1.org/).