Six years after losing everything in superstorm Sandy, a former Union Beach resident Bernard Ebner got something precious back.

The 69-year-old Navy veteran, who served two tours in Vietnam, was presented with replacements for five U.S. military medals the storm swept away in October of 2012. Rep. Chris Smith handed Ebner the awards in a ceremony Tuesday.

“It was pretty emotional for me,” Ebner told the Asbury Park Press. “I was very proud of those medals.”

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Ebner and his wife Linda lived in Union Beach for 44 years before Sandy flooded their Bay Avenue Cape Cod with 11 feet of water. He originally had displayed the medals in a case in the family room.

Rep. Chris Smith (right) presents replacement medals to Bernard Ebner. (Photo: Linda Ebner)

“When we had kids, that room got used for the kids and a lot of stuff got put away,” he said.

The medals went into a cabinet in the boiler room, and after Sandy they were never recovered after many months of sifting through the wreckage.

 

 

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Star Jet roller coaster that was swept off the Casino Pier by Hurricane Sandy sits off shore embedded in the sands of the Atlantic Ocean. Asbury Park Press File Photo

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“Going through what we went through with Sandy, you had thousands of boxes,” he said. “It took us almost a year-and-a-half to realize they were one of the things missing.”

The home eventually was torn down and the Ebners relocated to Manchester Township in 2013. Bernard reached out about the missing medals to Smith, who requested replacements from National Personal Record Center and the Navy. Medals lost due to natural disaster or fire may be eligible to be replaced free of charge.

The Ebners' Union Beach home getting torn down after Sandy. (Photo: Bernard Ebner)

“Six years ago today Sandy took away these medals,” Smith, who was the chairman of the Veterans Committee in the House of Representatives for four years, told Ebner during Tuesday’s ceremony in his Plumsted office. “What an honor it is and a privilege to be here with you today to help restore something Sandy took away.”

Bernard Ebner's five replacement U.S. military awards (Photo: Bernard Ebner)

The medals Ebner earned:

• The National Defense Service Medal
• The Vietnam Service Medal
• The Vietnam Campaign Medal
• The Navy E Button
• The Meritorious Unit Commendation

“To have full peace of mind over what happened (with Sandy), I don’t think that will ever happen, but I’m extremely thankful to get those back,” Ebner said.

Rep. Chris Smith (left) with Bernard and Linda Ebner (Photo: Courtesy of Bernard Ebner)

They will be going in a place of honor in his home.

“I plan on getting another display type of case, and I’ll put them in our dining room or living room,” he said.

“It was awesome to see that my dad got his medals back,” daughter Kelly Maher said. “His time in the military meant so much to him.”

For the latest on Sandy recovery, check out the video atop this story.

This story originally ran in the Oct. 31 , 2018 edition of the Asbury Park Press and was posted on this website on Nov. 1, 2018.