U IS FOR UNION COUNTY.
This is (finally) the last badge in the New Jersey Probation Collection. It has taken forty or so years to fill the collection that now has 13 of 21 counties represented. Not every county issued badges to their probation officers so the number missing is less than eight. My best guess is 3 counties are still on the search list.
Union County is a major county in N.J. Its' county seat is Elizabeth. That City shares a Port and Airport with its' better known neighbor - Newark.
Most (28) of my career was in Newark. During that time it was not rare that my job carried me into the neighboring county. I made a number of friend there.
Over the years many hours were devoted to "union business" as well as the actual job. Because Union was bordered on a couple of counties I found myself living only a half mile from its' border. I lived in Morris County, far from Newark, but just a stones throw across the mighty Passaic River, to the City of Summit and Union County.
This town, now home to my daughter, was also home to a Union County Officer who frequently car pooled with me to meetings in Trenton. It seemed like every month we would drive to our Capital to hear the Prophets speak their words of wisdom. We discussed the Gospel on the way home, maybe stop and have a beer, and most certainly enjoy a laugh here and there.
Naturally I used this friendship to acquire the above badge. It took a while. As I recall it was something like four or five years, but I got one. That is all that matters.
The badge is gold finish with an Eagle at the top. The recessed letters are in a circle. At center point is a State Multi Color Seal. There isn't a mark on the badge and, in its' display case, it adds to those fine memories that I have also collected.
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