Larry A. Altersitz, 68, artillery officer

Larry A. Altersitz, 68, of West Deptford, a Vietnam veteran who was a career field artillery officer in the New Jersey Army National Guard and Army Reserve, died of a heart attack at his home on Sunday, Feb. 1.

After a 28-year career, he retired from the military in 1997 as a lieutenant colonel in the Reserve, and was currently senior vice commander of the New Jersey Department of the Jewish War Veterans (JWV).

Bernie Epworth, state JWV commander in 2009-10, said Mr. Altersitz was to become state commander July 1.

"He was very active in supporting education for these returning veterans," Epworth said. "He was helping them assimilate back into society."

Born in Boston, Mr. Altersitz was a 1964 graduate of West Deptford High School, earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Northeastern University in 1969, and later studied at Suffolk University Law School in Boston.

Mr. Altersitz was on active duty from 1969 to 1975, serving as a member of the 82d Airborne Division and, during a 1971-72 tour in South Vietnam, as a staff officer with the First Cavalry Division, his wife, Josepha, said.

After joining the Massachusetts Army National Guard in 1975, he transferred to the New Jersey Guard, spent 1977-78 as a West Deptford police officer, and then had a civilian career into the 1990s as an agent with the Defense Logistics Agency, his wife said.

In his secretive work for the agency, she said, "he used to leave and he would come back a couple of weeks later," and not be able to speak about his work.

In his simultaneous part-time military career, she said, "he became state marksmanship coordinator for the Guard and traveled all around the nation with the state marksmanship team."

While in the Reserve, she said, he was a marksmanship instructor at Fort Dix.

After he retired from the Reserve and Defense Logistics Agency, Mr. Altersitz worked in the Gloucester County Division of Social Services in 1998 and 1999.

"He was a peacemaker" throughout his life, his wife said. "If there were problems, he handled them."

He was the author of articles on military matters for several publications, including the former magazine Field Artillery.

Besides his wife, Mr. Altersitz is survived by sons Samuel, Thomas, and Joseph, a brother, and a sister.

A visitation was set from 9:15 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at Platt Memorial Chapels, 2001 Berlin Rd., Cherry Hill, before a JWV service there at 9:45 a.m. and a funeral at 10 a.m., with burial in Gloucester County Veterans Cemetery.

Donations may be sent to a charity of one's choice.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.plattmemorial.com.