Department Vice Commanders
See below for each District and the Counties within each District that the Vice Commander is assigned for the year.
District One
Dennis Duddie- P170 Bergen County
(Counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union)
Bio:
Dennis M. Duddie originally hails from the Bronx and is part of a unique group of veterans who served in two branches of the military.
He proudly served in the United States Navy from 1992 to 1994 as a Damage Controlman, where his duties included ship stability, firefighting, fire prevention, and chemical, biological, and radiological warfare defense.
After his Navy enlistment, Dennis continued his service in the New Jersey Army National Guard from 1994 to 2001 as a Medical Specialist with the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Regiment in Riverdale. After a four-year break in service, he returned to the Army National Guard from 2006 to 2010 as a Medical Specialist with the 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment in Woodbury.
While serving in the National Guard, Dennis also worked as a police dispatcher for the Borough of North Arlington from 1998 to 2003 and the Borough of Fair Lawn from 2000 to 2004. He served as an Emergency Medical Technician with the North Arlington Volunteer Emergency Squad from 1994 to 1999.
Dennis has always accepted the challenge of demanding service in EMS, public safety, and medical support within the NJ Army National Guard. He is known by many as a “first responder’s first responder” because of his outstanding dedication to his community and his willingness to put the needs of others before his own.
In 2022, Dennis started the Hometown Hero Banner Program in Rochelle Park and continues to volunteer his time to support it.
Most recently, he was nominated to serve a fourth term as Commander of Rochelle Park American Legion Post 170. He also served as Bergen County American Legion Commander from 2023 to 2026 and currently serves as the American Legion Department of New Jersey Chairman for Employment, Homelessness, and Education. Dennis will also be serving as one of the American Legion Department of New Jersey Vice Commander for the 2026-2027 year.\
Under Dennis’s leadership, the Legion post has continued to grow and thrive while working with other organizations for the benefit of Bergen County veterans and their families. He assists veterans with benefit claims, helps homeless veterans seek permanent housing, and remains active in the community, always looking for ways to improve the lives of his fellow veterans.
District Two
Joseph Fircker P-174 Passaic County
(Counties: Hunterdon, Morris, Sussex, Warren)
j.fricker@njamericanlegion.org
Legion Bio:
Coming Soon
District Three
Randy Grizzard P-3 Union County
(Counties: Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset)
r.grizzard@njamericanlegion.org
Bio:
Randy is a 17-year Legion member who joined the American Legion Post 209 Scotch Plains in 2009 through his US Army Service, membership number 203851731. In 2013, he transferred to Post 3 in Westfield, joined Squadron 3 under his father's membership in 2015, and has been Post Commander since 2016.
During his time as Post 3 Commander, Randy has improved the Post’s financial outlook and membership during that time. He also plays a big part in the day-to-day operations by keeping everything running smoothly, making sure so much is done, from regular maintenance and inspections are done down to the weekly cleaning.
Randy has attended the Department of New Jersey Legion College for 10 years and has taken every class at least once except for Chaplain. Upon return, he easily shares and utilizes the knowledge he gained with the Post’s Officers and members.
Randy was appointed Union County Adjutant from 2016 to 2018 and is currently serving Union County Commander for part of the 2024-2025 year.
At the Department level, Randy has served on the Employment and Education Committee and has served on the ABC Gaming Committee. He has also attended both Department and National Conventions for the last five years and brings back
Randy also served with PDC Dunn and PDC Bishop as their Master at Arms.
District Four
Frank Landis- P-455 Ocean County
(Counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Ocean)
Bio:
Frank Landis is a distinguished veteran and community leader whose career spans over 27 years of military service and a deep commitment to The American Legion. He joined the U.S. Army in 1996, serving in both active-duty and Reserve roles, which included a year-long deployment to Iraq in 2008, before honorably retiring in June 2023.
Parallel to his military career, Frank became a cornerstone of The American Legion after joining Burlington County Post 294 in 2012, where he served as Post Commander from 2016 to 2017. He later transferred to Ocean County Post 455, serving as Post Commander from 2018 to 2021 and as Post Finance Officer from 2022-2026.
His leadership quickly extended to the county and state levels, serving as Ocean County Commander from 2023 to 2025 and chairing the Department Americanism Committee since 2023. A graduate of the 2024 National American Legion College and a New Jersey American Legion Leadership College staff member,
Frank is known for his reliable presence, having attended every Department Convention since 2014 and every National Convention since 2021. Frank’s commitment to preserving the organization’s history was notably demonstrated through his work on the Department Centennial Committee, where he held the specialized responsibility of the Centennial Time Capsule. This project ensured that the Department's 100-year legacy was properly preserved for future generations of veterans to discover.
Frank served as the Department American Legion Riders Director for the 2025–2026 term, overseeing the statewide program under the theme "Building our Legacy... Together," emphasizing unity and the collective responsibility of mentoring the next generation of leaders.
Beyond his extensive public service, Frank’s greatest pride is his family. He has been married to his wife, Lara, since February 1998. They are the parents of three children—Jennifer, Micheal, and Frank Jr.—and the proud grandparents of their granddaughter, Margaret.
District Five
Ezell Jackson Jr. P-336 Burlington County
(Counties: Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem)
e.jackson@njamericanlegion.org
Bio:
Coming Soon