Several townsin Central Jersey are finding ways to honor their fallen servicemen and women in a variety of Memorial Day events over the next several days. With no shortage of these events, here are just a few that you can attend and participate.
Hunterdon County
Califon
16th Annual Califon Memorial Day Parade is on Monday, May 29. The parade will begin 11 a.m. on School Street and will feature St. Ann’s of Hampton Pipes and Drums, the 15th New Jersey Volunteers Infantry Company A accompanied by the NJ Field Music Fife and Drum Corps, and will feature antique cars, scout troops, area fire and rescue squads and more. The parade will proceed down Main Street and will continue on to Califon Island Park.
Bagpipes will play at the center of the Califon Bridge in remembrance of the fallen. A Memorial Service will be held at noon next to the Califon Veterans Memorial. The Voorhees Jazz Band will perform the "Star-Spangled Banner" and taps. Califon Fire Company will also have food and drinks available after the service. The Kona Ice Truck, Cubberly Band and more will join in the festivities.
The Califon Recreation Committee is also still looking for volunteers to assist in the running of the event. Please contact Amanda Altavilla, altavillaamanda@yahoo.com , to register to participate, to be a volunteer or for additional information.
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Flemington
The borough's Memorial Day Parade will be on Monday, May 29, at 10 a.m., and will start at Church and Main streets.
Readington
The township will have itsannual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29.The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Whitehouse Mall and will continue south on Route 523 for one mile, ending at the Municipal Building. After the parade, there will be a ceremony in honor of fallen service personnel.
Following the ceremony, there will be a Community Daycelebration at Pickell Park. Games, hot dogs and soda will be provided by the Township Recreation Department. For more information,contact Betty Ann Fort, Deputy Mayor, at 439-3302 or emailReadingtonParade@comcast.net.
Middlesex County
Carteret
Mayor Reiman, the Carteret Borough Counciland the Veterans Alliance will be holding a series of Memorial Day observations on Sunday, May 28.
- 8a.m.: Casting of the memorial wreaths andveteransflag-raising ceremony at Carteret Waterfront Park;
- Carteret’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) will host its own ceremony following the laying of the wreaths, in front of the Carteret Library at 100 Cooke Ave.;
- Noon: Veterans Alliance ceremonies at Carteret Park, at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial;
- 1p.m.: Carteret’s annual Memorial Day Parade, beginning at Carteret Park (corner of Cypress Streetand Carteret Avenue), and ending at the Memorial Municipal Building, 61 Cooke Ave.;
- Town barbeque following the parade at the Memorial Municipal Building. Carteret’s traditional Memorial Day Services attract thousands each year, including a host of veterans organizations, civic and community groups, and from throughout the area, the many supporters and friends of the U.S. military.
The Veterans Alliance encourages military veterans and all U.S. military service personnel to participate in the parade. A veteransdinner will also be hosted at the library following the day’s events. For more information, call 732-541-3801.
East Brunswick
A Veterans Ceremony Flag Raising will be held on Sunday, May 28, at 1 p.m. atVeterans Park in the Municipal Complex. There will also be a wreath ceremony and mini patriotic concert. Participating veterans groups include AMVETS Post 34, VFW Post 133 Auxilary, Jewish War Veterans Post 311and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
East Brunswick Elks Lodge 2370 is holding their Annual Memorial Day Picnic on Sunday, May 28, from 1:30 to6p.m. Adults are $20, children ages 11-18 $10, and ages 10 and under are free. RSVP at banquetmanager@ebelks.com.
Edison
The Memorial Day Parade will be on Sunday, May 28, and will start at 2 p.m. at Walsh Avenue and will end at Brower. Refreshments will be served to parade recipients courtesy of Clara Barton American Legion Post 324.
Monroe
On Monday, May 29, Monroe will hold a wreath-laying service at the Veterans Memorial, 1 Municipal Plaza,at 9 a.m. Another wreath-laying service will be held at 9:45 at the Veterans Park on Avenue K.
Monroe will provide round-trip busing from the Municipal Complex to the second dedication for all veterans in attendance.
For moreinfo, visitmonroetwp.com.
North Brunswick
North Brunswick is holding their 38th annual Memorial Day 5K walk/run on Monday, May 29, at the North Brunswick Community Park. Check In starts at 7:30 a.m. and the walk/run starts at 8:20 a.m. Registration can be completed at www.northbrunswicknj.gov or https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/NorthBrunswick/NB5K. The registration fee is $20.
The Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services of North Brunswick will be holding a commemoration ceremony May 29 at the North Brunswick Veterans Park beginningat 11 a.m.
Adams Athletic Club is holding a Memorial Day ceremony on May 29 at 10 a.m. at Sabella Park. Pfc. Joseph Sabella, who was killed in action during the Korean War and his friend, Phil Dellasala, a fellow Korean War veteran who diedthis year, will be honored. A bench will be dedicated in Dellasala's honor.
Old Bridge
There will be a Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29 starting at 9 a.m. on Laurence Parkway and Ely Avenue. The grand marshalis Capt.Angus Baptiste.
Memorial Elementary School hosted an Interactive Military Day on May 23, with members of the United State Air Force bringing a variety of heavy equipment to the Old Bridge K-5 school.
The program began with a school-wide assembly and was followed by visits to interactive military stations.
Under the direction of Colonel Vito DiMicco from the United States Air Force, he brought with him United States Air Force heavy equipment and 20 Air Force officers to conduct the presentation to the student body.
They set up four interactive stations for the students to experience, including civil engineering vehicles, a Humvee, an LMTV (Light Medium Tactile Vehicle), and air flight equipment.
The civil engineering station featured a street sweeper, dump truck, and a mini loader while the LMTV station had students climbing into the truck and seeing how the truck is operated.
The Humvee station also had students going inside the vehicle and seeing how it is operated while the air flight equipment station included a 20-person raft and life vests for the children to try on.
Before the interactive experience, Colonel DiMicco and the Air Force officers presented 14 Memorial students with United States Air Force dog tags during a school-wide assembly.
Colonel DiMicco is the father of fourth-grade teacher Jerilyn DiMicco. He has been a member of the United States Air Force for the past 37 years.
This is not the first time Colonel DiMicco has visited this National and State School of Character. Students at Memorial Elementary School have participated during this school year in “Operation Thank You,” bringing awareness to the dedication, commitment, and service of the United States military and enhancing the students’ sense of citizenship and patriotism. This program included a visit from active members of several military branches, who shared with students their first-hand information on what they do and why they provide service to our country. During their visit, the military officers expressed their desires to continue this relationship.
Perth Amboy
Due to the potential for inclement weather, the Memorial Day Parade scheduled to start Monday, May 29, at 10 a.m. has been cancelled. The Memorial Day ceremony has been moved indoorsand will start at 11 a.m. at American Legion Post 45, 530 Smith St. There will be a light luncheon at noonatAmerican Legion Post 45.
Woodbridge
Mayor John E. McCormac, the Woodbridge Township Veterans Alliance, Veterans Service Organizations and Public Safety agencies will host Memorial Day services on Sunday, May 28, and Monday, May 29:
Colonia VFW Post 6061 will host a special Memorial Day service on Sundayto honor Cpl. Kevin J. Reinhard, USMC,the first Woodbridgesoldier to give his life for our country since the war in Afghanistan began more than 12 years ago. The service starts at 11:15 a.m.at the Gazebo in Charlie Shaughnessy Park, Inman Avenue, Colonia.
Colonia VFW Post 6061 will hold their annual Memorial Day service at noon Sunday. Following the services, the Colonia VFW will host a Memorial Day BBQ. $20per person (children under 10 free). Tickets: VFW Post 6061 at 732-574-9783 or Councilwoman Debbie Meehan at732-382-0273.
Keasbey Fire Co.1 will hold a Memorial Day Parade & Service at the Keasbey War Memorial Monument Park (foot of Edison Bridge on Smith Street). The parade steps off at 7:30 a.m.from the Keasbey Fire Department (420 Smith St.) and will march to the Keasbey War Memorial Monument Park for the 8 a.m.Memorial Service.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 04-04 Station Sewaren will conduct a Memorial Day Wreath-Laying Ceremony at 9 a.m.at the Woodbridge Marina and Boat Launch at the foot of Cliff Street. Members of the USCG Flotilla will lay a wreath in honor of the men and women lost at sea.
Port Reading Fire Co.1 will conduct their annual Memorial Day Flag-Raising & Remembrance Service at 9 a.m.outside the Fire Company Headquarters, 916 West Ave.
Avenel Fire Department will conduct their annual Memorial Day Flag-Raising & Remembrance Service at 9:30 a.m. at the Avenel Fire House, 346 Avenel St.
Avenel VFW Memorial Post 7164 will conduct a Memorial Day service at 10a.m.at the Post Headquarters,60 W.Park Ave.Call 732-636-9615.
Hopelawn VFW Memorial Post 1352 will conduct a Memorial Day Flag-Raising service at 10:30 a.m.at the Hopelawn Fire Department,127 Loretta St.
American Legion T. Nulty Post 471 will conduct their annual Memorial Day Flag-Raising & Memorial service at 11 a.m.at Post Headquarters, 25 Brown Ave., Iselin.
Iselin VFW Memorial Post 2636 will hold a Memorial Day service at 11 a.m.at the Auth Avenue Memorial (outside Post Headquarters on Auth Avenue) in Iselin.
Woodbridge VFW Post 4410 will conduct a Memorial Day service at 11 a.m.at the Post Headquarters, 393 Pearl St., Woodbridge.
Piscataway
A Memorial Day Family Event will be held on Monday, May 29, from 12:30to 3 p.m. at Quibbletown Park. Teens are welcome to enjoy music, food, life-size Jenga, participate in a cardboard challengeand much more.The event is open to all.
Sayreville
Sayreville, in partnership with the American Legion Post 211 and the Veterans of Foreign War Post 4699, will hold a Memorial Day Parade on Tuesday, May 30, at 10a.m.
Spotswood
The Memorial Day Parade is on Monday, May 29. The lineup will start at 1 p.m. at Schweutzer Maudet, 85 E.Main St. The parade will stepoff at 2 p.m. and will end at American Legion Post 253 on DeVoe Avenue. There will also be graveside visitation.
South Brunswick
Memorial Day Remembrance Services will be held on the front lawn at the Lt. John Farnkopf American Legion Post 401, 148 Major Road, Monmouth Junction, on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. During the ceremony, two longtime members of the post will be recognized for their 50 years of continuous membership: Hank DeGroff and Joe Duca. Mayor Chris Killmurray has been invited to speak; Gary Cooper, post commander, and Mary Halecki, auxiliary president, will present the ceremonial wreaths thathonorthose who gave their lives in military service to the United States. Music will be provided by the South Brunswick High School Band. Refreshments will be served following the ceremony.
Metuchen
Boy Scout Troop 14 of Metuchen will be putting flags on veterans graves on Saturday, May 27,from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They'll also be putting the flags up along Main Street on Monday, May 29, at 6:30 a.m. and taking them down at 7:30 p.m.
Morris County
Parsippany-Troy Hills
There will be a Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29, at noonthat will start at North Beverwyck Road at Katherine Drive and will end at the reviewing stand at Volunteers Park.
East Hanover
The Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 29,starting at 10a.m.It will go from Town Hall to Lurker Park.
Chester
The Annual Memorial Day Commemoration will be on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. at the Maysey Memorial Park on Main Street.
Memorial/Memorial Park in the center of town and will feature Mayor Janet Hoven as the Master of Ceremonies, with remarks from members ofAmerican Legion Post 342 Chesterand Mayor Marcia Asdal from Chester Township. The West Morris Community Band, under the direction of Gary Quam, will provide music,along with vocal soloist andChester residentMary Bolio. Members of the American Legion will perform the ceremonious Laying of the Wreaths and Roll Call of Chester Fallen Soldiers.
Anyone who served or is currently serving in the Armed Forces is invited to walk in the processionand should gather at the Gazebo on Main Street at 10:45 a.m. For more details,contact Maxine atrecreation@chesterborough.org.
Somerset County
Bernards
There will be a Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29, organized by Liberty Fire Company. The parade will start at the fire house and will continue to Liberty Corner Greento Church Streetandfinish at Liberty Corner. For information, contact Michael Bart at 908-647-3530.
Branchburg
The Neshanic Volunteer Fire Company will be holdings its annual Memorial Day parade and ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the Neshanic Station section of the township. The ceremonies will be held, following the parade, at the firehouse at the corner of Pleasant Run Road and Maple Avenue.
Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-District 16), a Republican candidate for governor and Hillsborough resident, will be marching in the parade.
Bound Brook
Bound Brook is seeking participants for the 2017 Memorial Day Parade. Organizations such as groups, schools, business, sports teams andmilitary groupsare invited to participate. The parade will be held on, Monday, May 29. All those participating will convene at the Bound Brook Library on Hamilton and High streets at 9:30 a.m. and will officially begin at 10. The parade will start on West High Street,turn onto Church Street,then left onto Union Avenue, where it will make its way to the War Memorial on Vosseller and Union. Call or text Brad Higginbottom at 908-672-6965 or Ben Auletta at 732-236-6804 for any information or to get involved.
Join members of the Bound Brook American Legion to salute veterans who have been interned in historic Bound Brook Cemetery. Flags will be placed on the gravesite of every veteran buried in the cemetery (approximately 1,000 gravesites).
Franklin
There will be a parade on Monday, May 29, beginning at 11 a.m. The parade will start on New Brunswick Road,proceed to DeMott Laneand finish at the municipal complex.
Montgomery
A Memorial Day ceremony will be held at Montgomery Veterans Memorial in Montgomery Veterans Park from 10 to 11 a.m. The event is being presented by the Montgomery TownshipVeterans Memorial Committee. For more information, emailmvmc@twp.montgomery.nj.us.
Raritan Borough
Raritan Borough is holding its firstMemorial Day Family Fun Bike. Check-in is at 10 a.m. and the ride starts at 10:30. The cost is $5cash or check per participant. All participants mustweara helmet and must be able to ride a bike. Print and fill out the registration form and return it to the Municipal Building,22 1st St.,by May 28.
Somerville
Annual Memorial Day Parade is at 8:30 a.m. with a memorial service following.
The annual Tour of Somerville bicycle race will take place over the course of the Memorial Day weekend. The 74th running of the historic Memorial Day race through the streets of Somerville isthe traditional kickoff to the summer season.
The race annually attracts more than 600 cyclists and 15,000 visitors. Arts on Division, a nonprofit organization that supports the arts and cultural events in Somerville and Somerset County, promotes the race and will donate a portion of the Tour proceeds to local nonprofits.
Watchung
The Mayor and Council of the boroughwill hold a Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 29, at 9:30 a.m. in front of the War Memorial at the Textier House,10 Mountain Blvd. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held inside Borough Hall, 15 Mountain Blvd.
Union County
Fanwood/Scotch Plains
The sixth annual Memorial Day Concert will take place Sunday, May 28, at the Alan Augustine Village Green at the Scotch Plains Municipal Building beginning at 6:30 p.m. The program will feature patriotic music and the reading of letters written by members of the U.S. military to their loved ones at home.
Joe Nagy, Edward Miller and the late Alan Ebersole will be honored as the 2017 Memorial Day Parade grand marshals. On Monday, May 29, Fanwood will hold its official Memorial Day observance at 9 a.m. at the war memorial in front of the Fanwood Memorial Library. The mayor, members of Borough Council, other local dignitaries and veterans will be in attendance as Fanwood remembers its fallen soldiers with the laying of wreaths. All residents are invited to attend.
The Annual Memorial Day Parade will step off at 10:45 a.m. in downtown Scotch Plains and will make its way south on Park and Martine avenues into Fanwood, ending at Martine and LaGrande avenues.
Later that day, the festivities will continue with a performance by the Westfield Community Band at Augustine Park on Park Avenue, beginning around 6 p.m. This concert features readings and remembrances by war veterans and their families. This year’s grand marshals all World War II veterans and Fanwood residents.
Seeking sponsors to help lessen the costs of the 2017 Scotch Plains-Fanwood Memorial Day Parade, the parade committee is selling T-shirts for a donation of $25per shirt.
Shirts will be available along the parade route on Memorial Day or they can be ordered in advance online. Donation and shirt order forms can be downloaded at the Township of Scotch Plains website: http://www.scotchplainsnj.gov.
Elsewhere
Diocese of Metuchen
The Rev. Msgr. William Benwell, vicar general of the Diocese of Metuchen, will celebrate an outdoor Memorial Day Mass at 10 a.m. Monday, May 29, rain or shine, on the grounds of Resurrection Cemetery, Hoes Lane and Park Ave., Piscataway.
At the same time, the Very Rev. Thomas J. Walsh, pastor of St. Bartholomew Parish in East Brunswick, will celebrate Mass at Holy Cross Cemetery, 840 Cranbury South River Road, Jamesburg.
As part of a national Catholic cemeteries’ celebration entitled, “Serving God and Country: A Memorial Day Salute to Our Heroes,” there will be a wreath laying ceremony, which will include honor guard participation, the playing of TAPS at the end of the Mass and the distribution of commemorative pins to military members.
All are welcome. For more information, contact the diocesan Cemeteries Office at 800-943-8400 or cemeteries@diometuchen.org or visit the website at www.diometuchen.org/cemeteries.
Archdiocese of Newark
Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark will join thousands of Catholic cemeteries nationwide in the commemoration, "Serving God and Country: A Memorial Day Salute to Our Heroes," by celebrating Memorial Day Mass on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. at local cemeteries and parishes.
Active military personnel and veterans are invited to participate in Mass at Catholic cemeteries to serve as flag or candle bearers during the opening and closing processions, as lectors, as participants in the Presentation of Gifts, and to recite uniform intercessions followed by a moment of silence.
Memorial Day Mass will be celebrated locally at Saint Gertrude Cemetery in Colonia by theMost Rev. Manuel A. Cruz.
Holmdel
New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation’s Memorial Day Ceremony will beon Monday, May 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.at the Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center,1 Memorial Lane, Exit 116 off the Garden State Parkway, and will beopen to the public free of charge from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
NJVVMF Board of Directors Trustee Jim Cusick will preside over the ceremony andLt. Gov.Kim Guadagno is the special guest speaker. The program will include a presentation of wreaths by various area organizations, music by Sandra Ward; a presentation of colors by the VVA Chapter 20; and an invocation by Joe Formola, chaplain of the New Jersey State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America.
The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation will award two scholarships to high school seniors from New Jersey who plan to further their education either at a college, university or trade/technical school. This year’s scholarship recipients are Paige Huff of Atlantic Highlandsand Caroline Waksmunski of Monroe.
An “In Memory” program will honor those who served in Vietnam and returned home, but later died as a result of their tour. This year, five names will be inducted: Kenneth Felci of Middletown, George Goebel of Atco, Dean Hoagland of Lambertville, Lawrence Schnitzer of Red Bankand Richard Vance of Landing.
