A Great Day To Be All Over Our Towns

We were all over Watchung, Long Hill Township and Warren Township on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, to attend observances and parades in all three towns.
Each had heart-felt remembrances for the veterans who made the supreme sacrifice in the defense of their country.
The day awoke with an early thunderstorm that some might have thought might have washed out the scheduled events. But early on, the weather cleared, and by the time the first ceremonies began, the rain was a thing of the past. Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it is something about 2011, but each event seemed to have a slightly bigger audience than in year’s past. 
In Watchung, the day started with the fallen firefighter’s remembrance over in front of the Firemen’s Exempt Hall. Then folks gathered at the veterans monuments in front of the Texier House in the Watchung Circle for Memorial Day services. Air Force retired Gen. Thomas Hartmann, and his wife, Air Force retired Lt. Col. Virginia Hartmann, were the guest speakers.
Up in Long Hill Township, the parade up Main Avenue in Stirling ended at the veterans monuments in front of the grades 6-8 Central Middle School, The events are organized by the American Legion Post 484, Stirling.
The Grand Marshall this year is Anthony ‘”Tony” DeFilippis, who spoke briefly. “I am a man of few words,” he said. Few words, but big actions.
He was in the Navy during World War II, and then he came home and made a life for himself, his family and his community by being the proprietor of the Stirling Hardware Store on Main Avenue, from 1946 until his retirement in 1982. He is also a 60-year life member of the Stirling Volunteer Fire Company, a founder of the Stirling Legion post, and an overall community volunteer.
Then it was over to Warren Township, with the parade on Mountain Boulevard to the municipal complex. The  keynote speaker was New Jersey National Guard Lt. Col. Dan Mahon, who was sent to Ground Zero immediately after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, from Fort Dix, where he is operations chief. He remained at Ground Zero for a month.
He stood on Monday across the parking lot from a flatbed that had rolled proudly in the parade, carrying the piece of World Trade Center steel. It will become part of a new 911 Heroes Memorial at the Warren Municipal Complex. As he said, on days such as these, he is allowed to get emotional. He put aside his prepared text, and spoke from the heart.
Laying the wreath at the foot of the veterans monument was World War II Navy veteran Ken Whatley and World War II Army veteran Philip Sapienza.
Warren Middle School students read “Why I’m Proud To Be An American” essays they wrote for a Watchung Hills Elks Lodge-sponsored contest. “Taps” was played by two trumpeters from the Watchung Hills Regional High School Marchung Band. The band did double duty, marching in both the Long Hill and Warren parades. In Warren, the high school band was joined by the Warren Middle School band on the “National Anthem” and the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
It was a great day to be all over Watchung, Long Hill Township and Warren Township. It was a great day to honor and revere our nation’s armed services, first responders and those who died for their country. Now, let’s do our part. Vote on every election day. Vote on Primary election day, Tuesday, June 7. 
Make sure you could say to all those veterans you honored on Memorial Day: “You did your part. Now, I did mine.  I voted.”

For Essays And Editorials
Denis J. Kelly
June 2, 2011