On Saturday, Dec. 18, the Millstone Elks and the Jackson Cub Scouts Pack 104, Den 5, based in Jackson, teamed up to remember our nation’s veterans for the holidays. The Millstone Elks Veterans Committee purchased 25 decorated grave covers to place at the final resting place of some of New Jersey’s veterans. The Scouts met at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Wrightstown and assisted in honoring our nation’s heroes by randomly placing the grave blankets on the graves of those who served our country proudly.
Special thanks to Donnie and Deena Kaiser, Peg Matusz, Kevin Johnson and Paul Matusz, and all of the Cub Scouts who assisted them.
The Elks pledge never to let our veterans be forgotten. Here are some of the recent programs supported by the Elks:
The Student Veteran Volunteer program, which brings the young people of our nation into contact with the veterans who have preserved our country’s heritage, ideals, dignity and honor, both at home and abroad, as members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Army of Hope program, which was implemented to provide support to the families of our military reservists and guardsmen who were called up for active duty during our country’s war on terrorism. Although originally conceived for reservists and guardsmen, there is nothing that would prevent Elks lodges from offering support to the families of servicemen and women serving regular military duty.
The Elks are helping to ensure that veterans’ stories are preserved for future generations. Elks have enlisted in a broad national effort to make sure that the eyewitness accounts of the men and women who served in the nation’s wars will be preserved for future generations.
The World War II Registry of Remembrances form. The Elks raised more than $1.3 million to help build the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Now that the memorial has been built, the importance of the electronic Registry of Remembrances at the memorial cannot be stressed enough.
Steve Matusz
Jackson