By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
With the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan either over or slowly drawing to a close, Lawrence Township officials are seeking the names of township residents who served in those arenas so they may be honored on Veterans Day.
Those veterans will be singled out for special recognition at the annual Veterans Day ceremony, set for 10 a.m. Nov. 10 at American Legion Post 414 on Berwyn Place, said Steven Groeger, the township superintendent of recreation.
”We are going to recognize any veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who has a connection to Lawrence. We encourage people to help us find them so we can invite them and recognize them at the ceremony,” Mr. Groeger said, adding that it applies to veterans who live in Lawrence now or in the past, or who lived here when they enlisted.
Mr. Groeger also would like the names of township residents who served in other conflicts, but who have not been previously recognized at the Veterans Day ceremony. The military veterans do not have to attend the Nov. 10 ceremony, although it would be nice if they are on hand, he said.
Family members of active duty military service members also are invited to attend so that township officials may recognize the soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen, as well, Mr. Groeger said.
In addition to searching for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, the Lawrence Township Veterans Memorial Committee is seeking more names for the honor roll plaques in the Municipal Building that list Lawrence Township residents who have served in every military conflict since the Revolutionary War.
To be eligible for inclusion on the honor roll, a veteran must have lived in Lawrence when he or she enlisted in the military, Mr. Groeger said. The first names were listed on the plaques in 1997 in conjunction with the celebration of the township’s 300th birthday, and the list has grown to include nearly 1,100 veterans.
”Every Veterans Day, we like to add new names to the list,” he said.
Veterans who are eligible for the honor roll must have served during World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam campaigns. The veteran must have served in a combat zone, and awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.
Township residents who signed up to serve in the military and who served in Lebanon, Bosnia, Grenada, Somalia, the Persian Gulf, Panama, Liberia, Iraq, Afghanistan or who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II also may be listed on the honor roll.
For more information, contact Mr. Groeger at 844-7067. To fill out a veterans honor roll form, please visit the Lawrence Township web site at www.lawrencetwp.com. The form is on the main page and also on the Recreation Department page.

