Hundreds take part in Memorial Day celebration
By Nicole M. Wells, Special Writer
JAMESBURG — Several hundred people lined the sun-drenched streets of the borough on Monday morning as it and neighboring communities gathered to honor both surviving veterans and fallen heroes at the annual Jamesburg Memorial Day Parade.
Under blue skies, members of community organizations and veterans groups were met with smiles and waves from onlookers as they marched along the parade route.
Local fire and emergency vehicles wound their way through the streets surrounding Veterans Memorial Park as costumed re-enactors from the Civil War marched, and uniformed veterans carried the colors along the route.
Clowns provided laughs as the parade progressed, and the New Jersey Hellrazors female roller derby team from Kendall Park made an appearance on skates.
This year’s parade was the 130th Memorial Day parade in Jamesburg, which is the oldest in the state, according to organizers.
It consisted of more than 70 marching units, and more than 50 percent of the marchers came from the surrounding areas of Monroe Township and Helmetta, organizers said.
”It’s really important to our veterans, and it’s really important to our residents,” Mayor Marlene Lowande said. “It really ends up being a great turnout and something Jamesburg’s very proud to have.”
For the Central Jersey Police and Fire Pipes and Drums band, the parade is a tradition member Lorraine Patel, 66, of Somerville, said the group wouldn’t miss.
”This is what we do on Memorial Day,” Ms. Patel said. “So many of our guys are veterans so for them to be able to march in a Memorial Day parade means a lot to them.”
First-time parade attendee and Jamesburg resident Diane Baxter, 42, said she thought it was well done, and she supports the veterans.
”They gave for our country, and now it’s time to support them,” she said.
In addition to remembering the veterans, many in attendance also were there to support family members or friends marching in the parade. Chip LaRousso, 67, of Monroe Township, was one of them. He came out to support his daughter’s marching band.
”It’s always fun; it’s always nice,” he said. “We’re celebrating Memorial Day so it’s a good day.”
Kathy Trippiedi, 45, of Monroe Township, whose daughter was marching in the parade with her dance studio, said the turnout was a little larger than in year’s past, and the weather probably helped bring more people out.
At 83, veteran Jesse Foy didn’t march in the parade this year, but said he kept busy selling poppies for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 262 at a local Wawa.
The money raised goes to help disabled veterans and their families, he said.