By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Aiming to make Veterans Day come alive for Montgomery Township residents, a group of Civil War and World War II re-enactors – complete in period uniforms – will be on hand at Montgomery Township’s Veterans Day celebration on Nov. 11.
The seventh annual Veterans Day celebration will begin at 11 a.m. in Montgomery Veterans Park on Harlingen Road. The ceremony will be held at the Veterans Memorial in the upper parking lot.
The re-enactors – which includes a President Abraham Lincoln impersonator – will be on hand near the Veterans Memorial from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., said Mike Maloney, who chairs the township’s Veterans Memorial Committee.
Veterans Memorial Committee member Harel Rosen suggested incorporating military re-enactors into the Veterans Day celebration, Maloney said. Rosen, who always provides a surplus military vehicle for the event, is familiar with some of the re-enactors, he said.
“When Harel brought up the idea, the committee thought it was very fitting, as our mission includes growing each year. I personally feel that our vision and responsibility is to inform, inspire and involve the community,” Maloney said.
“A ‘culture of remembrance’ is about our interaction with our past and our history. What better way than to include bringing the past and that history to life on Veterans Day,” Maloney said.
The hour-long Veterans Day ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m., will include a procession and performance by the Montgomery High School Marching Band and first responders – volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
Montgomery Township officials will offer remarks, as well as U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Congressional District) and state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-16th Legislative District).
Boy Scout Srikar Surapaneni and Girl Scout Julia Garaffa will make remarks, along with Joseph Kotch of the Rolling Thunder veterans organization.
The POW/MIA Chair of Honor also will be on display. The chair is a reminder that some military service member have not yet returned home, Maloney said. There are nearly 83,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen who are still missing.
