Community Corner
Veterans, Families and Residents Gather For Memorial Day
Germania Cemetary decorated with floral tributes.
It was a hot Memorial Day morning, but that did not keep families, veterans, and local organizations from honoring fallen soldiers on Monday in Germania Cemetary.
There were the cub and boy scouts, who led the flag salute and laid floral tributes at the Germania memorial stone. There were also singers from the Pilgrim Academy Ensemble, who performed such songs as "God Bless America" and "America, The Beautiful," and who found themselves joined by dozens in the crowd during each chorus.
There were also members of local Veteran of Foreign Wars posts and American Legion posts, as well as members of the American Legion Post 430 Auxiliary distributing poppy flowers.
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"Every American citizen should take time to think about those who served," said Diana Ackerman, the president of the American Legion Post 430 Auxiliary. "It's not just a day off."
A Galloway Middle School eighth grader who spoke at the event made a similar point: Mitul Surti was one of two speakers from the school who gave a speech at the event, and he focused on how consumer-driven Memorial Day has become, with sales in various stores throughout the weekend.
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Surti called instead for people to celebrate the holiday as it was originally intended, as a way to honor fallen soldiers.
"We should not let society distract us from the reason we have gathered here today," said Surti.
Among the veterans in attendance was Master of the Cologne Grange, Albert Schollenberger of the United States Navy.
"We honor all those that didn't make it," he said. "We've lost a lot of buddies during war."
Retired U.S. Navy Captain Thomas H. Flournoy also spoke at the event, discussing his desire for peace. Five years ago, Flournoy spoke at the Memorial Day event in Galloway and spoke about the American engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Monday, he again asked the crowd to think about those who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"If I can stand before you in five years," he said. "I sincerely hope I can state that we are a nation at peace."
Veteran and Master of Ceremonies on Monday W. Wallace Kaenzig, a United States Marine who fought at Iwo Jima during World War II, said that it is important that the children in attendance understand what Memorial Day really means.
