Montgomery to Honor Veterans With Nov. 8 Procession and Ceremony at Veterans Park
Nicholas Mistretta
MONTGOMERY, NJ — Montgomery Township will honor the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces with a Veterans Day procession and remembrance ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Montgomery Veterans Park in Belle Mead.
The community observance will begin with participants assembling at 2:15 p.m. at Devon and Harlingen Road, followed by a 2:45 p.m. procession down Harlingen Road to the Veterans Memorial at Montgomery Veterans Park. The formal ceremony is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. and conclude at approximately 4 p.m. The ceremony is being held on the Sunday preceding Veterans Day, which is observed nationally on Nov. 11.
Procession to Veterans Memorial
The procession will be led by the colors, followed by the Montgomery High School Marching Band, members of the Township Committee and other dignitaries and guests. Veterans organizations and re-enactors, including groups such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, are scheduled to follow, along with members of the Montgomery Veterans Memorial Committee, Scouts, Lower Middle School students, first responders and participating military and other vehicles. Those marching in the procession are scheduled to form at Devon and Harlingen Road beginning at 2:15 p.m., with step-off at 2:45 p.m.
Ceremony to Include Veterans Recognition
At the Veterans Memorial, the program will begin with the presentation of colors by Scouts, with the Color Guard led by Scout Troop 850. Alexandra Winer, a sophomore at Montgomery High School, will perform the National Anthem. The Very Rev. Nektarios Cottros, presiding priest of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Piscataway, will deliver the invocation, followed by opening remarks from Mayor Neena Singh. One of the program’s central moments will be the recognition of veterans in attendance. Singh will invite veterans present to identify themselves and share their branch and years of service, as well as the wars, operations or conflicts in which they served.
Students, Scouts and Community Members Take Part
Timothy Fallon will serve as the ceremony’s guest speaker. Lower Middle School students will also participate in the program through the reading of letters, coordinated by Candy Willis. Members of the Montgomery Veterans Memorial Committee are scheduled to select the student letters in advance of the ceremony. Mike Maloney, representing the Montgomery Veterans Memorial Committee, will offer reflections. Scouts will then take part in a reading of the names of Revolutionary War veterans, bringing another historical element to this year’s observance. Dimitra Bairaktaris will deliver closing remarks on behalf of the Montgomery Veterans Memorial Committee. The Very Rev. Cottros will return for the benediction before the ceremony concludes with a moment of silence, ceremonial gun salute and the playing of Taps.
Inclement Weather Plans
In the event of inclement weather, the Veterans Day ceremony will be moved to the Montgomery Township Municipal Building. Any weather-related change will be communicated through township notification channels, including a Nixle alert and social media. The Nov. 8 observance will offer residents an opportunity to gather as a community, recognize veterans from multiple generations and publicly thank those who have served the nation in uniform.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com