HOWELL – Memorial Day weekend means a lot for Howell Township and the surrounding shore area. For many local attractions, it signifies the start of the busy summer season. On top of that, nearby towns such as Farmingdale and Brick host big parades for Memorial Day. With all of these festivities going on, it is important not to forget what Memorial Day is really about: honoring those who have served their country faithfully, both living and deceased.
One such local ceremony that really shows what Memorial Day is all about is the one put on by the Howell Township Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9691. The VFW actually hosted two of the same ceremonies on Memorial Day, just in different locations, with one being at Soldier Memorial Park at 11 a.m., and the other being at Lutz Park in Farmingdale at 11:30.
The ceremony at Soldier Memorial Park featured a presentation of the colors by the Howell Township Police Department, speeches by a few keynote speakers in the VFW, a raising of the American Flag, and a moment of silence while the National Anthem played to properly honor those who served.
Several of the townships’ elected officials were there, including Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell, Councilman Ian Nadel, Councilman Mike Wrubel, and Mayor John Leggio. O’Donnell read a prayer to the crowd as a part of the ceremony.
Patriotic music played on the loudspeakers as the crowd gathered before the event and dispersed after it.
The event was led by Post 9691 Commander Frank Longo, who spoke several times throughout the event.
In a previous statement Longo had given The Howell Times after Post 9691 hosted a veterans day service last fall, he urged more veterans of foreign wars in the local area to join their post, as their membership has dwindled significantly over the years. Post 9691 has put out several calls for new members, hoping to attract younger veterans to help fill the void left by those who have passed.
“We are just losing our members; they are passing away. If anybody who served overseas would like to join the post, we are more than happy to have them come,” Longo said about Howell’s VFW’s need for new members.
They are hoping to attract veterans of more recent conflicts, such as the wars in the Middle East, so they can continue the VFW’s work while also having the VFW’s services available to them.
The mission statement on the VFW’s website is “To foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military, and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans.” The organization offers several programs for those who served our country. “No One Does More For Our Veterans” is one of the min taglines for the organization. More information on the specific services they provide is available online.
Post 9691 meets on the second Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 450 Adelphia Road, Howell. People who are interested in becoming a member are encouraged to contact Longo. More information on Howell’s VFW post and how to contact Longo is available on the township’s website in the section labeled the Veterans’ Corner.
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