Have a Thursday Evening Picnic
by Bruce Doorly
This Memorial Day Parade was run by the local VFW Club. The club had hundreds of veterans who had served in the global conflict. The VFW had their own hall on Somerset Street in Raritan where the Italian Bakery and Nail Art are today. John Pacifico recalls that this hall was the centerpiece of social activity. On Friday nights it was the place to be. It had a bar and food, and a lot of local people who came to socialize. There were always card games and shuffle board games going on. It was also one of the first places that had a television that people could come in and watch. The biggest night of the year for the hall was New Year’s Eve.
The VFW club was a big part of Raritan, so when they ran an event, such as a parade, there where dozens of volunteers to organize it and the local people attended it. Many residents would not think of missing the Memorial Day Parade. Years ago most people stayed home for the three day weekend.
According to John Pacifico the last parade was held in 1990. Then starting in 1991, in place of the parade a ceremony was held in front of the Municipal Building. At this ceremony names of the soldiers who gave their lives are read, some wreaths are placed in front of the memorial plaque, and a talk is given by some of our veterans. This type of ceremony is held every year. It is a nice ceremony, but the attendance is seldom more than 35 people. Half of which are those running the event or the local politicians. The average age at the event is over 60 years old. The Memorial Day event on Monday can no longer compete with the Jersey Shore and the visits to see relatives. The cookouts have for many years replaced the Memorial Day parade and ceremony. With mostly aging senior citizens attending the current ceremony, the future of this type of event is not promising.
To make it a festive event, a disc jockey could play some patriotic music. There could be hotdogs, soda, and some ice cream. Maybe even some All American apple pie. A few speakers could give short talks about the sacrifices made by our heroes who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom. For the speeches, the kids should be asked to sit up front as this ceremony needs to be passed on to the next generation. The wreath laying can still be held at the front of the municipal building by the plaque that list the names of those who died. Wreaths should be placed by the surviving family members of those on the plaque. And yes, many family members are still in town or live locally today. When the wreaths are placed, in addition to just the names being read, the location of where the soldiers lived in town should be announced.
This Memorial Day ceremony/picnic idea is indeed a departure from tradition. But necessary, changing the day of the ceremony to before the weekend will allow large numbers of people to attend the event. Having food and music will make it more appealing to the younger generation. Perhaps these changes can make the Memorial Day Ceremony once again a major event in Raritan.
