Rahway PAL Celebrates Memorial Day

RAHWAY—On Saturday, May 24, Rahway PAL hosted its annual Memorial Day picnic for players, and their families and friends. The day was filled with good food and lots of fun and activities. Our guests were treated to a 65-foot obstacle coarse, bungee basketball, a batting station, and other traditional picnic games.

This year attendance was again in excess of 600. Sgt. Gene DeCarlo, the executive director of Rahway PAL, said, “Three straight seasons of increased attendance is further proof of the PAL extending its reach into the community. Our program is growing with more than just players, more families are now involved and this can only help make our programs more effective.”

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Street Named In Honor Of Fallen Soldier

CLARK – On Memorial Day, township officials named a street in honor of a soldier killed in the Iraq conflict.

Army Pfc. Stephen C. Benish was killed near Ramadi, Iraq, in November 2004 after he was hit by insurgent gunfire while on foot patrol. The 20-year-old soldier grew up in Clark and graduated from Arthur L. Johnson High School.

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Clark Announces Seventh Annual Memorial Day Parade

CLARK—The township will be hosting their seventh annual Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 26. The parade kick-off time will be promptly at 9:30 a.m. and will be followed by the traditional Memorial Day Services in front of Arthur L. Johnson High School on Westfield Avenue in Clark.

There is much prior precedent in Clark’s history to honor its war dead with a parade. During World War II the residents celebrated “I Am American Day” originating in 1942 and continuing through the 1950s. At the conclusion of those parades, all the participants and observers circled the large wooden board listing the names of those Clark residents who went off to war, called the “Honor Roll.” In 1947 the “Honor Roll” was replaced with our present war memorial monument located in front of Clark’s high school, Arthur L. Johnson High.

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Remembering the Past: Elizabeth Memorial Day Memories

by Diane Norek Harrison

ELIZABETH-I received these Memorial Day memories from reader William Frolich:

“Memories of Memorial Days in Elizabeth, and parades on North Broad Street, near the Sailors and Soldiers Monument”

“To some of us, the big event in May is Memorial Day and its traditional parade and services in honor of all the people who fought in the wars of our country Years ago, this day was known as Decoration Day when flags and bunting hung from every home and office, and flowers were laid on the graves of those who were no longer with us. The flowers were an honor started by the ladies of the South during the Civil War in memory of their fallen soldiers, and there were many graves to decorate.

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Remembering the Past: Memorial Day Memories

by Diane Norek Harrison

SOUTH AMBOY-I do not have the exact year of this information, but it is from the early to mid 1950s since my references show that is when Thorvald Olsen was Mayor of South Amboy,

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Rahway Plans Memorial Day Events

RAHWAY – The Rahway Veteran’s Central Committee has planned several events to honor the soldiers who gave their lives to defend America.

On May 17, veterans of American Legion Post 5 will decorate the graves of deceased veterans at Hazelwood Cemetery on Lake Avenue with American flags, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

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