East Brunswick Honors Service, Sacrifice Of Military On Memorial Day

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Residents from East Brunswick turned out in large numbers to pay tribute to those members of the armed forces who laid their lives for the country.

The Township’s memorial day service was held on Sunday with a parade of flags, laying of wreaths and speeches.

Michael Boll of NJ Veterans Network (NJVN) was the guest speaker at the event. The volunteer organization is dedicated to helping veterans and their families live a better life.

The NJVN works to create a system of Community Veteran Liaisons (CVL) whose role is to identify veterans and connect them with resources and solutions designed to meet their unique set of needs.

Boll spoke about the work his organization does and the urgent need to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We're passionate about having communities be aware of the sacrifices of veterans by being more accessible to kids. We're partnering up with schools to pass the torch to future generations,” Boll said.

Mayor Brad Cohen led the ceremony and spoke about the importance of local government and the need to rise above divisiveness. He urged the community to disconnect from the new cycle, unplug their devices and give time to volunteerism.

The event also saw the dedication of Granite Pavers. For the first time this year, East Brunswick awarded proclamations to high school students entering the military.

Colin Grandjean will be entering the U.S. Airforce; Sergio Valoura will head to the U.S. Navy and Isabella Vazquez will enter the U.S. Naval Academy.

Sen. Patrick Diegnan, Assemblyman Sterley Stanley and Council members were also present for the ceremony.

During the ceremony, The East Brunswick Senior Chorus led by Robert Segall sang the "Star Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America."

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