'Liberty Is Worth Defending': Hackettstown Marks Memorial Day With Parade, Solemn Rites

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ - Hackettstown honored its military veterans Monday with the 158th Annual Memorial Day Parade, organized by American Legion Blue Ridge Post #164, followed by a ceremony at Union Cemetery.

Mayor Jerry DiMaio marched in the parade and delivered remarks at the graveside service.

"We stand here because generations of Americans stood guard for us," DiMaio said. "They left their homes, their families, and their futures so that ours could continue. Some served in distant lands, others close to home, but all carried the same belief — that liberty is worth defending, and that our nation is worth protecting."

Maj. Jennifer L. Nicholas served as keynote speaker, and Janette Hendershot was recognized as the 2026 Grand Marshal. Dr. Timothy Nicinski, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Director of Campus Ministries at Centenary University, delivered the invocation and benediction.

The Hackettstown Community Band performed the National Anthem. The ceremony also included the releasing of the float and a salute to the fallen by the 27th Regiment of NJ Company F Living Historical Group.

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