'Wall Of Heroes' Honoring Howell Veterans Is Unveiled

HOWELL, N.J. —The township dedicated its "Wall of Heroes" photo slideshow to honor local veterans in a ceremony Thursday at the Municipal Building.

The initiative came to fruition after months of planning and was witnessed by a large gathering of local and Monmouth County officials and many other members of the community, veterans and their families.

The Howell Township Police Honor Guard was in attendance, Howell High School’s “One Voice” chorus performed the National Anthem and other patriotic songs, and Police Chaplain James Casey officiated.

"We recognized veterans in 67 slides," said Deputy Mayor Pamela Richmond, who headed the project.

Richmond worked with a team for months to come up the permanent exhibit, including Alison Gee, the administrative assistant "at the center of it," Richmond said, handling the submissions. Also on the team were the Department of Public Works Director Paul Novello and Township Administrator Brian Geoghegan, as well as many others.

And the result was a moving and joyous event, Richmond said.

"We had a Gold Star family there, Purple Heart recipients - and a 99-year-old veteran," she said.

Richmond is from a military family herself. "My grandfather was an Army pilot; my father and brother are Marines."

So to brainstorm ideas for Howell she and Novello visited other walls of heroes in the area but wanted to be different. So the idea of a slideshow gradually developed. The slides can be added to at any time - and new submissions are always welcome, she said.

"The photos are in a loop. We wanted to make it inclusive and keep adding pictures and came up with a slideshow," she said.

The wall is in the main lobby of the building and has a television monitor that continuously displays photos of veterans, as well as flags and other symbols of honor.

There is patriotic music in the background and medallions on the monitor wall represent branches of military. There is the "missing man" table as part of the installation with various symbols representing sacrifice. For example, a lemon represents the "bitterness of losing someone in war," Richmond said.

She said that one of the most gratifying elements of the ceremony was to see the number of residents and veterans who came out to the event.

"I am very humbled to see the older generation coming out and how they felt appreciated. People need to realize what these men and women did for us," Richmond said.

To have a photo included in the slideshow, Richmond said there are only three requirements: The person must have worn a military uniform; one does not necessarily need to be a Howell resident but should have a connection to Howell, and finally, submit an application, which is available through the township website. Richmond said she hopes to have a YouTube video of the event up soon and photos from the event were posted by Community Affairs Director Steven Fecher at the town's Facebook page.

Send local news tips to Pat McDaniel at patricia.mcdaniel@patch.com.