ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County residents, veterans and community members gathered Tuesday to honor the lives of fallen soldiers ahead of the Memorial Day holiday.
The county’s annual Memorial Day ceremony took place at Veterans Memorial Park in Newark.
Opened in September 2009, the 2.7-acre park and the Essex County Armed Forces Memorial are dedicated to the men and women who served as members in the U.S. military.
“It has become a tranquil place for veterans to find solace and a constant reminder about the great contributions they have made to our country,” county officials said.
Memorial Day, a federal holiday held the last Monday in May, is the nation's foremost annual day to mourn and honor its deceased service men and women. Originally called Decoration Day, it was formalized by a “Memorial Day Order” issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868. The modern proclamation calls on Americans “to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to their individual religious faith, for permanent peace,” according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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