HOWELL – The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9691 hosted two memorial services on Veterans Day to honor those who have sacrificed their lives or were willing to sacrifice their lives to preserve our freedom. The first service was held at Soldier Memorial Park in Howell, and the second service was held at Lutz Park in Farmingdale.
The memorial included a presentation of the colors by Howell Township Police Officers, a salute to those who have fallen in the line of duty, and a few speeches from the veterans themselves to honor their comrades who are no longer with us.
Despite the poor weather that included high winds and even some snow, a small group of people attended the event to honor the veterans. Post 9691 commander Frank Longo hopes that they will have a better turnout at these events in the future.
When Longo was asked what it meant to host an event like this for Veterans Day as the commander of a VFW post, he and a few members of his group emphasized the need for the public to remember what these individuals sacrificed for their freedoms and to honor them accordingly.
“I think the message is not to forget,” said one of the people who attended the ceremony with Longo.
“That is it, don’t forget the veterans. On Memorial Day and Veterans Day. As you can see, we really didn’t get a big crowd. Hopefully, we can make things better for next year.”
He also urged more veterans of foreign wars in the local area to join their post, as their membership has dwindled significantly over the years. Post 9691 has put out several calls for new members, hoping to attract younger veterans to help bolster their numbers.
“We are just losing our members; they are passing away. If anybody who served overseas would like to join the post, we are more than happy to have them come,” Longo said about Howell’s VFW’s need for new members.
They are hoping to attract veterans of more recent conflicts, such as the wars in the Middle East, so they can continue the VFW’s work while also having the VFW’s services available to them.
The mission statement on the VFW’s website is “To foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military, and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans.”
The organization offers several programs for those who served our country, as they are proud to say “No One Does More For Our Veterans,” according to the VFW’s website. More information on the specific services they provide are available on the VFW’s website.
Howell Township Memorial Post 9691 meets on the second Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 450 Adelphia Road, Howell, next to Calgo gardens. People who are interested in becoming a member are encouraged to contact Longo to discuss it. More information on Howell’s VFW post and how to contact Longo is available on the township’s website section labeled the Veterans’ Corner: twp.howell.nj.us/321/Veterans-Corner
