Many ceremonies aired because of COVID restriction
By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
For the first time in decades, there was no rifle salute at the graves of veterans throughout Upper Township.
The parade route in Somers Point saw the usual shore traffic, while a few bike riders passed the red, white and blue wreath placed before the war memorial at Veterans Park in Ocean City.
Most years, many visitors and residents pause in their holiday weekend, carving out some time on Memorial Day to remember those who have lost their lives in America’s wars.
This year, with Gov. Phil Murphy’s emergency measures still in place and the coronavirus still spreading in New Jersey and around the country, veterans organizations and communities have canceled or delayed their planned observances.
Somers Point Mayor Jack Glasser described his decision to cancel his community’s events as one of the toughest he’s ever made.
“It breaks my heart that we’re not having it,” Glasser said on Monday. “I’m sitting here remembering the people who have given their lives for our freedom.”
He said he was also taking the time to reach out to the people he served with during his time in the Air Force and with the New Jersey Air National Guard, where he spent 20 years with the Atlantic County-based 177th.
Most years, there would be a parade along Shore Road that passed City Hall and ended at Patriot’s Park. The three veteran service organizations in town took turns sponsoring and running the parade, shifting between the American Legion, VFW and AmVets posts. The city now has a Veterans Advisory Committee that works with all three, Glasser said.
Glasser hopes to hold an event later in the year, possibly this summer or even after that, when the state’s prohibition on gatherings is eventually lifted. Murphy recently eased the restriction, allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 25, while the previous order kept the limit at 10.
On May 11, Cape May County canceled its annual event at the veterans ceremony in Middle Township. Freeholder Jeffrey L. Pierson cited both the governor’s executive order and the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Canceling the Memorial Day Ceremony was a very difficult decision. Honoring our veterans is one of the most important things that we can do as a county and as a nation; however, this year it is overshadowed by the need to protect our community members,” Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton said in a prepared statement.
As organizations have looked to technology to find ways to interact while keeping physical distance, both Sea Isle City and Ocean City presented their events by video, each posting videos to YouTube to observe the event.
In Sea Isle City, a bearded Mayor Len Desiderio reads a statement from City Hall in the video, watched by more than 1,000 people by Monday afternoon. The annual event draws a large crowd each year, he said.
“This year, because of the coronavirus, it was obvious that we could not host our typical Memorial Day ceremony and practice social distancing at the same time,” he said. But the community still wanted to honor those killed while serving in the United States armed forces.
The video includes images from the front of VFW Post 1963, where a line of white crosses had been placed, topped with flags. This is shown during the national anthem, along with images of the city’s war memorial on JFK Boulevard.
In a prayer at the event, Deacon Joe Murphy of St. Joseph Catholic Church said the country is again at war.
“This time, however, the enemy is an invisible enemy, COVID-19, that is on the attack through the entire world, but also, dear lord, on our sacred land,” he said.
Ocean City posted a video observation on Monday morning, following a format similar to the Memorial Day events of recent years. Speaking to an empty Ocean City Tabernacle, which has hosted recent Memorial Day events, Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian spoke of the sacrifice of those whose names are inscribed on a wall in Veteran’s Park across the street, all Ocean City residents killed in the line of duty since World War I.
“They were united as a fighting force. They were united in a common cause. And the nation was united behind them,” Gillian said in the recorded message. “Today, first responders, medical professionals, business owners and ordinary citizens are making extraordinary sacrifices. But instead of being united against the common enemy of coronavirus, they are too often divided against each other.”
As he has in many other public appearances this spring, Gillian called for unity in the community and in the nation.
“As we continue to fight this crisis, we need to stop pointing fingers and blaming others. We need to work together,” he said.
The Ocean City presentation included Julia Mary Wilson singing “The Star -Spangled Banner” and the songs of each of the branches of armed service. There were also comments from Mike Morrissey, the commander of VFW Post 6650, who said Americans can enjoy sitting on beaches because of those who stormed the beaches years ago.
“As we enjoy living in the land of the free we must continue to remind each other that there is no freedom without bravery,” he said.
Joe Bisbing of American Legion Post 524 spoke of prisoners of war and those missing in action.
“My fellow veterans and I call them comrades. They are unable to be with loved ones and family,” he said.