Road Naming Honor Highlights Memorial Day Event

One of the biggest events of the year in Washington Township, the annual Memorial Day ceremony has been set for 2013, this time honoring fallen heroes in perpetuity.

On Saturday, May 25 at Rock Spring Park at the War Memorial Site, residents, officials and veterans alike will remember those who went to war and paid the ultimate price while fighting for the United States of America.

The event will kick off at noon, saluting servicemen and servicewomen, with keynote spearker James Smith, Sr.

Smith, a former Long Valley resident and member of the armed forces, lost his son, Army Cpl. James "Jamie" Smith, Jr. while fighting in Somalia in 1993. In addition to the annual ceremony, the roadway leading to the Senior Center and eastern portion of the park will be named in honor of Smith.

This honor is one of three roadways in town being renamed in 2013 for Long Valley natives who were killed in combat. The Rock Spring Park road is the only one owned by the township, however.

The park is dedicated to the Memorial Day Ceremony and will be closed to all other activities that day, according to the parks and recreation department. There is no fee to attend the ceremony and all residents are encouraged to attend.