The annual ceremonies featured familiar faces and new locations. View PHOTOS.
U.S. Navy veteran Jode Perez stood on the Easton side of the Easton-Phillipsburg free bridge with Air Force veteran Ron Gercie and honor guard member John Kondash.
Today's 114th annual Easton Memorial Day Parade, a conglomerate of local military, police, fire and volunteer service members, was headed towards the three men’s location on Northampton Street.
Perez, of Palmer Township, was present with Brown & Lynch American Legion Post 9 and as a member of the firing squad for the annual wreath drop from the bridge. As the parade drew closer and his fellow men began to file onto the bridge, Perez said what was on his mind.
“We’ve already got a good day out here, so let’s hope for some short speeches now,” he joked.
The free bridge ceremony is a tradition that brings together veterans, officials and residents marking Memorial Day in Phillipsburg, which held its observance at Shappell Park, and in Easton, where organizers shortened the parade route for this year.The Veterans Memorial Day Council of Easton Area Inc. president, Joseph Cuvo, who has been in charge of the proceeds of the past 10 annual parades, called this year's observances in the city a success.
“It made my heart swell,” Cuvo said. “I was really happy when I saw all these people. I came around the corner at Sixth Street, and I said, 'Oh, man.'”
Crowds gathered around the free bridge under sunny skies to watch Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. and Phillipsburg Mayor Harry Wyant Jr. drop the wreath into the Delaware River.Prior to the wreathing, Bernardine-May American Legion Post 457 in Phillipsburg and Easton's Post 9 were present with firing squad honors, as well as Easton and Phillipsburg high school marching bands with performances that included the national anthem.
To the evident surprise of both Panto and Wyant, the wreathing went smoothly, as the dropped wreath landed face-up in the Delaware River for the first time in either of their mayoral terms.
“Every time we throw it in, it always ends up upside down,” Wyant joked afterward. “It always ends up with the flowers in the water. Today, we got it right. I hope that’s a sign for the future: we got it right this year.”
Following the wreathing, Easton held closing ceremonies in Scott Park. Easton organizers moved the final observance there from Centre Square as part of a shortening of the city's parade route that also included eliminating ceremonies in the Easton Heights Cemetery.Cuvo said the changes aimed to accommodate the “much older people” of the parade. Panto said he will miss the significance of the cemetery in the ceremony but understands and respects the choice made by Cuvo and his committee.
“This location isn’t Centre Square, but it was a great venue and the people came out on this beautiful day today,” Panto said. “So maybe this is the right venue.”
In the closing ceremony, Northampton County Marine Corps League Detachment Chaplain Robert Gavin offered the invocation and benediction, on-hand post commanders made a deceased roll call and Northampton County Judge and U.S. Navy Capt. Edward Smith delivered the memorial address.
Smith, who has served in the Navy for 29 years and as a judge for 12 years, hoped the day’s tradition would carry on through his address.
“There’s always a concern, year after year, that these ceremonies endure -- that those who have died in service to the country are not forgotten -- because it would be easy to go about and do other things on such a beautiful day,” Smith said.
“I really think it’s important to thank those who participate here, those who put it together and those that understand the importance of it,” he said.