Standing wearing red necktie, Assemblyman
Thomas Giblin, to the right of him is Lucius Bowser, brother of
the Mayor and member of the Historical Society of East Orange,
Inc. Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
We arrived at City Hall about
five minutes before 11:00 AM. The crowd had already begun to
gather in the area by the Veteran's Memorial Stone.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
The chairs are set up for the Veterans. Most of
the rest of those in attendance will stand around the outside
area of this small but solemn space.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
Mr. Lewis will play the
accompaniment music on his keyboard from behind the stone
monument.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
The Veterans assemble inside City Hall in the
rotunda area.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
New Hope Baptist Church Girl
Scouts provide the color guard for the American Flag at the start
of the Parade of Veterans.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
They are followed by the United
States Armed Services Veterans of East Orange who carry with them
the wreath to lay at the foot of the memorial.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
The Veterans line up on the steps of the
monument to those from East Orange who perished in the Second
World War. Each year that they appear here, their numbers are
fewer and many wonder if they will be here again next year. Last Year's Ceremony is HERE.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
New Hope Baptist Church Girl
Scouts led the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of
the National Anthem, the Star Spangled Banner. Later in
the ceremony, they also sang Taps.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
The focal point of the Veterans was the laying
of the wreath at the foot of the stone monument as the Girl
Scouts sang Taps. After that, the ceremony was taken
over by others.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
Mayor Robert L. Bowser gave the
welcome.
L-R: Quilla E. Talmadge, City Council
Chairwoman, Mayor Robert L. Bowser, William Nelson. Photo by
Al-Quadir Marsh
Next comes the introduction of
the Grand Marshal, VFW Post 7923 Commander William
"Bill" Nelson. The plaque being presented by the Mayor
reads in part: "Congratulations - William Nelson - Veteran
Grand Marshal - Memorial Day Parade 2011"
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
The Mayor presented a similar
plaque to the Community Grand Marshal, Cornelia G. Thompson.
Photo by Elijah Goode
New Jersey Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin was present
and was asked to make a few remarks on this occasion.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
Tiffani R. Greene sang a soulful
rendition of Amazing Grace which greatly moved the
audience on this day of Remembrance.
Photo by Elijah Goode
Earlier in the program,
Evangelist Vincent Robinson gave the invocation, and now at the
close he gave the benediction and the ceremony at City Hall was
complete.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
I found it necessary to explain
to my young photographers the meaning of the flag flying at
"half mast" on this day, so we will end this part of
the Memorial Day event with that, for those who don't know. It is
the custom in the United States to fly the flag at "half
mast" until noon. Then the flag is raised to its full
height, which was done shortly after this photo was taken. More information HERE.
Before heading
over to Columbian Park to continue the Memorial Day
city-organized events, my crew and I head down to the other end
of City Hall Plaza to check on the Senior Garden. Even from a
distance I fear the worst, seeing the litter strewn about.
L-R: Jim Gerrish and Fred Goode, curators
of the Interactive Museum of East Orange. Photo by Elijah Goode
Picking up the litter is the easy
part. Between my fellow curator and our two photographers, we
manage to repair the damage done by thoughtless citizens who
treat the City of East Orange as their personal garbage dump,
despite the many trash barrels the city provides all along the
Plaza.
To see the condition of the Senior
Garden as it was last Labor Day go HERE.
This is the way I found it in March
before I cleaned it. I also cut back
the Chrysanthemums and could see that they were green and already
beginning to revive and grow again. I didn't count on the City's
official weed whacker, however.
L-R: Photographer Elijah Goode, Fred Good,
Jim Gerrish hidden by sign. Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
The worst damage was done by
whomever mows the lawn for the city because this can't be
repaired in ten minutes of time. I had left the garden about a
week before this photo was taken and the Chrysanthemums around
the stone monument were in full growth, the Dusty Millers had
recovered and had grown a few inches, and I had some new flowers
and bulbs I thought would do well in the garden unattended. But
the lawn mower had leveled everything. The Mums and Dusty Millers
were gone, no doubt to make it convenient for the grass cutter.
The machine had dug the usual furrows that will soon cause
erosion once again at the corners of the garden (see foreground).
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
So we sadly left the little
garden, clean for now, but sterile; a garden of mostly grass. As
Fred pointed out to me, "you can fight city hall, but you
can't win." I'll leave the care of this garden to others who
have more strength to continue fighting erosion, litter, apathy,
blight, and the city-employed weed whacker.
Photo by Elijah Goode
The City's Memorial Day Event
continues as a caravan of volunteers drive the Veterans down
South Arlington Avenue towards Columbian Park. We get on the end
of the line of cars and follow them across town. Fred Goode is
our "volunteer driver."
Photo by Elijah Goode
Columbian Park is behind the
former Columbian School (name changed to George Washington
Carver School c. 2001). On the maps, it
is listed as Columbian Playground, but it really is a nice little
park and the field house serves as the home of both the Veterans
of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, and was dedicated by the
city for that purpose on November 11th, 2010.
Today's guests enter the park
between the former school (now closed and not used because of
mold problems) and the VFW Field house. Games have been set up in
the background and on the tables and are already attracting some
of the youngsters.
Photo by Elijah Goode
The smell of hot dogs on the
charcoal grill entices us further into the park where the chef is
already hard at work on supplying free hot dogs to everyone who
arrives with a bun in hand.
Photo by Al-Quadir Marsh
The veterans find the shade and
the hot dogs and some bottles of water and they are ready to
begin enjoying the day at the park.
Photo by Elijah Goode
The kids are more interested in
free cotton candy and pop corn.
Photo by Elijah Goode
There's enough food to supply the
citizens of East Orange, who will soon be showing up in crowds to
enjoy the Annual Chip Jones All-Star Baseball Game. The game will
be covered by the news media, so I will try to add a link to
their news and photos when they appear on-line.
After our two young photographers
(on the far left) get their hot dogs and drinks, the Mayor (on
the right) and everyone else will head to the baseball field
(shown in the background) for the big game. We have other plans,
however, and have to hurry off to another assignment.
