Memorial Day 2023: Observances in Howell And Farmingdale

HOWELL-FARMINGDALE, NJ —The upcoming Memorial Day services in Howell and Farmingdale are part of a nearly 160-year American tradition that pays tribute to military personnel who lost their lives in service to their country.

The services on Memorial Day, May 29, are the highlight of the three-day Memorial Day Weekend, May 27 to 29 this year.

Farmingdale is also marking the day with a milestone 50th anniversary parade in the borough.

Services in the area include:

Howell: Howell Township Memorial Post 9691 Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary will hold Memorial Day services with Farmingdale American Legion Post 178 on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. at Soldiers Field, Howell and at Farmingdale at Lutz Park at Main Street and Asbury Avenue at 11:30 a.m.

Farmingdale: Services will be at Lutz Park at Main Street and Asbury Avenue at 11:30 a.m.

In Farmingdale, many activities are planned to mark the Farmingdale Parade's 50th anniversary.

"We are excited about this year's parade, this being our 50th annual parade to honor the men and women of the armed forces who graciously and faithfully laid down their lives for our freedom, said Farmingdale Mayor Jim Daly.

In attendance will be commanding officers from the two local military bases, Commanding Officer Capt. Kent D. Smith, Naval Weapons Station Earle, and representing Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is Deputy Commander Col. Mitchell J Wisniewski III, as well as the Naval Color Guard leading our parade alongside the Howell Color Guard and Howell Township Police Department Motor Unit and the NJ State Police.

The Farmingdale and Howell governing bodies will march, including Mayor Theresa Berger of Howell and Mayor Tim Farrell from Wall. There will be county and legislative representatives involved as well, Daly said.

Here is the schedule for the day:

• 11 a.m.: Memorial Day Market will be open on Main Street next to Connie's restaurant.
• 11:30 a.m.: Memorial Service at Lutz Park, led by Howell Memorial Post 9691 Veterans of Foreign Wars.
• Noon: All streets are closed to traffic.
• 1 p.m.: Parade kicks off.

The parade will begin on the corner of Southard Avenue and Academy Street, with many participants, including the Monmouth County mule team that will pull an original 1895 fire truck in the parade. All local businesses are open for business.

As the national observance has changed over the years, many families also use Memorial Day as an occasion to visit Howell and Farmingdale-area cemeteries and leave flowers at the graves of family members, regardless of whether they served in the military.

Memorial Day Weekend is also the unofficial kickoff to summer in Howell and Farmingdale.

One popular event in Howell through the fall is the Howell Farmers Market, which is returning Sunday, May 21, at Echo Lake Park, Maxim Southard Road, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The history of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, dates back to 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan called for a day of remembrance to honor the Northern lives lost amid battle during the Civil War that had ended just a few years earlier, according to History.com. As time passed, more and more people called it Memorial Day, and it became a federal holiday in 1971.

Waterloo, N.Y., is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day. The town’s observance on May 5, 1866, predated Logan’s call for a day of remembrance. Local businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags.

Until World War I, the holiday honored only those soldiers who died while fighting for the Union in the War, as Southern states honored their war dead on a separate day. After the 116,000-plus American deaths in World War I, the tradition changed to remember all who have died while serving in the military.

Every year, a national moment of remembrance is held at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, Americans are asked to pause for one minute in silence to remember military personnel who have given their lives in service to their country. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the midday time was chosen because it’s a time when many Americans will be enjoying their freedoms on a national holiday.