The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Franklin Township honored its veterans in different ways on Veterans’ Day.
In the morning, state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17) and the Stage House Tavern on Amwell Road hosted a breakfast for township employees who are also veterans. The breakfast was attended by a number of the township’s first responders.
“As a vet myself, it’s nice to not only recognize and support vets, they are an upper-class level of citizenry in my mind, but it’s also just an occasion to sit down with other vets, share stories and remind each other we’re not alone,” Danielsen said.
Later in the morning, a commemoration of Veterans’ Day was held at the Veterans Memorial Park in front of the municipal building on DeMott Lane. Organized by Bob LaCorte, the service featured participation by the Canal Walk Veterans Club – whose members carried the colors into the park – and bagpiper Richie Allen.
Township resident Steve Gillooly, a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, spoke about the meaning of the day to active military, and Mayor Phil Kramer spoke about his military service in the Air Force.
“I wear many hats, but this is the one I’m most proud of,” Kramer said, as he pointed to his Air Force cap.
Representatives of each of the military branches raised their respective flags over their monuments, and then, at 11:11 a.m., veterans took turns ringing the memorial bell in the park.
On the business side, the Stage House offered free meals to veterans all day long. The restaurant also designated an empty table in the main dining room as a “Table of the Fallen Soldier.”
Following are some scenes from the day.
2016 Veterans’ Day Observance
