On November 12, beginning at 2:00pm, veterans of Mountainside Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10136 will be dedicating the new Mountainside Veterans Memorial Park to the Mountainside community. All Mountainside Veterans and the public are encouraged to attend.
This memorial has been in the works since August 2014. With design help from PS&S Architecture of Warren, NJ, the Mountainside Borough Mayor and Council approved the plan in Spring 2015. An estimated $45,000 was donated in the form of cash, labor, and materials by numerous local businesses, organizations, and benefactors. The largest individual monetary donations came from Blanche M. & George L. Watts Mountainside Community Foundation and the Home Depot Foundation.
Many of the other donations came straight from the community through the ongoing “Buy a Brick” fundraising campaign which can be found at https://polarengraving.com/VFW10136 wherein individuals can donate $100 – $110 for an engraved 4”x8” brick that will be set into the assembly area to be on display for years to come. Checks can be mailed to Mountainside VFW Post 10136, PO BOX 1163, Mountainside, NJ 07092. Mountainside VFW Post 10136 is a 501(c) non-profit entity.
Ongoing funds donated will be used to cover various costs for perpetual care and costs for irrigation, a Purple Heart Monument, Veterans plaques, and a military statue.
The ceremony, open to all, is taking place in the Constitution Plaza, adjacent to the Mountainside Public Library. It will feature performances from the Marine Color Guard and the Emerald Society Pipes. NJ Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, Mayor Paul Mirabelli, and WWII Navy Veteran Bill Tomko are scheduled to speak to those in attendance. NJ Army National Guard tactical vehicles will be on display. For further information contact Tim McLaughlin at VFW10136@gmail.com or 908-928-9191.
(above l-r) Veterans Tim McLaughlin, Bill Tomko, Jerry Rice, Leo Corradi along with volunteers from The Home Depot – Watchung Store.
(above l-r) Veterans Tim McLaughlin, Bill Tomko, Jerry Rice, Leo Corradi, Volunteers from The Home Depot – Watchung Store.
