(above) A 45-skirt surrounds the float introducing the faces of twenty eight of the 86 Hometown heroes.
The V.F.W. Seeks Support as they Adopt and Rescue a Cranford Parade Relic
For over 50 years, the Craftsman’s Club at the Masonic Temple in Cranford showed respect to Cranford’s war dead by having a float in our Memorial Day Parade. In recent years, the float trailer had been unused and had fallen into a state of disrepair. As a result of the temple property being sold, the float was to be discarded. It was literally on its way to the scrap yard when I stepped in front of the tow truck and stopped the junk man. Mayor Giblin got involved and made a connection with the Cranford Jaycees and the V.F.W. and the rejuvenation plans began.
Temple members built the float from scratch in the 1960’s and it has had a few different identities in our parade. For a while, each year it carried mannequins portraying the U.S. Presidents that were Masons (Washington, Monroe, Jackson, Polk, Buchanan, Johnson, Garfield, McKinley, Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, FDR, Truman and Ford). Later, their display was updated to inverted military rifles with helmets on top, commonly recognized as a Soldier’s Cross.
Giving new life to the Masons’ float, the Jaycees offered to provide some funds and manpower to renovate and modernize it. This gave the V.F.W. a rolling stage to allow the older heroes that formerly marched proudly in our 100-year-old parade, to continue to safely participate.
A team of Cranford Jaycees, under the leadership of Geoffrey Semler, worked feverishly to extensively renovate the float to get in parade-ready in just four short weeks. A new plywood floor with carpeting, new railings, and bench seating were installed for comfortable transport of the Cranford veterans.
Introducing the faces behind the engraved names that we honor each year in Cranford on Memorial Day is the ongoing mission of the Cranford 86 group. In support of this mission, the float features a full-color skirt featuring portraits of 28 of the Cranford 86 Hometown Heroes. The float was placed in the first division of the parade following the 86 Gold Star flags that bear the names of every Cranford hero that fell during American wars since World War One.
The project has been partially funded by the Cranford Jaycees, Cranford Knights of Columbus Council #6226, and the Cranford 86 Project. Dryer Farms donated the patriotic floral decoration to complete the look and Cranford Auto Repair replaced the wiring to make it roadworthy. Donations to offset the remaining renovation costs can be sent to V.F.W Post #335 479 South Ave. E. Cranford, NJ 07016. Mark your donations “Float”.
Submitted by Don Sweeney, Cranford Memorial Day Parade Committee member
A photo album of the 2019 Memorial Day Parade is available on Rennamedia.com and on Facebook.
(above) The float, seen here in a state of disrepair, had served the parade for decades.
(above) A team of skilled and dedicated members of the Cranford Jaycees worked weekends through May to design and finish the project in time for the Memorial Day Parade.
