MAYOR’S COLUMN
“…You’ve never lived until you’ve almost died. For those who fought for it, life has a flavor the protected will never know.” Anonymous Vietnam Veteran
Voorhees Township is proud to honor those who fought for our freedom with the expansion of our Veterans Wall of Honor. The ceremony will be held on Monday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. with a program in the Main Court area on the lower level of the Voorhees Town Center. The Veterans Wall of Honor was initiated in 2014 and is located in Town Hall and will be viewed immediately following the program.
We are proud of the men and women who wore the uniform of the United States Military. It is fitting that these brave men and women be honored on a Veterans Wall because they stood on the “Wall of Freedom” to risk their lives for the generations that follow.
This year, 39 veterans will be added to the Wall, bringing the total to 381. Included in this year’s ceremony are 11 African-American Union Civil War Veterans (USCT) buried in the Cemetery of the Voorhees Mt. Zion AME Church. These men served in several different regiments and had various experiences during the war. One soldier’s unit assisted in the capture of President Lincoln’s assassin, another soldier spent several months at the notorious Andersonville Prison, while another unit participated in the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Until now, the military history of these men was largely unknown.
The Wall of Honor is a lasting tribute that will grow annually. Below is a list of the new veterans to be honored on the Wall. Notable additions this year include Joseph Toye and Anna Marie Furlong Rafferty. Mr. Toye served during WWII and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and four Purple Hearts. He was a member of the 101st Airborne Division and was portrayed in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. Mrs. Furlong Rafferty enlisted in the Navy in 1949 and was one of the first women to serve following the 1948 passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act.
We are proud to honor and add the following veterans to the Voorhees Veterans Wall of Honor:
Severino Aguilar, US Navy
Glen Alan Barger, US Army
Paul Victor Berger, US Army
Howard E. Coleman, US Army
Richard Colton, US Army
Lawrence J. Cram, US Army
Godfrey Arlington Douglas, US Navy
Henry Lawrence Dube, US Army
Thomas J. Flynn, US Army
Robert Gould, USCT
John Hefcheck, US Navy
Josiah Henry, USCT
Tamara Elizabeth Hobbs, US Army
James Jackson, USCT
George Jackson, USCT
William Jones, USCT
Marc L. Kahn MD, US Army
Robert Stanley Lauk, Sr. Us Army
Orville Liebler, US Army
Richard Lipp, US Army
David James Maitland, US Army
Louis C. McCall, US Army
Joseph P. Planamente, US Navy
Anna Marie Furlong Rafferty, US Navy
Charles Reese, USCT
William Robinson, USCT
Kurt Scheifele, US Navy
Edward Silvers, US Army
Alonzo Small, USCT
Albert Smith, USCT
Robert Smuro, US Marine Corps
Isaac Still, USCT
James Leo Talley, US Army
William Taylor, USCT
Joseph John Toye, US Army
Charles Turchi, US Army
John T. Tyler, US Air Force
Stephen Vanna, US Air Force
Joseph John Zullo, US Army
** On Wed. Oct. 11, the Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club is hosting a “Not-So-Mini” Golf and Networking Outing at Pleasant Valley Miniature Golf, 93 Route 73 in Voorhees. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and includes food, beer, wine and a networking social hour. There will be friendly miniature golf team competitions with prizes. The cost is $25 per person and proceeds will benefit the club’s charitable efforts in the community. For more information call, Nancy Hering at 609-685-6440 or visit www.VoorheesBreakfastRotary.org.
** The Alicia Rose Victorious Foundation will hold its 15th Annual Birthday Bash on Friday, Oct. 27 from 6:30 p.m. until midnight at Lucien’s Manor in Berlin. The Foundation furnishes Teen Lounges in hospitals to enhance the quality of life for teens with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Tickets are $150. For more information, call (856) 784-0615 or visit info@arvf.org.
**The Animal Welfare Association (AWA) is hosting “Howl-o-ween Trunk or Treat” on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the AWA located at 509 Centennial Blvd. This free event is for kids and their (leashed well-behaved) dogs. There will be candy for kids and treats for dogs, including allergen free candy. “Howl-o-ween Trunk or Treat” will also include a costume contest for kids and dogs.
** Voorhees Township’s Annual Halloween Festival will be held on Sun., Oct. 29 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Again this year the event will be held at The Voorhees Town Center. Take an old-fashioned hayride or pick a pumpkin from the Voorhees Business Association’s Pumpkin Patch. Candy and refreshments will be plentiful. Activities will include a Halloween Costume Parade, pumpkin painting and decorating, balloon artists, a Halloween themed magic show and face painting. The Voorhees Township Police Department will be providing Halloween safety tips and conducting a Kids’ I.D. card registration. For more information, visit www.voorheesnj.com or call 856-882-SHOW.
