With flags gently waving in the late morning breeze and a crowd gathered, the Hopewell Valley Veterans Association hosted its annual Memorial Day ceremony Saturday at Woolsey Park, paying tribute to local veterans who gave their lives in service to the country.
The ceremony featured moving tributes, a solemn roll call, the unveiling of memorial bricks, and wreath-laying rituals that brought together veterans, elected officials, and community members across generations.
Col. Kenneth Baker, USA (Ret.), president of the Hopewell Valley Veterans Association, opened the ceremony with a call to honor the fallen. “We must never forget the cost of the freedoms we enjoy,” Baker said. “Today is about remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
A newly engraved memorial brick was unveiled in honor of Capt. Henry H. Woolsey, a Pennington native and Civil War officer in the 5th New Jersey Volunteers. Woolsey was mortally wounded at the Battle of Petersburg on June 18, 1864, and died the following day. His wife, Thirza, died two days before him, and they were buried together the Presbyterian Church cemetery in Pennington.
The veterans roll call honored 11 veterans who died between May 1, 2024, and May 1, 2025:
- Richard W. deDufour – U.S. Army
- Roy Gordon Dollard – U.S. Army
- Todd Ensor – U.S. Navy
- Ronald Etchells – U.S. Air Force
- George L. Hall – U.S. Air Force
- Friedrich Karl Schmidt – Army National Guard
- Thomas V. Seesel – U.S. Navy
- Arthur Lewis Shearer – U.S. Army
- Larry R. Stires – U.S. Navy
- Donald Strong – U.S. Army
- Russell Webster – U.S. Army
Wreaths were laid in memory of the fallen by representatives of local municipalities and veteran’s organizations. Hopewell Township Deputy Mayor David Chait, Township Committee members Michael Ruger and Uma Purandare, and Hopewell Borough Mayor Ryan Kennedy all took part in placing wreaths during the ceremony. During the wreath ceremony bagpiper Douglas Conners performed “Amazing Grace.”
The morning also included a rifle salute and “Taps” by the American Legion Post 339, and the national anthem and “Gold Bless America” sung by Jessica DiDonato.
