Under gray skies and steady rain, roughly 100 residents gathered beneath a large white tent Saturday morning at Woolsey Park as the Hopewell Valley Veterans Association hosted its annual Memorial Day ceremony honoring local veterans and fallen service members.
Rows of American flags lined the grass near the Eagle Memorial as veterans, local officials, families and community members assembled for the ceremony despite the weather.
“This year really in particular carries weight,” Hopewell Township Mayor David Chait said during remarks at the ceremony. “As our nation approaches our 250th anniversary … those men were the first in a long line of Americans who would lay down their lives for the idea of this country.”
The annual event, organized by the Hopewell Valley Veterans Association, included the presentation of colors by American Legion Post 339, patriotic music performed by Jessica DiDonato, a roll call honoring veterans who died during the past year, memorial wreath presentations and a rifle salute.
Colonel Kenneth Baker, president of the Hopewell Valley Veterans Association, reflected on the meaning of Memorial Day and the generations of Americans who served and died in military conflicts stretching from the Revolutionary War to modern operations overseas.
“Memorial Day is their day — the United States military’s most sacred day,” Baker said.
During the ceremony, the association honored veterans from the Hopewell Valley community who died between May 1, 2025 and May 1, 2026. Names read aloud included Stephen L. Burkhalter, Dennis Coleman, Preston R. Eckmeder Jr., Harry Baxter Guyer, Thomas W. Mihalko, Minot Mike C. Morgan III, Hon. J. Wilson Noden, Edward C. Panacek Jr. and David Kirby Rees.
As each name was read, a ceremonial bell tolled beneath the tent.
The ceremony also recognized local Gold Star veterans memorialized on engraved bricks at Woolsey Park, including servicemen killed in conflicts ranging from the Civil War to World War II, Vietnam and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Families later gathered near the memorial walkway as this year’s newly installed memorial bricks were presented.
The event also marked the 20th anniversary of the Hopewell Valley Veterans Association. Baker reflected on the organization’s founding and the effort to create the Woolsey Park veterans memorial two decades ago.
“We’ve been doing it for 20 years now,” Baker told attendees. “We do Memorial Day services, Veterans Day services … and we’re proud of it.”
Though rain fell steadily throughout the morning, attendees remained through the ceremony, standing for the national anthem, “God Bless America,” and a rifle salute conducted by American Legion Post 339.
The ceremony concluded with reminders about upcoming Memorial Day events across Hopewell Valley.
Hopewell Borough’s Memorial Day Parade will take place Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Veterans interested in participating on the veterans trailer are asked to arrive at American Legion Post 339 on Model Avenue by noon.
Pennington Borough’s Memorial Day Parade will take place Monday beginning at 11 a.m. Veterans riding on the trailer are asked to arrive at the Pennington administrative building at 425 South Main Street by 10 a.m.
