Members of the community gathered at Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital on October 16 to honor Camden County Jewish war veterans. It was the hospital’s and the Camden County Board of Commissioners’ 25th year hosting the Camden County Veterans Medal Ceremony.
The ceremony, which was presented in partnership with Camden County Veterans Affairs, Jewish War Veterans Post 126, Samaritan and Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Southern New Jersey, came ahead of Veterans Day in November as a way to specifically honor Jewish war veterans and their service to America during their time with the military.
“It is such a lovely opportunity to come together to honor our veterans and celebrate not only your dedication, but also your sacrifice and your courage in serving our nation and preserving our freedoms,” said Camden County Commissioner and liaison to Veteran Affairs Colleen Bianco Bezich, who led the ceremony.
At this year’s ceremony, six men were honored and one man was posthumously honored. The individuals honored provided general military service, service in the Korean War and/or service in the Vietnam War.
The men honored were William R. Anthony (posthumously),Edward M. Blair, Terrence Hoskins, Albert F. Patchus, James E. Proud, Jr., Steven P. Weinberg and Herbert Zarge. They each received a medal and certificate for their service; in the case of Anthony, his wife accepted the accolades on his behalf.
After an opening speech from Bianco Bezich, Rabbi Lewis Eron gave the invocation. He touched on how honoring and cheering on “Johnnies” as they “come marching home” is a great thing, but “our Johnnies often need more than cheers and shouts.”
“While it’s good to thank people for their service, to gather on Veterans Day (and) to present honors and medals, such acts gain value as reminders of the greater debt we owe our Johnnies,” Eron said. “To care for their wounds, both on their bodies and in their hearts, to help give them a secure livelihood and a safe place to live, to give them space to speak and to listen attentively to their stories and so much more. So we gather now to pray that we will find the strength of conviction, not only to welcome Johnny safely home, but to make sure that Johnny has a safe home in our hearts, in our community and wherever Johnny goes.”
Cherry Hill West Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) presented the colors, and the Cherry Hill West Chorus sang an a capella rendition of the National Anthem. At the end of the ceremony, Paul Feldman, from Taps for Veterans, performed TAPS.
Amongst the four guest speakers was Aaron Chang, president of the East Region for Jefferson Health.
“(These veterans) have continued to serve through their work, their leadership and the difference they make in the lives of others. We are especially proud that several of today’s honorees are members of the Jefferson family,” he said. “We see their dedication firsthand for the care they provide, the colleagues they support and the communities they strengthen. Their example reminds us that service is not defined by the uniform or private, but by the lasting difference we make in the lives of others.”
Blair and Hoskins, who were honored, are employees with Jefferson Health.
“At Jefferson, caring for veterans is more than a responsibility. It is a commitment through our hospitals, physician practices, behavioral health services, cancer care, rehabilitation programs and community health initiatives,” Chang later said. “We work to ensure that veterans and their families have access to the high-quality care and support they deserve.”
Jefferson Health has been proudly supporting this annual ceremony for 25 years. According to Tanya McKeown, a community wellness corporate manager at Jefferson Health and member of the Camden County Veterans Outreach Committee, the partnership began back when Jefferson was previously operating as Kennedy Health System and the Jewish War Veteran reached out about the event. Since, the partnership has continued, and honoring Jewish veterans in Camden County has remained a value of the health system and the county.
