The Elmer “Buddy” Powell memorial near Oak Valley Elementary School will be a major part of the township ceremony on May 25.
Deptford will host its annual Memorial Day parade beginning at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 25, in the Oak Valley neighborhood.
The parade will start at the neighborhood’s firehouse before making its way to Oak Valley Elementary School. Next to the school is Deptford Veterans Park, where a memorial is dedicated to a township man who died in Vietnam.
“It’s an extremely important event,” said Mayor Paul Medany. “It’s a day to honor all of the soldiers who have passed away, defending our country.”
A number of volunteers and local organizations will join the parade, including the township fire and police departments, the Deptford High marching band and its NJROTC unit. The parade is organized by the township veterans committee.
The ceremony portion of the parade will feature speeches by members of the Westville VFW and discussions about the significance of Memorial Day. There will also be a wreath laying at the memorial for Deptford and Oak Valley resident, Elmer “Buddy” Powell, a paratrooper killed in Vietnam in 1966, according to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation obtained letters written by Powell that described his service and the reality of war.
“No one who has not been here can begin to imagine what it’s like,” Powell wrote to his fiance, Lynda Carpenter. “The fighting over here is like no fighting ever before. You live from day to day. Learning new and better ways of how to kill. Then you stop and think, ‘What the hell am I doing here? Why should I be doing this? Or is it right to kill?’
“Then you start to think of the ones you love back home,” Powell added. “And the things you have. Then you start to realize what you are doing here. You are fighting to keep those loved ones and those things you have. And most everyone over here has the same reason for doing it, because he has a girl, or a wife, or a family who he loves very much.”
The Memorial Day parade, according to Medany, is about educating children on serving one’s country and American history as a whole. A barbecue will follow to bring some light into a solemn day.
“It’s a solemn event,” Medany pointed out. “But we have to keep doing it to honor our veterans. The most important thing is continuing it and not forgetting their sacrifices.”
