By Rebecca L. Williams
Chair, Union County Board of County Commissioners
May 26, 2022
As Memorial Day approaches, our thoughts turn to those in our Union County community who made the ultimate sacrifice, and gave their lives in the service of our country.
Each year, the Commissioner Board honors their memory by distributing thousands of American flags to veterans’ groups and civic organizations. Together, we visit cemeteries across Union County to ensure that every veteran’s grave is recognized with a flag.
When we walk these sacred grounds, we are reminded that our safety, our security, and above all, our freedom, is a foundation built at great cost through generations of American history.
In death, those who served in the Armed Forces have left an eternal message for all of us, and for the world beyond.
They define us as one people, one country, one guiding principle to light the way.
Ours is the light of democracy.
Ours is the will to meet the future as a nation of respect for human dignity.
And, ours is the obligation to carry forth the promise of so many brave service members, so many lives cut short, to preserve and protect our beloved country as a beacon of hope for the human spirit.
Those who have fallen have passed on to us a precious duty.
They have tasked us to carry out the cause for which they died, to continue our own journey in pursuit of equal justice and equal rights.
We, the living, can honor their memory on Memorial Day and all days, year in and year out, by striving for a better tomorrow, a stronger community, and a nation that embodies and transcends the vision of our founders.
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For information about services for veterans, active duty military and military families in Union County, please visit the Union County Office of Veterans Affairs at ucnj.org/uc-hero, email the Office Coordinator at W.Geoff.Smith@ucnj.org, or call during office hours, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday except holidays.
To reach the 24/7 VA Crisis Hotline call 1-800-273-8255 (24/7), or use the online chat at veteranscrisisline.net.
For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.
For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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