Atlantic County will honor the sacrifice and service of its fallen military veterans on Friday, May 27, at 2 p.m. during the 37th annual Veterans Memorial Program to be held at the Atlantic County Veterans Cemetery located in the county park, Route 50, Estell Manor.
“The Memorial Day holiday is held in remembrance of our fallen veterans who served to protect our country and its freedoms,” stated Dennis Levinson, Atlantic County Executive. “In Atlantic County, it is our proud tradition to honor them with this program held on the Friday before Memorial Day. We invite the public to join us in paying tribute to these heroic men and women so their supreme sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
The program will feature the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Color Guard, the Atlantic County Corrections Officers’ Honor Guard, the Atlantic City Fire Department Sandpipers’ Pipes and Drums, and the presentation of the memorial wreath.
Retired Brigadier General Douglas R. Satterfield of Galloway will present the keynote address.
General Satterfield joined the U.S. Army in 1974 as a private and retired in 2014 as a brigadier general. Following 9/11, Satterfield was deployed to combat on three, one-year tours.
His last assignment was deputy commanding general of the 412th Theater Engineer Command and wartime engineer for the Eighth U.S. Army.
Satterfield is a member of the Atlantic County Veterans Advisory Board, is actively involved in a local Boy Scout troop, and has written two books on leadership since his retirement.
In preparation for the May 27 ceremony, several local Scout troops will place American flags at 6,400 gravesites located within the Atlantic County Veterans Cemetery on Wednesday, May 25 (rain date: Thursday, May 26).
Scouts who perform this task on at least two of three annual occasions are eligible to receive the Atlantic County Patriotism patch in recognition of their service to veterans.
The Atlantic County Veterans Cemetery was officially dedicated in May 1985 to provide a final resting place for military veterans and their spouses.
The cemetery was expanded in 2014 to accommodate an additional 650 plots.
The second phase of expansion is being conducted in conjunction with other park upgrades including a columbarium for up to 900 cremation urns, drainage and irrigation systems, ADA-accessible parking, a new restroom facility, the bifurcation of Purple Heart Drive and a paved pedestrian/bicycle path.
