County veterans monument to be dedicated

NEWTON - The Veterans Monument Committee and the Sussex County Veterans Committee will dedicate the Sussex County Veterans Memorial at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5 in the Square in Newton. The monument, a bell tower honoring all Sussex County veterans, has been the object of an eight-month fundraising effort by the Veterans Monument Committee, during which more than $55,000 was donated for the bell tower, the bronze medallion at the base, the granite benches and landscaping. All veterans along with their families and friends are invited to attend the dedication ceremony. Participants include six color guards, the Franklin Band, a bag piper, taps and soloists. The featured speaker is SSgt. Barry Douglass, a teacher and veteran of the war in Iraq. Freeholder Susan Zellman, who spearheaded the fundraising effort, praised the campaign as “a collaborative effort that made this lasting tribute to our Sussex County veterans possible.” The Sussex County Veterans Committee, which was organized five years ago by the Sussex County Division of Senior Services, will assist with the ceremonies. The committee has held a Veterans Day Parade at the Sussex County Fairgrounds annually at which county veterans march with their comrades and veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Viet Nam war. This year, county veterans will be asked to attend the dedication ceremony of the Veterans Bell Tower in lieu of the year’s Veterans Day Parade, which will resume next year.