More Photos: Bernardsville Memorial Day Parade Honors Vets

Downtown Bernardsville looked like a picture-perfect small town on Memorial Day with a celebration that honored the day and named each and every veteran participating in the annual parade.

The parade was led by members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7858 of Bernardsville, with members from all over the Somerset Hills, including Basking Ridge. VFW member Kevin Barry was grand marshal of the parade.

During a ceremony at the parade's destination by Nervine Pond, Bernardsville Mayor Lee Honecker talked about discovering a letter that his father, imprisoned in a German prisoner of war camp, had somehow managed to receive from his own father while the family had no idea if he even was alive. The mayor said his father, Charles, a paratrooper in World War II, had died this past year.

"The old hometown is pretty much the same, but I bet you would pretty much like to see it that way," his grandfather had written to his father. "Mom is awfully anxious to see you again," his grandfather had written.

"Keep up the old spirits, and make the best of it," he said to his imprisoned son, adding, in what must have been an extreme understatement that all were waiting for the phone call that their son would be returning home.

To make the day even sweeter, all of the participants tossed candy to the parade-goers along the route.

The week prior to Memorial Day, Post 7858

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