Atlantic County will hold its 41st annual Veterans Memorial Program to honor the sacrifice and service of its fallen military veterans on Friday, May 22 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend the event in the Richard E. Squires Veterans Cemetery, located in the county park at 109 Route 50 S., Mays Landing.
“We take great pride in providing this annual tradition each Friday before the Memorial Day holiday,” stated County Executive Dennis Levinson. “Unlike Veterans Day, this is a solemn occasion to pay tribute to those who lost their lives fighting for our freedoms. We must never fail to acknowledge our enduring gratitude for their service and our sorrow for their loss.”
Former U.S. appellate military judge and retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury, Jr. of Brigantine will provide the keynote address. Judge DeLury served as a tribunal president in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where he determined the combatant status of detainees. Judge DeLury also served as a member of the U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals in Washington. D.C. He retired with the rank of captain after 25 years of active and reserve service on the military bench and the Navy.
DeLury received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and a Juris Doctor degree with international law honors from Rutgers University in Camden. Prior to coming to the bench, Judge DeLury was in-house counsel to several companies in the gaming industry. DeLury is a past member of the Brigantine Board of Education and the Atlantic City Convention Center and Visitors Authority.
The annual program features the Atlantic County Sheriff’s color guard, the Atlantic County Corrections Officers’ honor guard, the Sandpipers’ Pipes and Drums, the presentation of the memorial wreath and the playing of Taps.
The cemetery was dedicated in 1985 and comprised of four acres. It has grown over the years to include a 20-acre expansion with multiple improvements. It currently serves as a final resting place for more than 6,500 residents and has a columbarium that can currently accommodate 900 cremated remains.
Levinson renamed the cemetery in memory of his predecessor following Squires death in April 2024.The idea for the cemetery belonged to Squires, a U.S. Navy veteran who served on the USS Wisconsin.
In preparation for the May 22 program, several local scout troops will place American flags at each of the cemetery’s gravesites on Wednesday, May 20 (rain date: Thursday, May 21). Scouts who perform this task on at least two of three occasions during the year are eligible to receive the Atlantic County Patriotism patch in recognition of their service to veterans.
