On Friday, the Camden County Board of Commissioners, Office of Veterans Affairs, and the Camden County Veterans Advisory Committee held a Memorial Day ceremony at the Camden County Veterans Cemetery. The event honored those who have sacrificed their lives in service to the United States.
The ceremony was conducted at the Camden County Veterans Cemetery, situated within Harleigh Cemetery in Camden City. This cemetery is over 140 years old and serves as the final resting place for notable figures such as William J. Sewell, a former Camden resident, Medal of Honor recipient, Civil War General, and U.S. Senator. Union Army Colonel George C. Burling from the Civil War is also interred nearby along with 300 Civil War soldiers in the Spring Grove section.
Commissioner Jennifer Fleisher remarked on the significance of Memorial Day: “Memorial Day is a time to honor those who sacrificed everything to serve this nation,” she said. “On this day, and every day, we must remember all of those fearless men and women who never made it home, who died protecting the freedoms this country holds so dearly.”
Memorial Day originated as Decoration Day in 1868 and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Initially dedicated to honoring those lost during the Civil War, it has since expanded to commemorate military personnel who died in subsequent conflicts including World War II, Vietnam War, Korean War, and more recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
