Garden State Times

On Memorial Day, Commissioner and Gold Star Mother Melinda Kane joined Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher, members of the American Legion Post 372, and Jewish War Veterans Furer-Barag-Wolf Post 126 to honor military members who died serving their country.

“Memorial Day is a time to remember all of those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country,” Kane said. “The courage and selflessness it takes to serve your country is something few people possess and we must never stop celebrating the legacy of those who never made it home.”

Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated in 1868 and became an official federal holiday in 1971. At first, the holiday only honored those lost in the Civil War, but it evolved to commemorate military personnel who died in all wars including World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.