By Jaimie Julia Winters
Kearny will once again honor the nation’s fallen service members with a series of Memorial Day events, including the town’s longtime Memorial Day Parade, Hometown Heroes Banner Program, and American Flag placement ceremony at Soldier’s Circle.
The 2026 Kearny Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, beginning at 7 p.m. The parade will start at Locust Avenue and proceed down Belgrove Drive, featuring local veterans organizations including VFW Post 1302 and American Legion Post 99. The reviewing stand will be located on Veterans Row, between the three military veterans homes.
This year’s Grand Marshal is Sgt. Howard “Howie” Taylor, a Korean War veteran and longtime firefighter.
Taylor joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves on Nov. 7, 1949, while still a senior in high school. Following the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, his reserve unit was activated and sent to Camp Pendleton for training before deployment overseas.
He landed at Wonsan, North Korea, on Nov. 7, 1950, serving with Item Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. Taylor fought during the brutal Chosin Reservoir campaign, enduring mountainous terrain and temperatures that dropped to minus 40 degrees.
He later suffered severe frostbite injuries to his hands, feet, nose, and ears, requiring more than three months of treatment at St. Albans military hospital after returning to the United States.
Following his military service, Taylor served the Summit Fire Department for 42 years, retiring in 1997 as Battalion Chief. He remains active with the Central Jersey Leathernecks Marine Corps League and the National Chapter of the Chosin Few.
The Memorial Day ceremony will feature Joseph Reese as master of ceremonies. Other participants include Pastor Lillian Ramos of First Baptist Church of Kearny, delivering the invocation, the Kearny High School Band performing the national anthem, and Mayor Carol Jean Doyle offering welcome remarks. A Kearny High School senior will recite the Gettysburg Address, while Taylor will serve as principal speaker. The benediction will be delivered by Deacon John Sarnas of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Town officials said the holiday serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made not only by military service members, but also by the families they left behind.
Hometown Heroes
After a successful debut in 2024, the Hometown Heroes Program is returning for its third year. The initiative recognizes Kearny residents who served in the military by displaying personalized banners along Kearny and Midland avenues. Each banner includes a photograph, military branch, name, and service information.
The program is administered by the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone and the Kearny Mayor and Council in partnership with American Legion Post 99, VFW Post 1302-Wilson Gugelman, and the West Hudson Marine Corps League.
The banners will be on display through Veterans Day.
The inaugural effort surpassed expectations, growing from an original goal of 50 banners to approximately 200 sponsorships. They now have 285 banners that will be featured this Memorial Day.
“Banners are currently being hung by DPW on Kearny and Midland avenues and residents can expect a Google map identifying the heroes and pole location in the near future. This year, we partnered with the Kearny Library and sponsors were given the opportunity to record a sound file about their hero. These sound bites will be inserted into the Google map,” KUEZ Events Coordinator Pietra Rivera said.
American Flag Placement ceremony
On Sunday, May 24, 2026 all residents are invited to visit Soldiers’ Circle at Arlington Memorial Park, located at 746 Schuyler Avenue, where an American Flag placement ceremony will take place. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m.
The historic burial site contains more than 750 graves, including approximately 500 Civil War veterans and Medal of Honor recipient James McIntosh.
The site has long served as a focal point for Memorial Day remembrance activities, with veterans groups, Scouts, and community volunteers placing flags on graves honoring soldiers from conflicts ranging from the Civil War through Vietnam.
Local organizations, including VFW Post 1302-Wilson Gugelman and American Legion Post 99, continue preservation efforts at the cemetery, including restoration projects to protect aging headstones.
Town officials said the events are intended to bring the community together in remembrance of military members who died in service to the country.
