November 11, 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the Armistice, officially ending World War I, one of the deadliest wars in global history. Europe and the US both saw ceremony and remembrance for the fallen soldiers of this war. As we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for country, we also remember the many men from New Jersey fought and died in this war, including the healthy number of Hopewell residents. Service was not limited to the men of Hopewell, though. Alice Blackwell Lewis's Hopewell Valley Heritage lists Grace Anderson, the first registered nurse of the Hopewell area to enlist in 1917.
As US participation in the war drew to a close, the service of all was celebrated and memorialized. A paper program from August 1918 details the official ceremony raising the service flag and banner donated to the Community Welfare League, honoring those Hopewell area men who served in the war. The 89 stars of the flag each commemorated the service of area men who served overseas, with blue stars for each serviceman who made it back home, and several gold stars indicating those who didn’t. In the above undated photo, a parade of a few of those men in uniform march on West Broad Street. From left to right starting in front we see Vincent DiNitlo, Harvey Latto, and Herbert Rorer, all of whom feature in the list of servicemen honored on the service flag.
An exhibit honoring the service of Hopewell residents in World War I will be unveiled at the Hopewell Museum’s Holiday Tea, December 2. See the Museum Calendar for more details.