U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg

Visits Dr. Walter F. Robinson School

This spring, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg and Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr. joined together to honor our nation’s soldiers by presenting the Senator’s “Faces of the Fallen” memorial at the O’Connor Gallery at the Bayonne Public Library.

“Thousands of New Jerseyans have volunteered to serve our country in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the globe,” said Sen. Lautenberg. “This event is a moment for us to pay tribute to those who have served and those we have lost. The least we can do is give the people of Bayonne and across New Jersey the opportunity to honor the memory of the American men and women who have given their lives in service to the nation.”

“The City of Bayonne has many sons and daughters who are serving in all branches of our nation’s military,” said Mayor Doria. “We honor their service to our country. We must also pay tribute to those who have given their lives in service to America. They must never be forgotten. I would like to thank Senator Frank Lautenberg for coming to Bayonne for this event, and for exhibiting the photographic tribute to those who have given their lives for our country.”

Former Hudson County Freeholder Barry Dugan, a former U.S. Marine, spoke at the ceremony on behalf of local veterans. Representatives of several veterans’ groups were present at the event. Yosstina Gadalla, Secretary of the Dr. Walter F. Robinson School Student Council, gave welcoming remarks to the crowd. Bayonne High School senior Molly Zervoulis sang the national anthem. Other participants at the ceremony included the color guards from the Bayonne Police and Fire Departments. Sen. Lautenberg began his tribute “Faces of the Fallen” shortly after war began in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the spring of 2004, this memorial has been on display permanently outside the Senator’s Washington, D.C. office.

The memorial consists of more than 75 placards --each containing dozens of service members’ names, ages, hometowns, causes of death, and pictures. In total, the memorial pays tribute to more than 3,000 service members.