HILLSBOROUGH: Air force veteran named Grand Marshal of Memorial Day celebration

By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
An Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam will host this year’s Memorial Day parade and subsequent proceedings later this month., During the Hillsborough Township Committee meeting on May 9, officials named Ron Newsom as the 2017 Grand Marshal for the Memorial Day Commemoration Ceremony and the honoree at the 12th annual Salute to Veterans Breakfast., According to event planners, Newsom will lead the Memorial Day Parade from its starting point at the intersection of Auten and Triangle Roads at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 27., From there, the parade will continue along Auten Road, onto New Amwell Road and then onto Beekman Lane, ultimately coming to an end at the Garden of Honor, located at the Peter J. Biondi Municipal Building., Once there, Newsom will be the featured speaker during the Garden of Honor Ceremony, which is slated to begin at 11:15 a.m., Committeeman Greg Burchette touted Newsom’s selection as an apt choice, given Newsom’s background., “What more fitting way to honor our veterans at the Salute to Veterans Breakfast, but to also have them lead our parade and then finally having our Grand Marshal address the crowd during the Garden of Honor Ceremonies,” Committeeman Greg Burchette said., Officials said Newsom was a Buck Sergeant E4 in the Air Force, where he served as part of the 96th Combat Support Group in Vietnam. Once back home, he was stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas., Upon leaving the military, Newsom returned to his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. to attend the University of Memphis. Following his collegiate life, he got a job at Kraft Foods, where he spent the next three decades in various management positions., Now, as a retiree, Newsom has lived in Hillsborough for 25 years with his wife of nearly 50 years, Rose. The couple raised three children, DeLisa LaPolice, Matt Newsom and Shawna Guzy, who brought six grandchildren into the world., Officials said Newsom is also a former Grand Knight with the Somerville Knights of Columbus, a former president of the Hunterdon Barbershop Chorus, the president of Hearthstone at Hillsborough Active over 55 community and a current member of the Mary, Mother of God choir., All Hillsborough veterans are invited to participate in the Salute to Veterans Breakfast and to lead Hillsborough’s Memorial Day Parade and Commemoration program., Registration is required for the breakfast and can be completed online at the township’s Parks and Recreation website, by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 908-369-4832 or by completing the paper registration form., The day’s festivities will kick off during the breakfast at the municipal building starting at 7:30 a.m., followed by the paraden which will begin at 10:30 a.m., The ceremony at the Garden of Honor, at 11:15 a.m., will conclude the formal events for the day. The rain date for the parade and Garden of Honor ceremony is Sunday, May 28.