MIDDLETOWN – The three Middletown middle schools, in conjunction with “Middletown 350,” will honor World War II veterans, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 24, at “Middletown Military Shout Out.”
The theme of the multi-faceted event is to “Remember, Educate and Entertain,” culminating in an authentic World War II U.S.O. show performed by students from the Thorne, Bayshore, and Thompson middle schools.
Thorne Middle School, home of the WWII Battle of the Bulge Monument, will host the event. Special guests will include survivors of the battle, and other World War II veterans. The school is named for Cpl. Horace Thorne, Middletown’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. The medal was awarded posthumously for Thorne’s heroism during the Battle of the Bulge.
The event is part of a series commemorating Middletown’s 350th anniversary and will feature three events, beginning with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Battle of the Bulge Monument in front of the school. The monument, previously housed at Fort Monmouth, was relocated to Thorne Middle School in May 2011, with a re-dedication ceremony that included more than 90 survivors of the battle. Attendees also will be invited to visit inside the school to see a “Wall of Heroes” and showcases of World War II gear and uniforms. Paintings by artist Frank McGinley depicting the battle will be on display. The program will conclude with the U.S.O. show.
Veterans who wish to attend should contact the school at 732-787-1220. Families and the general public are welcome to attend any part of the program, and need not contact the school. For the U.S.O. show, seating will be available for veterans and their families. Other attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for seating. Thorne Middle School is located at 70 Murphy Road, in the Port Monmouth section of Middletown.
For more information Middletown 350 and planned events, please visit http://www.middletownnj.org/content/middletown 350.
