Town’s Civil War veterans’ organization began in 1868
Wednesday, April 13, 2016 • The Hammonton Gazette • Page 3
GREENMOUNT, from Page 1
group’s greatest accomplishments
include: the lobbying for veterans
pensions, the creation of Memorial
Day in 1868, the fight for the
Pledge of Allegiance to be recited
in schools as well as flags to be
placed in all classrooms. in 1890,
its membership reached a peak
number of more than 490,000. Six
presidents were members of the
GAr during their life. they were:
Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S.
Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Chester
A. Arthur, James Garfield and
William McKinley.
every year, members of the
GAr would meet for its National
encampment. New Jersey hosted
the event just once, which took
place in 1910 in Atlantic City. At
these gatherings, men would elect
a new Commander-in-Chief as
well as discuss political and social
business surrounding their mission. the GAr existed on a national level until its last member,
Albert Woolson, passed away in
1956. through the formation of
the Sons of Union Veterans of the
Civil War (SUVCW), their accomplishments were never to be forgotten. the SUVCW was formed
in 1881, and any male who could
prove his relation to another male
eligible for membership into the
GAr was allowed to join. today,
the SUVCW carries on its historic
traditions and honors their distant
ancestors who served in the Union
army during the Civil War.
the original statue of the Union
soldier stands tall in the center of
Greenmount Cemetery. the flowers are tended to often, and the flag
is taken care of by the tri-Vets of
Hammonton, a group that combines members of the American
Legion, VfW and the DAV.
David Hann is an extremely active, longtime member of the
SUVCW. He’s also a member of
the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Hann is one of the men who participates in the reenactment held at
the statue in Greenmount Cemetery each year on May 30.
“A lot of small towns had Grand
Army of the republic posts, but
Hammonton is unique. Our post
was rather large. there are some
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