More than 1,000 onlookers, a parade, flag raising and even a patriotic flyover by a local civil air patrol group helped make this year’s annual Fourth of July celebration in the Normandy Beach neighborhood one of the best ever.
The day featured a flyover by the elite Black Sheep Squadron against the backdrop of the American flag, and the presentation of 63 veterans from all branches of the military and representing all conflicts dating back to World War II, said Gen Van Doren of the Normandy Beach Improvement Association.
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Performers included 12-year-old Normandy Beach resident Lindsey Rawding, who sang the national anthem, and the Shamrock & Thistle Pipe and Drum Corps. Dozens of American Legion motorcyclists drove in the procession, and the event concluded with the raising of the flag by organizer Bob Mrozak, a U.S. Army veteran who served in South Korea after the war.
The celebration takes place each July 4 in Normandy Beach, a barrier island neighborhood divided between a Brick portion and a Toms River portion.