The New Jersey Army and Air
National Guard celebrated
Unity Day on June 9, at the National
Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters
at Fort Dix.
The theme for Unity Day 2005
is “Share Your Heritage With Us.” Maj.
Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, The Adjutant General
of New Jersey
was the keynote
speaker.
"The military
has been at the
forefront of
many major social
changes
throughout our
nation’s history" stated Maj.
Gen.
Rieth. "Our National
Guard,
New Jersey’s Home Town Team,
reflects America’s many diverse
cultures and ethnicities and truly
represents all of New Jersey’s
many faces. Today is an opportunity
to join together and celebrate
the fact that regardless of where
we come from, we’re all proud to
be Americans.”
Originally the New Jersey Department
of Military and Veterans
Affairs had sponsored a number
of different heritage celebrations.
Unity Day brings this wide variety
of ethnic and cultural celebrations
together.
The program
started
with a drill team
demonstration
by the New Jersey
National
Guard
ChalleNGe
Youth Program
Cadets, bagpiper,
multi-cultural
displays
and a truly unique multi-ethnic food sampling experience.
Numerous displays featured African-American, Native
American, Caribbean/West
Indies, Filipino, German, Hispanic,
Italian, Irish, Korean, Asian Pacific
Islanders, Middle East and
Dominican Republic cultures.
Also, the Federal Women’s Program,
Buffalo Soldiers, Tuskegee
Airmen, Fort Dix ACS International,
N.J. Army and Air Guard
Recruiting, and the 108th Special
Emphasis Program Managers
participated in the program.
Unity Day began with a 5K Fun Run. Maj. Jesse
Arnstein,
21st Civil Support Team won with a time of 18:03.
Everyone got the opportunity to try the new
foods.
New Jersey's ChalleNGe Youth Drill
Team performed for the celebrants.
Numerous tables displayed a variety
of materials on different cultures. |