WHEREAS it is the intention of the Mayor and Council of Cherry Hill Township to focus attention on noteworthy occasions and individuals; and
WHEREAS tonight, we wish to honor and thank one of the tens of thousands of United States veterans living in South Jersey, Cherry Hill resident and World War II veteran May Brill; and
WHEREAS born in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1924, May decided to enlist in the United States Navy at the age of 20, spurred on by a sense of patriotism; and
WHEREAS May was stationed in Oakland Ca., part of an all-female supply unit that sent equipment, tools, medical supplies and other goods to the Pacific Fleet, and worked her way up five ranks, from Seaman to Shopkeeper Second Class; and
WHEREAS May and her husband moved to Cherry Hill in the mid-1970s, and remained in the Township while May returned to school and skillfully balanced motherhood, marriage and academics until she earned her degree in Gerontology from Glassboro State College; and
WHEREAS today, at the age of 93, May enjoys spending time with her four daughters, 11 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, and remains as active and committed to giving back to others as ever, serving as an advocate for Veterans, and especially, for women in the military; and
WHEREAS May was named Honorary Commander of Jewish War Veterans Post 126 – and is the first woman to serve as the organization’s Senior Vice Commander – New Jersey Chairperson of Women in the Military, and Chairperson of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Vineland, and volunteers for these organizations almost every day of the week.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHUCK CAHN, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of the Township of Cherry Hill, County of Camden, State of New Jersey, do hereby declare Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017, to be
May Brill Day
in the Township of Cherry Hill, and do urge all citizens to join with me and the members of Township Council in thanking May for her service to the United States of America, and her continued work to give back to her community and fellow veterans every day of her life.