May 28, 2012 (Kearny, NJ) The Memorial Day weekend is a time to reflect and honor our soldiers present and past.

On February 10, 2012, Lance Corporal Osbrany Montes de Oca of North Arlington, NJ died in combat operations in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Montes de Oca, 20, was a Lance Corpal with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment , 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force. In February of this year, over 1500 mourners packed the Queen of Peace church and others lined Ridge Road in North Arlington outside the church and along the route to the North Arlington Cemetary.

Photograph courtesy of Jennifer Brown/Star Ledger.

On November 19, 2005, one of Kearny's residents serving in Iraq lost his life as a result of a road side bomb in Baiji, Iraq. Army Staff Sgt. Edward Karolasz gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

On this Memorial Day weekend, we stop to reflect and give thanks for all that Army Staff Sgt. Edward Karolasz and Lance Corporal Osbrany Montes de Oca and others have done on behalf of our country. Our thoughts also go out to the the Karolasz and Montes de Oca families and friends.

As KOTW noted last year, The Newark Star Ledger has put together a Tribute to New Jersey Fallen Servicemembers Take a moment to visit the Tribute and take notice of the sacrifice made by these soldiers and their families on this Memorial Day.