CHERRY HILL— The granite memorial outside the Cherry Hill municipal building says it all.

“Patriotic sacrifice, forever remembered,” reads the etching that dates back to just after World War II.

The sacrifice of the township’s native sons killed in action in past conflicts was remembered Monday, along with three new names added to the permanent tribute.

Lt. Col. John Spahr, 42, died May 2, 2005 when his jet crashed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Capt. Gregory Dalessio, known for his faith and love of his family, died June 23, 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, during his second tour there.

Lance Cpl. Jeremy Kane, the son of Cherry Hill Councilwoman Melinda Kane, fell as a result of a suicide bomber’s actions in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on Jan. 23, 2010.

“It’s not just a loss that my family has experienced, but a loss the community has experienced,” said Kane, who laid a wreath in her son’s honor during a morning ceremony attended by hundreds and said to be the largest the township has held in recent memory.

“These brave men and women do this for their country and their community. He didn’t die in vain.”

She acknowledged that Memorial Day is a sad day for her, but the reminders of the impact her son had on the community are constant.

“I see his friends getting older, going off and getting jobs and marrying,” Kane said. “He’ll be forever 22. It keeps him alive just to see his name, to hear people speak his name.”

Veterans young and old assembled Monday and rose when the Cherry Hill Pine Barons Chorus performed an Armed Forces Medley featuring the songs of each branch of the military.

Even more people stood when asked by Mayor Chuck Cahn to rise if they had served or have a loved one who couldn’t be in attendance because they are currently serving.

Col. Jeffrey Doll, Commander of Fort Dix, said the timing of Memorial Day is fitting considering the holiday ushers in a season that brings with it warmth and life.

“Memorial Day is not to be a day of solemn mourning, but a day of reverent celebration,” Doll said. “A celebration of the men and women who ensured we could freely and peacefully assemble here today to continue our democratic way of life.”

He added that the names memorialized on the wall were lives not dedicated to conflict and death, but freedom and life.

Cahn thanked the men and women in attendance for their service to the nation and the community. He explained the township’s pride in its veterans dates back decades.

“That memorial which sits before us today was updated decades later to recognize the local toll of the wars in Korea and Vietnam,” Cahn said. “And today we are proud to dedicate it in tribute to three extraordinary young men who gave their lives in the war on terrorism.”

More than 80 New Jersey residents have died in combat operations since Sept. 11, 2001.

The names of Spahr, Dalessio and Kane join the dozens who perished in past conflicts remembered on the series of bronze plaques.

Standing before the new plaques, Cherry Hill resident Lou Tortual, a Vietnam veteran, sighed and shook his head.

“Hopefully, those two top ones, they stay empty from now on,” he said.