Memorial Honors Coast Guard Heroes

CAPE MAY – The Coast Guard Enlisted Memorial dedication ceremony April 27 was a gathering of the top brass of the Coast Guard, along with volunteers who worked for eight years to fund and build the structure, local dignitaries and elected officials, all to unveil stone and metal etched with the names of 1,700 heroes.
For the families of the fallen, it was the center of gravity, as Admiral Karl Schultz called it, where passed loved ones, shipmates, comrades and country came together at one time.
It was a blustery, cool day with blue skies and bright sun. The memorial is of American brass and stone, six stones etched with the names of every enlisted man and woman who gave their lives in the performance of their military duty, a compass that points true north and a bell that signals the end of watch. The bell was cast in 1938 for the Lighthouse Service; it towers over the memorial plaza.
Thomas Dougherty, a former member of the Coast Guard and head of the Coast Guard Enlisted Memorial Foundation, helped raise over $500,000 to build the structure.
“It took eight years to get here. It was a long road lined with many wonderful people. I thank God I was able to be a part of this,” Dougherty told the assembly.
Capt. Owen Gibbons, commanding officer, Training Center Cape May, told the audience that 40,000 people visit the base annually, and the memorial would be a focal point of their experience.
“They will come to see the names on these walls, the names of who we aspire to be. Cape May is the birthplace of the enlisted corps, our hometown, now home to our heroes,” Gibbons said.
The names on the walls begin in 1915, the year the Revenue Cutter Service and the Lifesaving Service merged to form the U.S. Coast Guard. The center monument of the memorial honors the fallen from each of the predecessor services of the guard: Revenue Cutter Service, Lifesaving Service, Lighthouse Service, Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection Service.
Training Center Cape May is the fifth largest base in the Coast Guard and the sole recruit training center for the enlisted workforce. The training center is considered the birthplace of the enlisted corps. The memorial is the only one in the country that honors enlisted sailors.
After the speeches were over, the color guard marched off the field, the end of watch was tolled and “Taps” played as the wind quieted. The audience was invited to walk among the walls and look for shipmates and friends.
Eileen and Frank Redd, from Virginia, walked to the last wall and scrolled down to the last name to find their son, Aaron Redd. Recruit Aaron Redd died July 6, 2016, just days after collapsing during training.
“The Coast Guard community has changed our lives,” Eileen Redd said. “Our son’s memory is etched in stone on this memorial, but he is etched in our hearts, too. We’re happy to be a part of this event.”
To contact Carl Price, email cprice@cmcherald.com.