NORTH WILDWOOD – Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5491 and the Run to Remember Committee are looking for Gold Star Family members to attend the dedication of the Gold Star Families Memorial Gateway sometime in early spring 2025.
According to Bill Davenport with the VFW, the groups would like to see as many Gold Star Family members as possible, from as wide an area as possible, to honor their fallen loved ones and to cut the ribbon on the memorial.
“We wanted to give people a head’s up that we are going to dedicate the new park at some point, and some people are probably not aware or won’t seek us out, so we are trying to seek them out,” Davenport said.
He said that, while no one ever wants the title of Gold Star Family, the organizers would like to honor them for the sacrifice they made through their service member. A Gold Star Family member is a person who is a close relative of a serviceman or servicewoman who has died during their time of service. The death can be from war service or general service, and from any cause.
“At some point we are asking them if they want to bring their casket flags,” Davenport said, adding they did this years ago when Gov. Phil Murphy was first elected and wanted to spend part of his inauguration week in Wildwood. He said there was a snowstorm and the snow covered the Vietnam Veterans wall in Wildwood, but Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. got the area cleared for the governor’s visit.
The monument design was created by the Hershel “Woody” Williams Foundation, which has erected 137 such monuments in the United States. Davenport said this would be the first in New Jersey.
Williams is a World War II Marine veteran who served in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Prior to entering the Marines, Williams delivered Western Union telegrams to Gold Star Families informing them of the passing of their loved one.
According to the foundation website, this job with Western Union gave him a greater sense of compassion for the family members of those lost during military service.
The completion date for the gateway project in North Wildwood has not yet been determined, so the dedication is yet to be planned. The park has expanded east and west and will house several new monuments.
The VFW monument is being replaced with a similar-shaped monument and will be located on the west side. A military emblem monolith with the engraved insignia of the seven military services will be in mid-park. A Gold Star Family monument will be the focal point of the park and located on its east side.
Anyone who is a Gold Star Family member, or knows of a family, is asked to contact Davenport at 609-827-0588 or bysea@verizon.net.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
