Cape May County Hosts Veterans Day Services

COURT HOUSE – Cape May County and its municipalities hosted several Veterans Day Services Nov. 11 to honor those who have served our country in all branches of the United States military.
Avalon
American Legion Post #331 (Stone Harbor/Avalon) and Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi hosted a special Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Plaza, 21st and Dune Drive in Avalon Nov. 11. More than 100 veterans and members of the public took time to pay tribute to the men and women who served our country in various branches of the United States Military.
Mayor Pagliughi delivered his annual Veterans Day address at the event and touched on the importance of the public to recognize and thank veterans for the freedoms that we enjoy daily in the United States. He also congratulated the American Legion for holding a special reunion in early Sept. that honored the three surviving members of the 36th Combat Engineer Regiment.
“The Borough of Avalon and American Legion Post #331 take every opportunity to honor these brave men and women each day”, Mayor Pagliughi said. “I would like to congratulate the Legion for its efforts during the weekend of September 10th through the 13th of this year. The Legion took great pride in hosting the final reunion of the 36th Combat Engineer Regiment that made served ten campaigns and made five landings during World War II, a record that still stands today”.
“The three men who were honored were Anthony Stefanelli of Nutley, New Jersey; Carl Furtado of Barrington, Rhode Island; and a gentleman the Borough of Avalon is proud to have in our community, not just on Veterans Day, but every day, John Fallon”, Mayor Pagliughi said.
During the ceremony, Harry Clayton, Commander of American Legion Post #331 addressed the audience. The ceremony also included the playing of “Taps”, and a rifle salute.
Coast Guard Training Center
A Veteran’s Day event was held at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center, Cape May, N.J., Nov. 11, to honor all those who have served our nation.
U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Todd Prestidge, commanding officer of Training Center Cape May, offered his remarks while members of the Marine Corp Dramis Detachment placed wreaths at the foot of the Douglas Munro memorial on base, here.
“Veteran’s Day is about honoring those who have decided to serve something greater than themselves,” said Prestidge. “Their choice to serve and protect this great nation offers a renewed sense of faith in what America stands for and to what lengths the men and women of the armed services are willing to go to protect it.”
Members of the training center’s ceremonial staff, as well as Capt. Prestidge, attended multiple events throughout Cape May County Nov. 11.
Sea Isle City
Sea Isle City’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony brought over 300 people to Veterans Park, where all of America’s military veterans were honored on November 11. The ceremony featured the placement of wreaths at the base of the park’s Memorial Fountain, a sizable donation made to VFW Post 1963 by 1st Bank of Sea Isle City, a “Quilts of Honor” presentation by the South Shore Stitchers, patriotic music, prayers and many words of praise for our veterans.
At the end of the ceremony, Mayor Leonard Desiderio invited all in attendance to join him on the 100 block of 46th Street, where he and Veterans Advocate Joe Griffies unveiled a new street sign inscribed with the name of Corporal Michael J. Crescenz, a member of the 31st Infantry in Vietnam, who died in battle in 1968.
“Before he was mortally wounded, Corporal Crescenz, disregarding the hostile gun fire that halted his company, heroically advanced up a hillside to silence a hidden enemy bunker,” said Mayor Desiderio. “Fittingly, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor in 1970 from President Nixon.”
Though he was a Philadelphia native, who attended Cardinal Dougherty High School, Corporal Crescenz’s family has a long history in Sea Isle City, where they happily spent many summers on the 46th Street Beach.
“I would like to thank the members of the Crescenz family for traveling to Sea Isle City on Tuesday to attend the street dedication – and for sharing their memories of Michael with us,” added the mayor. “I’d also like to thank Vietnam Veteran Joe Griffies for bringing Corporal Crescenz’s story to our attention.”