Memorial Day Offers Time to Remember Heroes

COURT HOUSE – Memorial Day will afford an opportunity to reflect on the lives of America’s sons and daughters, those who died that this nation might be free. Many were teenagers who were fresh from high school graduation; others were young college graduates who answered the call to duty. Some volunteered; others were drafted. All gave some; some gave all.
It would be too easy to sit back and refuse to attend one of the many ceremonies that will take place in Cape May County, many on Memorial Day, but some earlier in the weekend. One of those will take place May 25, at 8 p.m. The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 955 and the American Legion Post 184, both of Wildwood, will hold a candlelight vigil at the “Vietnam Memorial Wall,” Burk and Ocean avenues. It is a replica of The Wall in Washington, D.C. and contains every name exactly as it is found on that memorial. The public is welcome to attend this and every other ceremony to remember the fallen armed service members.
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Cape May County
Cape May County Veterans’ Bureau will hold its Memorial Day ceremony on May 27 at 2 p.m. at the county Veterans’ Cemetery, according to Freeholder Director Gerald M. Thornton.
Speakers will include: Freeholder Kristine Gabor, Capt. William G. Kelly, commanding officer, Coast Guard TRACEN Cape May, and Thornton. U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd) has been invited to speak at the event.
The Coast Guard will provide the ceremonial detail. Representatives from Cape May County veterans’ organizations are expected to participate in the program that will honor the nation’s fallen veterans.
Among those interred there is Lance Cpl. George L. Dramis of Court House. He was the last U.S. Marine to die from sniper fire on Jan. 30, 1984 in Beirut, Lebanon. He gave his life during a sniper attack on Marine position Bedrock in that city. He was part of the multi-national peacekeeping force.
He was 19 years old when he made the supreme sacrifice in defense of liberty. Dramis enjoyed wrestling, football, skiing, surfing, dancing, his home, his education, his religion, a motorcycle, a van, and his dog, Louis, according to a 2009 Herald story written by Joe Hart.
A Marine Corps League detachment is named in his memory. That group keeps alive his memory as it collects toys during its Toys for Tots campaign during the Christmas season to distribute to children in need.
A memorial monument and flagpole to Dramis stands on a 1,500-square-foot traffic island at the three-way intersection of Dias Creek Road, Shunpike and Stites Avenue in Court House, adjacent to T.E. Wood American Legion Post 198.
Cape May County Veterans’ Cemetery is located at 129 Crest Haven Road, Court House (Exit 11 off Garden State Parkway).
For information, contact the Veterans’ Bureau at 886-2762.
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Avalon
Col. Dr. Kenneth W. Graf to be keynote speaker at Avalon’s Memorial Day ceremony which begins May 27 at 9 a.m.
A parade will step off at 32nd Street and Dune Drive and proceed north to Veterans Plaza, 21st Street and Dune Drive. At the conclusion of the parade, a special ceremony will be held hosted by Mayor Martin Pagliughi and American Legion Post No. 331 (Stone Harbor/Avalon). Keynote speaker is to be Army Colonel Dr. Kenneth W. Graf.
Graf is a 1966 graduate of Notre Dame University and a 1970 graduate of Hahnemann Medical Center and Hospital. In 1971, Graf served at Brooke Army Hospital at Fort Sam Houston in Texas as a reserve officer; he also served at Fort Dix during the Vietnam War years at the 316 Station Hospital.
He continued a medical career as a surgeon and spent many years as a team physician for Northern High School and Messiah College in addition to teaching medical students and surgical residents.
Graf’s second calling came on Sept. 11, 2001. At age 57, he and millions of Americans witnessed the attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C, and Pennsylvania.
A surgeon with a professional and military career could not sit still and do nothing. He found a military recruiter who would listen to him and volunteered to re-enter the U.S. Army Reserve at the age 59.
Graf went through basic training and was deployed to Kosovo and Bosnia as the only surgeon for the U.S. Army and NATO forces. He followed that service with a 90-day tour to Afghanistan at the Bagram Airbase in a combat support hospital.
After returning home in 2006, Graf was deployed to serve in a Level 1 trauma care center in Landstuhl, Germany. In 2008, he served in Tikrit, Iraq, the hometown of Saddam Hussein. In 2010, another five-month tour of service followed in Afghanistan.
A resident of Dillsburg, Pa., with his wife Lynn,; the Grafs own a home in Stone Harbor.
“The borough is tremendously honored to welcome Col. Graf to our Memorial Day parade as our keynote speaker,” stated Pagliughi. “His story is remarkable, his service to our country is exemplary, and he truly is an American hero to be thanked and honored by our residents and visitors on Memorial Day.”
Graf will walk with Pagliughi and members of Borough Council in the Memorial Day parade.
The parade will feature Miss Avalon 2013 Fiona DiGennaro, Avalon’s service organizations, motorcycles, cars, small floats, and other attractions. The Seven Mile Singers will provide patriotic music during the ceremony. American Legion Post No. 331 Commander Kevin Coyle will join Graf and Pagliughi with brief comments. The ceremony also includes the presentation of memorial wreaths and lowering the American flag to half-mast.
Those attending the ceremony are invited to visit the Sept. 11 Memorial Plaza directly north of Veterans Plaza. The Plaza earned an “Excellence in Design” award in March, 2013 from the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association.
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Middle Township
Middle Township will host a Memorial Day Parade and ceremony May 27, at 10 a.m. The parade is hosted in conjunction with Thurston Elmer Wood American Legion Post 198 where a ceremony will be held at the Legion Hall on Dias Creek Road, Court House.
Parade participants will line up at 9:15 a.m. with the parade stepping off at 10 a.m.
The parade will begin at Memorial Field and proceed on Pacific Avenue to Boyd Street. The parade turns north on Boyd Street and then left on Mechanic Street before turning left on Dias Creek Road. It will continue to the Legion Hall where a ceremony will be held.
Members of the Middle Township Committee will serve as guest speakers; Pastor Chip Northrup from the First Baptist Church of Middle Township will giv both the invocation and Benediction.
Before the parade begins, there will be a bicycle decorating contest sponsored by the Middle Township Department of Recreation for three age categories: Ages 3-6, ages 7-9, and ages 10-12.
Judging will begin at 9:15 a.m.
Alyssa Sullivan will be guest soloist for the day. The John Walters Community Band will be performing patriotic music on the lawn of the American Legion Hall. The Legion will provide a free hot dog and soda at the conclusion of the parade.
One of the post’s founders was Col. Edmund O. Howell, of Swainton, who died Aug. 30, 1966. Among his achievements, he nominated Woodrow Wilson for governor of New Jersey and later nominated him for president. Howell served in both world wars, and was a delegate to the veterans’ meeting in 1919 that led to the formation of the American Legion. He was instrumental in founding the county’s first five legion posts, and he was a commander of the T.E. Wood Post, named for a Court House native and Army officer killed in World War I.
Capt. Wood was killed July 21, 1918 in front of Vierzy Ainse, France. Initially buried there, his body was reinterred in the Naval Cemetery, Annapolis, Md., as his father was Navy Capt. A.N. Wood, and is mother was Edith Wood, a descendent of an old Court House family.
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Sea Isle City
On May 27, Sea Isle City’s Memorial Day ceremony will take place at Veterans Park, JFK Boulevard and Landis Avenue, beginning at 10 a.m. The yearly honoring of the nation’s fallen military heroes will be led by Mayor Leonard Desiderio, and will feature numerous municipal and county officials, local religious leaders, patriotic music, and many local veterans, including the members of VFW Post 1963’s color guard.
During the gathering – in addition to words of remembrance from the event’s honored guests – ceremonial wreaths will be placed at the base of the park’s memorial fountain and several members of the Cape May County Militia will perform a gun-salute.
After the ceremony at Veterans Park is completed, the public will be invited to follow the members of Boy Scout Troop 76 color guard to the JFK Boulevard Beach, where the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol will row a lifeguard boat beyond the breakers and set flowers adrift in honor of America’s deceased naval heroes.
On May 25, the Sixth Annual “Tri-For-Our Veterans” Triathlon will take place beginning at 6:30 a.m. This event is a sprint distance competition that is ideal for athletes of all levels.
The race consists of a quarter-mile ocean swim, an 8.5-mile bike race along Pleasure and Landis avenues, and a 3.1-mile run that takes place on the beach and Sea Isle’s Promenade. Athletes who do not swim can compete in the event’s duathlon and relay options.
All proceeds from the Tri-For-Our Veterans Triathlon are directed to the Semper Fi Fund and Sea Isle City’s VFW Post 1963.
The Semper Fi Fund provides immediate financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. armed forces and their families. The event also supports Team Semper Fi, which is made up of more than 375 service members who qualify for assistance through the Semper Fi Fund. Numerous members of Team Semper Fi regularly participate in this yearly race.
The Tri-For-Our-Veterans Triathlon was founded by Matt McCulley in 2007 as a way to give back to those who fight to protect America’s freedom. This year’s race is being held in his honor.
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Cape May
Memorial Day observance in the Nation’s Oldest Seashore Resort will be on May 27 and begin at 8 a.m. at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center on Munro Avenue.
Another tribute will take place at 9 a.m. at the Columbia Avenue War Memorial.
Shortly thereafter, at 9:20 a.m. a ceremony will take place at the Wilbraham Park monument in West Cape May
At 9:30 a.m. a brief ceremony will be conducted at the VFW building at 419 Congress St.
At 11 a.m. the city will host a ceremony at Cape May Convention Hall. The program begins with a special patriotic musical selection to be performed by The Cape Harmonaires.
Thee ceremony will also include an Advance of Colors, a ceremonial gun salute, and the playing of “Taps,” all of which will be presented by the U.S. Coast Guard of Cape May.
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Wildwood
The official Wildwood Island Memorial Day Service will be held at American Legion Post No. 184 at Roberts and Atlantic avenues across from the Rite Aid Drugstore on May 27 promptly at 11 a.m.
The service will be hosted by the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 955 with special help from Wildwood Police Department, Wildwood Fire Department, Wildwood Beach Patrol, Wildwood Police Explorers Post, Boy Scout Troop 75, Cub Scout Pack 184. Also joining will be the Sightseer Tram Company.
Guest speaker will be retired Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Pierson. A Cape May County freeholder is scheduled to speak, and other short observances will be made by various local government, law enforcement, fire officials, and military organizations.
In event of severe rain the service will be held inside. After the ceremony at the post, there will be three short services at Memory Lane, the Vietnam Wall, and the Atlantic Ocean.
On May 25, at 8 p.m. the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 955 and the American Legion Post 184, both of Wildwood, plan to hold a candlelight vigil at the “Vietnam Memorial Wall,” Burk and Ocean avenues.
All are invited. Anyone wishing to honor a family member, loved one, or friend, contact Vince Deprinzio at 609-827-7062 or email Norman Marlin at nrmjr2003@yahoo.com.
There will also be a motorcycle procession from Rio Grande to the Vietnam Wall as part of this event. Motorcycles are asked to meet in the parking lot behind the Rio Station to the right of the Rio Grande Wawa where we will be departing promptly at 7:15 p.m. for the ride to Wildwood.
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North Wildwood
North Wildwood Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5941 and the City of North Wildwood will honor America’s fallen soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen from every war on May 27 beginning at 10 a.m. at North Wildwood Veterans Monument, Spruce and New York avenues.
There will also be a service May 27 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Hereford Inlet Lighthouse flagpole where names of VFW Post 5941 members who passed on since last Memorial Day will be read and their service honored.
All are welcome to join in remembering those who have fought for the many liberties shared today and every day.
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Ocean City
On May 25, Stand Up for the Seals, an organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for fallen Seals and other Spec Ops warriors will sponsor its first Beach Adventure Race that will include an obstacle course for adults and a sand challenge run for kids under 10.
The event will also feature Stand Up Paddle Ocean Challenge. Contests start on the Fourth Street Beach at 7:30 a.m. Teams and individuals interested in participating should access www.StandUP4SEALS.com.
StandUp4Seals is an official partner of “One Team One Fight” which includes the Navy SEAL Foundation and the 31 Heroes Project. The Memorial Day Weekend event will honor and support the families of those who have fallen and those who fight on in this longest war in modern history. Contact Kristin Gallagher (610) 401-1510.
On May 27, the city’s Memorial Day tribute will begin at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, Fifth and Wesley Avenue.
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Stone Harbor
On May 27, Stone Harbor’s Memorial Day parade, sponsored by American Legion Post 331 will proceed east on 96th street at noon. Immediately after the parade the American Legion post invites the public to the Women’s Civic Club, 96th street and the beach for a moving ceremony.
Beginning at 1 p.m., the American Legion post will hold its annual open house at 117th street and Second Avenue.
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WEEKEND EVENTS OTHER THAN MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTES
THE WILDWOODS – The Wildwoods will officially kick off the 2013 summer season with the Unlocking of the Ocean Ceremony at noon on Friday, May 24 on the beach at Burk Avenue behind the Wildwoods Convention Center. A large, ornate key will be used to ‘unlock’ the ocean at this annual Wildwoods tradition to initiate the summer season.
The 28th Annual Wildwoods International Kite Festival, the largest kite festival in North America, also kicks off on May 24 and will feature kite makers from around the world flying their most incredible and colorful creations. The kite festival starts at 9 p.m. on May 24 with an illuminated night kite fly on the beach at Rio Grande Avenue.
The Kite Festival continues on May 25 and May 26, starting at 9 a.m. daily, with the East Coast Stunt Kite Championships featuring the best sport kite pilots in the United States. The championships are comprised of a variety of competitions for individuals, pairs and teams. Also during the weekend, join in the Candy Drop, Running of the Bols, Rev Games or Rokkaku Team Challenge. You can also fly a kite on the Learn to Fly Field, or watch the Fighter Kite Competition. More fun is to be had with kite exhibits and workshops on the beach.
The Wildwoods International Kite Festival Auction will be held in the Wildwoods Convention Center at 7 p.m. on Sat. night. The auction is open to the public during which many unique kites and collectibles will be auctioned off.
The kite festivities conclude on Memorial Day, May 27, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with the World Indoor Kite Competition inside the Wildwoods Convention Center. Kite fliers will showcase their impressive ability to fly a kite indoors without wind, and performances will be choreographed to music.
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STONE HARBOR – Festivities begin May 23 with the annual unlocking of the ocean at 4 p.m.
All are invited to join Mayor Suzanne Walters and members of council as the Beach Patrol ceremoniously rows the mayor out to sea to place wreath in the ocean.
On May 26, the borough’s 13th annual Turtle Trot 5k Run and 2 Mile Fun Walk. The race begins at 95th Street and First Avenue and day-of-race registration begins at 6:45 a.m. The 5K starts at 8 a.m. and the 2 Mile Fun Walk at 8:05 a.m. Cash Prizes are awarded to the top male and female overall, the top master male and female 40 and over, and awards to the 3 top males and females in all age categories.