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Panel Exploring New Sites for Ship Memorial

John Boecker
This sketch shows some of the angles and features being considered in a monument to the USS Jacob Jones, a Navy destroyer that was sunk off the coast of Cape May during World War II.

By Karen Knight

CAPE MAY – Promising a “very democratic and transparent process as much as possible,” members of the USS Jacob Jones Memorial Monument Committee have stepped back from considering the Cove on Beach Avenue as a possible site for the monument and are now considering two other locations suggested by those attending recent information sessions.

So far, the committee has considered locations on Howard Avenue, Gurney Street and the east end of Beach Avenue near Wilmington Avenue for the monument, but those were eliminated for various reasons.

At a May 29 information session, residents objected to the Cove because they said all the activity that goes on there would detract from the reverence they thought the monument required, along with the potential for vandalism, lack of parking and harshness of weather blowing in from the west.

Myles Martel at a Zoom meeting June 2 to discuss possible locations for a memorial monument to the USS Jacob Jones. Screenshot

“We have emphasized that we want this to be a very democratic process, and that was punctuated this week,” said Myles Martel, a Cape May resident and founding member of the memorial committee, about information sessions held June 2 and June 3. “The feedback that we’ve received has been quite helpful and informative. The Cove is no longer being considered.”

Instead, as a result of the meetings, two new locations are being considered: one near the comfort station at Poverty Beach, on Wilmington Avenue, and the second near the World War II Lookout Tower in Lower Township, which houses an exhibit on the Jacob Jones, a Navy destroyer sunk during World War II.

“Each site requires homework to determine if it’s a viable location before we can make a recommendation,” he added.

Martel said the committee’s preference was to have a site in Cape May for the monument because articles about the sinking of the destroyer said “off Cape May.”

“This was an effort to help reinforce Cape May as a historic landmark,” he said. “We will take a careful look at these other sites and understand to what extent they are viable or not.”

Martel said he and the committee were not aware of the exhibit at the World War WII Tower at Sunset Beach prior to residents suggesting it as an alternate location. The committee consists of four core members and four others who are assisting with research, website design and other needs.

The monument would honor the 131 Navy sailors who gave their lives after the Jacob Jones was sunk by a German U-Boat following Germany’s declaration of war against the United States. It went down just miles off the Cape May shoreline, just days after it began its mission and less than three months after the declaration of war.

At the time of the sinking, America’s East Coast was particularly vulnerable, as Germany significantly disrupted supply routes between North America and Europe. All but one of those who died remain entombed within the wreckage at the sinking site. Eleven survivors were treated at the Cape May Naval Air Station, now the Coast Guard base.

Additionally, the monument would honor all those who died during the Second World War’s Battle of the Atlantic, Martel said.

As part of new information presented at the June sessions, the committee outlined six criteria of a “desirable and appropriate site”; they comprise a location’s “reverent character/context as a fitting tribute, visual access to the beach and ocean, direct sight lines to the Jacob Jones sinking site, accessible and conducive to an educational experience, capability for harmonizing site context with public art and nature, and conducive to any regulatory requirements if needed.”

John Boecker, a Cape May resident who is designing the USS Jacob Jones Memorial Monument. Screenshot

The design of the 30-foot monument is still being finalized, but early sketches indicate it will be built incorporating different angles and features from the destroyer. Names of the 131 seamen who died on the ship will be included on the memorial.

“This monument can help ensure that future generations understand the price of freedom, the risk of our nation being exposed to a foreign adversary and the enduring strength of the American spirit,” Martel said. “In reverently telling the story of the brave sailors of the Jacob Jones, we will honor and elevate the national recognition of all those who gave their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic to preserve our precious freedom.”

Leading the design of the monument is John Boecker, a Yale University-trained architect who is a Cape May resident and a founding partner of 7group, a firm that focuses on green buildings, regenerative practice, and design that integrates with the local environment. Now retired, Boecker also serves as chairman of Cape May’s Historic Preservation Committee.

Boecker presented a preliminary design for the monument at the Cape May City Council meeting April 15. He said the design will continue to evolve based on a variety of factors, including input from community members as well as fabrication and construction parameters.

Residents at the May 29 information session took issue with the lack of attendance by City Council members at the meeting, saying they would benefit from hearing directly about residents’ concerns. Justin Riggs, deputy city manager, attended the June 2 session in support of the project.

Martel said the committee’s next steps will be to research the alternate sites for viability.

Donations to fund the project will be raised through a nationwide campaign currently being established.

For more information on the project, visit www.JacobJonesMemorial.org.

Contact the reporter, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.

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