Haddon Township, N.J. — Hollingshead Corp. WWII War Memorial
The Hollingshead Corp. WWII War Memorial, now located in Newton Creek Park in Westmont (Haddon Township), N.J.
All but forgotten today, the R.M. Hollingshead Corporation was one of Camden's largest employers, manufacturing automotive chemicals among other things. Despite a devastating fire in July of 1940, which raged for days, leaving 10 workers and 1 fireman dead, the company was very much a going concern at the end of World War II.
Over 500 Hollingshead workers had answered the nation's call in World War II. Twelve Hollingshead workers lost their lives while in the service. After the war, workers and management teamed up to raise money for an eight-foot monument which stood at the company's plant at 16th & Mickle Streets in East Camden.
Many years later, the factory closed. The monument, which was not city property, was forgotten about, no one took responsibility for its upkeep. Although never vandalized, weeds and trees grew around it, all but obscuring it.
The Hollingshead Corp. WWII War Memorial inscription.
In the spring of 1991, a Camden firefighter, John Maroldo, while putting out a nearby car fire, stumbled across the statue. Maroldo got in contact with the David Sherman Post 713 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Westmont (Haddon Township), N.J. The members of the post voted to pay for moving the monument to Newton Creek Park, on Lakeshore Drive off of Cuthbert Boulevard, in Westmont. The memorial was rededicated on June 14th, 1992 — Flag Day.
To read the May 24, 1992 article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, click here.
The Hollingshead Corp. WWII War Memorial at Newton Creek Park in Westmont, N.J.
They Lived Their Lives To Serve Their Fellowmen — They Died To Serve Their Country
This memorial was erected by fellow employees of the R.M. Hollingshead Corporation of Camden, New Jersey, in honor of twelve workers who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II.
| Name | Rank | Branch | Unit | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worthington W. Betts | PFC | Marines | 6/17/1944 | ||
| Kenneth S. Campbell | R1C | Navy | USS Escolar | 11/14/1945 | |
| Bernard Galbraith | PFC | Marines | 12/1/1923 | 2/19/1945 | |
| Samuel Harrell, Jr. | SGT | Army | 11th Airborne Division | 12/7/1944 | |
| Gordon Henderson | PFC | Army | 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division | 10/7/1944 | |
| Richard H. Lightowler | SGT | Army | 347th Infantry Regiment, 87th Infantry Division | 2/3/1945 | |
| John F. McAnulty | PFC | Army | 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division | 4/18/1945 | |
| Robert C. Redding | SSGT | Air Force | 568th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group | 3/16/1921 | 10/8/1943 |
| Charles R. Stewart, Jr. | PVT | Army | 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division | 5/3/1944 | |
| John L. Sullivan | PVT | Army | 1917 | 3/28/1944 | |
| William Tait | TEC4 | Army | 6th Ordnance Bomb Disposal Squad | 8/27/1919 | 7/9/1944 |
| Edward P. Wheeler | PFC | Army | 331st Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division | 7/8/1944 |
HMTS Rohna
Six men from Camden, N.J. — Frank Ballerino, Michael Carr, Michael Yachus, Stephen V. Koscianski, Lewis Riondino, and Joseph H. Johnson — died together when the troop transport HMTS Rohna was struck by a German guided glider bomb and sank off the coast of North Africa. In addition, six other Camden County men — Jacob K. Jenkins and Carl Johanson of Pennsauken, 19-year-old Harry V. Taylor Jr. of Haddonfield, William McKeon of Blackwood, Merle Reagle of Lindenwold, and Elmer F. Day of Merchantville — also were lost that day. In total, 1,015 men were lost, but the story was never told to the families or the general public for over 57 years due to wartime censorship.
Beverly National Cemetery
William C. Tait is buried at Beverly National Cemetery, plot F 1186B. Robert C. Redding is buried at Beverly National Cemetery, plot P 95. Bernard H. Galbraith is buried at Beverly National Cemetery, plot F 1808.