Mount Ephraim, N.J. — War Memorial
The Mount Ephraim, N.J. War Memorial.
Situated at Davis and Garfield Avenues in Mount Ephraim, N.J., this monument bears a list of Mount Ephraim residents lost in World War II. It was dedicated in the fall of 1947. The list has a few errors, which have been corrected in the listing below. Samuel A. Busey, for instance, was the father of James A. Busey, who was lost while serving with the Coast Guard in 1944. William Stefan’s first name was Willibold, and George Ocavage spelled his name O’Cavage. Similar errors have turned up on other monuments, and can be attributed to the fact that the monuments are erected years after the events commemorated, and the surviving families are no longer around to ensure correct spelling.
On July 27, 2003 a Korean War monument was dedicated on the grounds. This monument, erected as a joint project by the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign War posts of Mount Ephraim, honors Corporal Samuel Rainey, the only Mount Ephraim serviceman lost during the Korean War.
Jeff Vilardo has created and maintains a very comprehensive website about the men honored on the Mount Ephraim War Memorial: mewarmemorial.blogspot.com.
A map of Mount Ephraim and the Korean War monument.
In Honor Of The Men And Women Of Mt. Ephraim For Their Patriotic Service In World War II
In Memory Of Our Heroes Who Gave Their Lives For Their Country
| Name | Rank | Branch | Unit | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World War II | |||||
| Daniel Benevento | PFC | Army | Company C, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division | 6/22/1909 | 4/7/1945 |
| Richard K. Buck | PFC | Army | 816th Tank Destroyer Battalion | 10/15/1915 | 8/13/1942 |
| James A. Busey | F1C | Navy | USS Leopold DE-319 | 10/21/1921 | 3/9/1944 |
| Robert Dixon | PVT | Army | 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division | 8/2/1909 | 11/13/1943 |
| James Wesley Dye, Jr. | ARM3C | Navy | USS Bennington (CV-20) | 11/27/1925 | 2/24/1945 |
| Jerry J. Giordano | PFC | Army | 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division | 11/7/1917 | 1/14/1944 |
| Willis Houser | PVT | Army | Company I, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division | 7/10/1906 | 4/8/1945 |
| Leslie A. Holtzapfel | PVT | Army | Company G, 5307th Composite Unit | 1/3/1923 | 3/16/1946 |
| Robert Muller | EM3C | Navy | U.S. Naval Operating Base #120, Recife, Brazil | 11/12/1910 | 4/16/1945 |
| George J. O’Cavage | SSGT | Army Air Forces | 308th Bomb Group, 425th Bomb Squadron | 3/2/1919 | 8/24/1943 |
| Samuel J. Price | TEC5 | Army | Company C, 117th Engineer Battalion, 37th Infantry Division | 11/10/1918 | 2/9/1945 |
| Delbert K. Sandt | TEC5 | Army | 747th Tank Battalion, 29th Infantry Division | 6/2/1922 | 6/16/1944 |
| Attilio J. Simone | PVT | Army | 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division | 8/7/1917 | 4/6/1945 |
| Cornelius M. Sinon | PVT | Army | 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division | 1925 | 3/26/1945 |
| Willibold Stefan | PVT | Army | 141st Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division | 1913 | 9/9/1943 |
| Erected by the Selectee Mothers Club, Chapter No. XI | |||||
Mt. Ephraim Rites Will Memorialize War II Dead
Camden Courier-Post —
Dedication of Mt. Ephraim’s War II memorial will be tomorrow at 2 p.m.
The memorial, which has been dedicated to 15 servicemen from the borough who lost their lives in the war, has been erected next to borough hall, West Kings highway. Tribute will be paid to more than 400 men and women who served in the armed forces during the war.
In addition a new flag pole of the Police Reserves will be dedicated and a flag raising ceremonies will be held in conjunction with memorial exercises.
Memorial dedication exercises are sponsored by Mt. Ephraim Selectee Mother’s club. Mrs. William Ray, president of the club will present the memorial to the community. Miss Mary Ray, principal of Mt. Ephraim public school will unveil the monument. Speakers will include Mayor J. Herbert Phillips, Mrs. Mae Ford, founder of the Camden county Selectee Mothers Clubs; Mrs. Anton Reminger, club secretary, and Mrs. Albert J. Heller, vice president and chairman of the committee on arrangements.
Commissioner Harry Harrison, president of the Police Reserves, will speak and receive an American Flag presented by Lorenz Bodine, of Mt. Ephraim. Three flags will fly from the new pole, American flag, the Union Jack and Police Reserve flag.
Invocation will be given by Rev. Walter Little, pastor of Barrington Methodist Church, benediction by Rev. John P. Fallon, pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Mt. Ephraim.
Veterans Triangle, 1947–2003
From 1947 until July of 2003, the monuments at Veterans Triangle were as pictured.
The Mount Ephraim Veterans Triangle monuments, as they appeared from 1947 to 2003.
Korean War 1950–1953
| Name | Rank | Branch | Unit | Born | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel H. Rainey | CPL | Air Force | 345th Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Wing | 1/23/1933 | 3/28/1952 |
Korean War Memorial Dedication, July 27, 2003
The Mount Ephraim Korean War Memorial dedication ceremony, July 27, 2003.
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 Kessler Jenkins and Carl Johanson of Pennsauken, 19-year-old Harry V. Taylor Jr. of Haddonfield, William McKeon of Blackwood, Merl 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.