CAPE MAY — A monument to honor U.S. Navy sailors who gave their lives during the World War II’s Battle of the Atlantic is being planned for a prominent location in Cape May.
Cape May is the chosen location because the destroyer the USS Jacob Jones, the first U.S. warship to be attacked by a German U-Boat following Germany’s declaration of war against the United States, was sunk just miles off Cape May’s shoreline. A total of 131 officers and crew perished.
At a meeting April 15, City Council expressed support for the project, which is being proposed by a group of local leaders that has been working on a project plan and preliminary design of the monument since last summer.
“We are very grateful to Mayor Mullock and members of council for their ongoing support of this project, which will be a striking and poignant tribute to the fallen, honoring the countless brave Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the battle for control of the Atlantic,” said Myles Martel, founding member of the Jacob Jones Memorial Committee. “It is fitting that we dedicate such an important monument here on the shores so close to the location where World War II vividly and frighteningly came to the American coast.”
The proposed location of the planned monument is a site on Beach Avenue near Howard Street.
“We are grateful to this committed and enthusiastic group of local leaders who are pursuing this project, which will dramatically further Cape May’s reputation for heritage and patriotism. We anticipate that the memorial will draw visitors from across the country,” Mayor Zachary Mullock said.
Martel said donations to fund the project will be raised through a nationwide campaign currently being established.
The Jacob Jones was the first U.S. destroyer deployed in the to patrol German U-boats. On Feb. 18, 1942, it was attacked off the coast just days after it began its mission and less than three months after the declaration of war with Germany.
At the time of the sinking, America’s East Coast was particularly vulnerable as Germany significantly disrupted supply routes between North American and Europe.
Martel said the Jacob Jones attack had a major effect on U.S. military strategy.
“Headlines across the nation carried the news of the tragic deaths of the crew and resulted in an understanding of the urgent need for improved coastal defense, military preparedness and resilience,” he said.
“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. 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,” Martel said.
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.
Boecker presented a preliminary design concept for the monument April 15. He said the design would continue to evolve based on a variety of factors, including input from community members as well as fabrication and construction parameters.
Visit jacobjoinesmemorial.org for more details on the project.
