Tribute to crew of U.S warship would be close to lookout tower
CAPE MAY — The Jacob Jones Memorial Committee revealed a newly proposed location and design for the memorial: directly across from The Grand Hotel and its World War II observation tower.
This update was shared during a public Zoom Session on April 15 by committee chairman Myles Martel and Cape May resident and lead architect John Boecker.
The proposed monument, initially presented to City Council in April 2025 but generating pushback from neighbors, aims to honor U.S. Navy sailors who gave their lives amid the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II.
The Jacob Jones was the first U.S. destroyer deployed in the Atlantic Ocean to patrol for German U-boats. On Feb. 18, 1942, it was attacked off the coast of Cape May just days after it began its mission and less than three months after Germany’s declaration of war against America.
Previously proposed locations include Beach Avenue near Howard Street, The Cove, Wilmington Avenue and the east end of the Promenade near Poverty Beach. After seeking public feedback on the proposal, the committee returned to City Council in July and August 2025.
During a meeting Aug. 5, city residents dominated the public comment portion, raising additional concerns about the proposal.
The committee then took time to regroup and create a new design before presenting it to the public via a Zoom meeting last week.
“After our last August presentation, the criteria for selecting a site evolved significantly,” Boecker said. “It’s located in a commercial zone, with no impact on any residential neighborhoods or residential properties.”
Boecker added that he hoped the public would see the many layers of symbolic features in the new design.
“We’ve had several meetings with the owner of The Grand Hotel,” Boecker said. “His only request was that we ship it far enough west that it falls within [a specific area].”
Monument specs
Boecker presented several architectural drawings, a shop drawing of the metal plate of names and a bird’s-eye, eye-height and 3D view of the entire monument.
It would be 34 feet in diameter, which Boecker said is roughly the length of two cars. The portal is 8 feet in diameter and the height 5.5 feet.
The names of all 138 crew members would be laser-cut through the entire thickness of the stainless steel plate. The intention is for the sun to bounce around and reflect off the portal, backlighting the names. For additional lighting, there would be a low-voltage, dim LED lighting source.
“The line from the center of our site to the sinking site is 43 degrees due west,” Boecker said. “On Feb. 28, when the sun is directly in alignment with the sinking site at 9:51 a.m., that precisely illuminates the 2-foot bronze plaque at the center of the entire composition.”
Boecker said they are in talks with the Navy to obtain permission to use bronze salvaged from the sinking site for the plaque.
“We can melt down and recreate this plaque right in the middle, which is directly in the middle [and] the center line that bisects the monument and connects us to the sinking sites,” Boecker said.
The landscaping will include native plants such as honeysuckle, which provides food for pollinators. Another layer of bayberries will be 6 feet high on each side.
Visitors to the monument would be able to look through the viewing portal from the Promenade side. There also would be a small trough in the monument that collects rainwater and directs it into the planting beds.
“These will be fabricated in two halves, so these are all permanently welded connections,” Boecker said. “Those two halves will be loaded into a flatbed truck and lifted with a crane and then welded together in one place and bolted to the concrete foundation.”
Before entering the monument, there will be interpretive signage to explain it.
In a previous interview with the Star and Wave, Martel reiterated the importance of honoring the first U.S. warship that enemy vessels sank, which goes beyond honoring those who were lost at sea.
“The sinking site is hallowed, and our memorial is aimed to accentuate that tragic reality as we honor those men and all of their naval brethren who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedom during the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest engagement during World War II,” Martel said.
The committee is a 501(c)3 non-profit and the project would be paid for through fundraising.
The committee has tentatively scheduled an appearance before City Council for May 19.
Public input
Zoom participants had time to ask questions in the chat box. One user asked if relatives would be contacted and consulted.
Martel said the committee has a research team that is contacting as many direct descendants of the fallen as possible.
“They’ve done a terrific job, they’ve been working on it for months,” Martel said. “Approximately 35 families have been identified. A large portion of the sailors were very young, one as young as 16. He had not told the truth about his age when he enlisted.”
Martel added that many of the sailors were in their late teens and early 20s, and that many had left no identifiable living relatives.
“It’s sad and all the more reason to honor them,” Martel said. “We have a very close relationship with the family of Lt. Commander Capt. Hugh David Black. He had a daughter who is still alive; she’s 94.”
Another user asked about the timeline for the capital campaign. Boecker said they still must do final shop runs for the final metal cost and the actual structural engineering of the foundation itself.
“We’ve done a full structural analysis,” Boecker said. “Including its ability to withstand hurricane winds.”
Zoom user Jeffrey Morris commented that they appreciated the smaller footprint but that the design seems like science fiction and not in sync with the ambiance of Cape May or a reference to that area or era.
Mike Dignen asked if the city would maintain the foliage. Boecker said the committee would endow the landscaping maintenance and the foundation would pay for it.
A new website for the committee will be online soon, Martel said. It will have a section on the new design, a section on descendants and relatives and a tab for donations.
“We’re counting on the people of Cape May and as well as people throughout the country to support this very significant and gorgeous monument,” Martel said. “We’re hopeful you’ll be as supportive as possible because this is a very important way to remember all those who gave their lives, whose remains are still in that watery grave off our shores.”
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
