Freedom is not free. Sometimes, it comes at a very high cost. 

CAMDEN, N.J.
8th WARD
WWII WAR MEMORIAL

        SPONSORED BY AMERICAN LEGION POST 274

DEDICATED TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE EIGHT WARD
WHO SERVED THEIR COUNTRY FAITHFULLY
IN WORLD WAR II

       Situated on the grounds on the grounds of American Legion Post 274 at Broadway & Jefferson Street in Camden NJ, this monument in inscribed with the names of 24 men from what was then the 8th Ward of Camden NJ, who gave their lives in the service of our nation during World War II.
       Also listed are the names of over 900 other during the war years.
       Click on the photos to see enlarged views of each picture.  Below you will find a list of all those named on this monument. You can click on their names and elsewhere to find out more about each individual.

       If you have information or pictures which you would like to see included on this website, please contact me by e-mail.
                                        Phil Cohen  
                                        phil552@reagan.com

  THE 8th WARD
        In the mid 20th century, Camden's 8th Ward lay in the southern- most past of the city. It's borders, clockwise from the southernmost point, were the Delaware River north to a point opposite Ferry Avenue & Jackson Street; then along the "Line Ditch" to the south- east corner of Everett and Broadway; north along the east side of Broadway to Lansdowne Avenue, east to 8th Street, then south along the west side of 8th to Van Hook Street. From Van Hook Street, the border went to Mt. Ephraim Avenue, where it turned south till the city limits were reached. This region includes the neighborhoods historically known as Centerville, Fairview, and Yorkship Village, among others.
These Men Made The Supreme Sacrifice
For God And Country
Name Rank Branch Unit Born Died
John J. Bittman

PFC

  ARMY   1918 3/18/1945
Frank Ballerino PVT  ARMY

31st Signal Construction Bn 

 1919 9/27/1943 
Theodore E. Bayruns PVT  ARMY 318th Infantry Regiment
 80th Infantry Division 		 1922  9/23/1944
Stanley J. Bezich SGT  ARMY  Company I
315th Infantry
79th Infantry Division		 1922  11/27/1944
George N. Binnix PVT  ARMY

320th Field Artillery Bn. 
82nd Airborne Division

 1922 7/4/1944 
Michael Carr TEC5 ARMY 31st Signal Construction Bn  1915 9/27/1943 
Martin Di Carlantonio PVT ARMY

30th Infantry Regiment
3rd Infantry Division

  1923  2/20/1944 
Anthony Ferri  PVT ARMY

Company L
338th Infantry Regiment
85th Infantry Division

 5/12/1915 5/11/1944
Alfred L. Kluczynski S1C NAVY   11/20/1925 10/21/1943
Albert Laurie
(Albert Lawrie)		 PFC ARMY Company B
63rd Armored Infantry Battalion
11th Armored Division 		1914 1/13/1945
Walter Lehman PFC ARMY 15th Infantry Regiment
 3rd Infantry Division 		1907 3/4/1944
Sebastian Mannello PFC ARMY Cavalry 2/15/1924 12/6/1944
Robert F. Miles SSGT ARMY HQ Company, 2nd Battalion  
262nd Infantry Regiment
66th Infantry Division 		1924 12/25/1944
Domenic P. Montemurro PVT ARMY Company K
133rd Infantry Regiment
34th Infantry Division		 January 1917 9/13/1944

Eugene J. Pearce

PFC ARMY Infantry 2/25/1921 10/10/1944
Stephen A. Pipito PFC ARMY Headquarters Company
8th Infantry Regiment
4th Infantry Division		 2/6/1918 7//9/1944
John J. Pluskosky AMM3C NAVY USS LISCOME BAY CVE-56   11/25/1944
John W. Rosevelt
(John Roosevelt)		 PVT ARMY 327th Engineer Combat Battalion
102nd Infantry Division		 5/2/1913 1/22/1945
John E. Shuler SSGT ARMY 349th Infantry Regiment
88th Infantry Division		 8/15/1912 5/14/1944
Alfred C. Titus, Jr. PVT ARMY Company E, 2nd Battalion
22nd Infantry Regiment
4th Infantry Division		 1922 7/13/1944
Peter J. Vollanovitch PFC ARMY 165th Infantry Regiment
27th Infantry Division		 9/19/1916 4/23/1945
Charles Lesley Mills  CPL MARINES

8th Marine Regiment
2nd Marine Division

  10/19/1920  6/19/1945
Michael Yachus
(Michael Yatzus)		 PVT ARMY 31st Signal Construction Bn  1919 9/27/1943 
George H. Pruitt TEC4 ARMY 43rd Signal Construction Bn  1922 6/10/1945

Also named on the memorial, but not as a casualty
Srecko F. Radich PFC ARMY 175th Infantry Regiment
29th Infantry Division		 1920 2/23/1945

CLICK ON THE BLUE LINKS FOR MORE ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL

HMTS Rohna

        Three of the men listed on this memorial, Frank Ballerino, Michael Carr, and Michael Yachus (spelled Yatzus on the monument) died together when the troop transport HST Rohna was struck by a German guided glider bomb and sank of the coast of North Africa. Camden natives, Stephen V. Koscianski, Lewis Riondino, & Joseph H. Johnson also were lost that day, along with six other Camden County men, 19 year-old Harry V. Taylor Jr. of Haddonfield, William McKeon of Blackwood, Merl Reagle of Lindenwold, Carl Johanson and Joseph Kessler Jenkins of Pennsauken, and Elmer F. Day of Merchantville. 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.

THE ROHNA DISASTER
CAMDEN COUNTY INTERNET WAR MEMORIAL

The Rohna Survivors Memorial Association

MSNBC Coverage - Tom Brokaw
Read the article or see the video

 THE SS LEOPOLDVILLE DISASTER

On December 24, 1944 the SS Leopoldville, carrying over 2000 American soldiers, was torpedoed off the coast of Normandy. 764 Americans lost their lives that night, including two from Camden NJ, PFC Edward E. Benson, and Staff Sergeant Robert F. Miles, who is memorialized here on Camden's 8th Ward War Memorial.

To learn more about the Leopoldville disaster, and what happened to Robert Miles and Edward Benson, click on the links below.

Final Crossing of the Leopoldville

LEOPOLDVILLE TROOPSHIP
DISASTER REMEMBERED

The S.S. Leopoldville wrecksite (1928-1944)

COVER-UP! The Sinking of the S.S. Leopoldville.
 

CAMDEN COUNTY NJ
  MONUMENTS & WAR MEMORIALS

       Click links to visit web-pages on these memorials, and to visit "virtual memorials" to Camden County's fallen heroes.

GUEST BOOK & E-MAIL
     As of this date, June 18, 2004 I have not erected a guest-book. Please e-mail all comments to phil552@reagan.com. If you would like your comment published in the upcoming guest-book, please let me know.-
                                                                                                                  Phil Cohen, Camden NJ

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Beverly National Cemetary
NAME CEMETARY PLOT
Sebastian Mannella F 1578
Eugene J. Pearce F O 1580A