Jersey Shore Magazine

j e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 2 2 13 Graves would be killed in action a month later. This summer, Duffy's dedication to the fallen heroes of the Jersey Shore led him to cemeteries around the region, where he single-handedly cleaned up grave sites and rehabili- tated headstones by using a special solution. While at St. Catharine's Cemetery in Sea Girt, an attendant showed him the gravestone of Sgt. John Comer that was neglected. "My eightieth fallen hero to research is John Comer," he said. "Here's a guy from Neptune that was in the Battle of the Bulge, who earned two sil- ver stars and two purple hearts. He deserves a clean gravesite." j e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 2 2 Graves would be killed in action a month later. His tireless dedication to fallen heroes has led to him being fea- tured in such media outlets as the Star Ledger, CBS, NJ.com, The Ocean Star, The Coast Star, and more. He acknowledges the support he's received from his wife, his three chil- dren, and his two grandchildren as he pursues his life mission. Duffy's next project is to spearhead new memorials for Point Pleasant Beach's War Memorial Park, Point Pleasant Boro (location to be deter- mined), and Bay Head that will expand upon existing monuments and list the names of every fall- en hero, similar to the Brick War Memorial. Duffy looks forward to working with the mayors and coun- cils from those towns, along with community groups and volunteers, to make his vision a reality. "Each fallen hero's name deserves to be listed and their stories need to be told," Duffy said. "That's my goal, and it will happen." —Jill Ocone Duffy speaking at a presentation to the Point Pleasant Historical Society. Letter from Private First Class Melvyn F. Graves to His Son in Rahway/Clark for Christmas 1944 Jill Ocone images courtesy of William J. Duffy

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