UNION BEACH, NJ – A Memorial Day tradition meant to honor the fallen took a stunning turn when members of American Legion Post 321 uncovered that U.S. military Veterans had been lying in unmarked graves for decades—because their families couldn’t afford installation fees for government-provided headstones.
The discovery was made in 2023 at Shoreland Memorial Gardens in Hazlet, where Post 321 annually places flags on more than 450 graves. But that year, a request to bring extra flags to the cemetery office led to a side closet, where Chaplain Bob LaCour of the Sons of the American Legion found a headstone bearing a post-it note that read: “Not Paid.” Several other government-issued markers—meant to honor deceased Veterans—were also stored in that room, never placed.
The reason: While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides these granite or bronze grave markers at no cost, local cemeteries often charge families between $1,000 and $1,600 for installation. If the family cannot pay, the marker is shelved—and the Veteran’s grave remains unmarked.
Once exposed, Post 321 quickly mobilized. Commander William Gilkison, Squadron Commander Phil Ganz, and Post members initiated the Veterans Grave Marker Project to right the wrongs. Local Marine and Legionnaire Joe Pitch stepped in, organizing a benefit concert with his band, The Vinyl Renegades, and raised over $5,600 with help from the Marcella Community Club in Rockaway.
The funds covered the installation of multiple markers, including those for:
- SSGT. Marie Freitag, USMC-WR, WWII, who died in 1993
- Sgt. Jose Antonio Albino, U.S. Army, Vietnam era, who died in 1995
- Sr. Petty Officer Herman Lee Credle, U.S. Navy veteran of 22 years, who passed in 2020
Ceremonies were held at Shoreland Memorial Gardens, finally giving each Veteran the honors they had long been denied. Dozens of supporters turned out, including the Veterans’ families, Legionnaires, Auxiliary members, and uniformed officers from Naval Weapons Station Earle, led by Base Commander Captain Kent D. Smith.
Auxiliary President Kathy Pilon, member Beth Sweeney, and the Sons of the American Legion coordinated tributes with roses, patriotic displays, and solemn narration. Video documentation was created by Adjutant Dominick Donatelli and gifted to each family.
The project also received major support from Tim’s Earth Angels Foundation, led by the family of fallen Union Beach Police Officer Tim Kelly Jr.
Post 321 has pledged to continue identifying and honoring Veterans buried without proper recognition in the community’s cemeteries.