The Benches of Bradley Beach New Jersey
Marshall Adame
May 23, 2009
Not too long ago I wrote an article about the Benches of Ocean Grove, NJ. After it was published here in the American Chronicle, to my surprise, I began to receive emails from many places in the U.S. spanning the distance between New Jersey and California. As I learned, the names I mentioned on those benches as well as the name "Ocean Grove" caught the eye of many readers who had history in Ocean grove, NJ.
The mail I received about the Benches of Ocean Grove article was not all about the benches on the boardwalk in Ocean Grove. A couple of letters I got were asking why I did not include the benches of Bradley Beach, where as it just so happens, I live at the moment. Who ever is familiar with McCabe Ave. in Bradley Beach would have a good idea where I presently reside. When I wrote the "the Benches of Ocean grove" article, I was living in Asbury Park, just up the boardwalk a piece.
While on the boardwalk yesterday, the first really great weather day of the season, April 27th 2009, I took note of the benches along the boardwalk in Bradley Beach. After reading just about every one of them I decided that the people who were named on the benches in Bradley Beach seemed just way too interesting to not write about as I did for those people named on the Benches of Ocean Grove, NJ.
So for all the wonderful people who lived and loved significant parts of their lives in Bradley Beach, NJ and who were memorialized on the benches of Bradley Beachīs Boardwalk, this one is for you.
Although I wish I could, it would be kind of difficult for me to mention every name on every bench along the boardwalk in Bradley Beach, so I had to par the list down to a just about twenty or so folks. I hope one of your loved ones is mentioned in this article, but believe me, they all deserve a mention. I chose names based on what was actually written on the plaque about the person, for example, if I found some one to be 100 years old, I would hope to have them remembered here as well. I noted unusual names, and was caught by a funny, or interesting saying as well a beautiful, or mysterious sentiment. To write an article like this, I had to photograph each plaque and then review them one by one. Each time I took a photo, I wondered about the person whoīs name I was photographing. I knew that each one must have been special and wonderful. America is so full of great and wonderful people, present and past, who brought us here, where we are as the United States of America. They built the greatness and the wonder of our incredible and complex country. My sole intention is to honor them herein.
One of the first I noted among the Bradley beach benches was a plaque which said "World Trade Center. Our Hero, Thomas J. McCann, FDNY, Batt 8 - Eng Co. 65, Anne, Courtney and Sean". To Anne, Courtney and Sean; Thomas is not just your hero. He belongs to us all now. He is a part of Americas history now.
"VITO, From your girls" . It made me wonder. Was Vito just a popular guy, or a very loved father of his daughters who were used to referring to themselves as his "girls". Maybe one of you can fill me in.
Mary V. Mee , born 1917 amd John P. Mee Sr. born 1909. Both lives ended in the 1990s. Mary and John lived during the time when America grew to world greatness. That time required special and strong people. Thanks you two. They were with us for a long time and now they are on the internet, in this mention, forever.
"Rena Carleton. Our mom loves Life, People, Music and The Ocean. To know her is to love her". Rena sounds like my kind of people. I already love her.
"B.B.S.R.O.A.H" I have no idea what it means, but it is there. Maybe one of you will reveal this to me.
Then there was "Rose and David Bleemer". "Bradley Beach was hometown for 70 years". I think 70 years rates an honorable mention here. Donīt you? Hey Rose and David! Itīs still here and its still great.
"Hilda Klein" loved nature and the environment. Rest easy Hilda. Those of us still here fighting the good fight to save earth are legion.
"Anne and Philip Konvitz", from reading the plaque, left a lot of good Konvitz folks to carry on. I love big families. I come from six boys and five girls myself.
"Feliciano and Ferrant". That is all it says. Maybe that is all that needed to be said, and maybe it says more than any of us will ever know.
"Grandma and Grandpa Alesci. They loved it here". The Alesci knew a great thing when they saw it. Iīll bet they were wonderful grandparents.
"Peter Samuel Flipse Dorian" lived for about twenty-one years. A short life. I know this happens to young people everyday throughout the world. That does not make it easier to understand, or accept. For someone "You are in Every Sunrise" Peter.
"John and Agnes Peppler" are loved by "The Gang". I am going to take a wild guess here and say that those who sponsored the plaque are probably not a real "Gang". Ya think?
"Poppy Contino" was the patriarch of three generations during his life. Something I think we all aspire to. Way to go Poppy Contino!
"Ethel Slater"? I am not sure you are supposed to be on one of these benches At least not yet! To understand this, for those of you who do not, just go read Ethelīs plaque at the beach.
"Charlotte Fabian"; Your blue eyes must have been dazzling and your selfless heart amazing.
From the words on his plaque, put there by his "little girl Laurie", "Calvin Jones" was a great success in his life. Way to go Calvin. Coming from a fellow dad, being a great dad is our highest calling.
A hero of September 11, 2001, "Robert (Bobby) J. Foti , New York fire fighter Ladder Cmpany 7", does not simply belong to the benches of Bradley Beach. He belongs to us all, now and forever. Lets never forget September 11, 2001. Thank you Bobby.
U.S. Army Airborne and Bradley Beach Firefighter pretty much says it all
about "Fred M. Sciarappa". He was a good servant who cared about his country and although "unsung" never tired of well-doing. You are no longer "unsung" Fred. You are being thanked by thousands now reading this and many more in the future who will read it.
Judith M. Kind (Grandma Judi) called it "Judiīs Beach". Thatīs one of the great things about the beach. We all get to own it. Iīm sure in heaven her friends and family refer to it as Judiīs Beach too. We should all give a little.
Okay Michael! Donnamarie Sabinsky - Murphy was your Fishing Buddy, Beach Buddy, Best Friend and also your Wife!? Good golly Michael!! You had it made man! God blessed you.
Memorializing loved ones is a cultural and personal practice in every place and society on earth. It should be. The people in our past and those who we shared life with , but who are now gone from us, through death, have had a profound effect on who we are today as individuals and who we are in society. Remembering them is important to our future and how we, who are living, will be remembered by future generations. Remembering the humility, giving, selflessness, love, patience and understanding of those who came before us will allow us to focus on those attributes in ourselves, and hopefully, will make us want to be more, do more, give more and love more.
Go read the Benches at Bradley Beach. You may find it enjoyable and time well spent. I did.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marshall Adame served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years as an Aviation Logistician. He is a Vietnam veteran. He became an Aviation Management/Logistics Consultant in 1992.
Marshall worked in the Kuwait recovery of 1992 and was an Aviation Logistics support representative in several areas throughout the United States until 1998.
He was the Senior Aviation Logistics Manager for Kaman Aerospace in their Egypt US Government Aviation programs and lived in Egypt from 1998 until late 2002.
Marshall went to Iraq in 2003 where he was the U.S. Coalition Airport Director for Basrah International Airport.
Later he was VP for Aviation development with a Commercial Services Corporation in Iraq where he lived and worked in the "Red Zone" of Baghdad.
In 2005 Marshall received a U.S. State Department Diplomatic appointment in Iraq and was a U.S. Advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Interior.
Later, as a State Department Official in Iraq, Marshall was promoted to Department of State Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) where he was on the staff of the National Coordination Team (NCT) in Baghdad, Iraq overseeing PRT development throughout the country.
He returned to the United States in August 2006 and became the DRS-TSI, Inc. Program Manager of the U.S. Army CECOM RESET program, where he is now the Program Manager overseeing Afghanistan and Iraq replenishment requirements.
He is a member of the consulting groups, Gerson Lehrman Group and The Society of Industry Leaders. He is an artist member of BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc) where his music is cataloged.
Marshall attended the University of Maryland, NC State University and Carolina Community College. He is also a graduate of the Marine Corps Staff NCO Academy, the Navy Senior Aviation Logistics School, and the Marine Corps / State Department Embassy School.
Marshall and Becky Adame have four children, Paul 37, Veronica 35, Billy 30 and Benjamin 26, and twelve grandchildren.
Billy and Benjamin serve in the US Army and are both Iraq veterans. Billy was wounded in Battle about 20 miles North of Baghdad on July 2, 2006. Benjamin returned to Iraq July 2007 for his second tour of 15 months.
The mail I received about the Benches of Ocean Grove article was not all about the benches on the boardwalk in Ocean Grove. A couple of letters I got were asking why I did not include the benches of Bradley Beach, where as it just so happens, I live at the moment. Who ever is familiar with McCabe Ave. in Bradley Beach would have a good idea where I presently reside. When I wrote the "the Benches of Ocean grove" article, I was living in Asbury Park, just up the boardwalk a piece.
While on the boardwalk yesterday, the first really great weather day of the season, April 27th 2009, I took note of the benches along the boardwalk in Bradley Beach. After reading just about every one of them I decided that the people who were named on the benches in Bradley Beach seemed just way too interesting to not write about as I did for those people named on the Benches of Ocean Grove, NJ.
So for all the wonderful people who lived and loved significant parts of their lives in Bradley Beach, NJ and who were memorialized on the benches of Bradley Beachīs Boardwalk, this one is for you.
Although I wish I could, it would be kind of difficult for me to mention every name on every bench along the boardwalk in Bradley Beach, so I had to par the list down to a just about twenty or so folks. I hope one of your loved ones is mentioned in this article, but believe me, they all deserve a mention. I chose names based on what was actually written on the plaque about the person, for example, if I found some one to be 100 years old, I would hope to have them remembered here as well. I noted unusual names, and was caught by a funny, or interesting saying as well a beautiful, or mysterious sentiment. To write an article like this, I had to photograph each plaque and then review them one by one. Each time I took a photo, I wondered about the person whoīs name I was photographing. I knew that each one must have been special and wonderful. America is so full of great and wonderful people, present and past, who brought us here, where we are as the United States of America. They built the greatness and the wonder of our incredible and complex country. My sole intention is to honor them herein.
One of the first I noted among the Bradley beach benches was a plaque which said "World Trade Center. Our Hero, Thomas J. McCann, FDNY, Batt 8 - Eng Co. 65, Anne, Courtney and Sean". To Anne, Courtney and Sean; Thomas is not just your hero. He belongs to us all now. He is a part of Americas history now.
"VITO, From your girls" . It made me wonder. Was Vito just a popular guy, or a very loved father of his daughters who were used to referring to themselves as his "girls". Maybe one of you can fill me in.
Mary V. Mee , born 1917 amd John P. Mee Sr. born 1909. Both lives ended in the 1990s. Mary and John lived during the time when America grew to world greatness. That time required special and strong people. Thanks you two. They were with us for a long time and now they are on the internet, in this mention, forever.
"Rena Carleton. Our mom loves Life, People, Music and The Ocean. To know her is to love her". Rena sounds like my kind of people. I already love her.
"B.B.S.R.O.A.H" I have no idea what it means, but it is there. Maybe one of you will reveal this to me.
Then there was "Rose and David Bleemer". "Bradley Beach was hometown for 70 years". I think 70 years rates an honorable mention here. Donīt you? Hey Rose and David! Itīs still here and its still great.
"Hilda Klein" loved nature and the environment. Rest easy Hilda. Those of us still here fighting the good fight to save earth are legion.
"Anne and Philip Konvitz", from reading the plaque, left a lot of good Konvitz folks to carry on. I love big families. I come from six boys and five girls myself.
"Feliciano and Ferrant". That is all it says. Maybe that is all that needed to be said, and maybe it says more than any of us will ever know.
"Grandma and Grandpa Alesci. They loved it here". The Alesci knew a great thing when they saw it. Iīll bet they were wonderful grandparents.
"Peter Samuel Flipse Dorian" lived for about twenty-one years. A short life. I know this happens to young people everyday throughout the world. That does not make it easier to understand, or accept. For someone "You are in Every Sunrise" Peter.
"John and Agnes Peppler" are loved by "The Gang". I am going to take a wild guess here and say that those who sponsored the plaque are probably not a real "Gang". Ya think?
"Poppy Contino" was the patriarch of three generations during his life. Something I think we all aspire to. Way to go Poppy Contino!
"Ethel Slater"? I am not sure you are supposed to be on one of these benches At least not yet! To understand this, for those of you who do not, just go read Ethelīs plaque at the beach.
"Charlotte Fabian"; Your blue eyes must have been dazzling and your selfless heart amazing.
From the words on his plaque, put there by his "little girl Laurie", "Calvin Jones" was a great success in his life. Way to go Calvin. Coming from a fellow dad, being a great dad is our highest calling.
A hero of September 11, 2001, "Robert (Bobby) J. Foti , New York fire fighter Ladder Cmpany 7", does not simply belong to the benches of Bradley Beach. He belongs to us all, now and forever. Lets never forget September 11, 2001. Thank you Bobby.
U.S. Army Airborne and Bradley Beach Firefighter pretty much says it all
about "Fred M. Sciarappa". He was a good servant who cared about his country and although "unsung" never tired of well-doing. You are no longer "unsung" Fred. You are being thanked by thousands now reading this and many more in the future who will read it.
Judith M. Kind (Grandma Judi) called it "Judiīs Beach". Thatīs one of the great things about the beach. We all get to own it. Iīm sure in heaven her friends and family refer to it as Judiīs Beach too. We should all give a little.
Okay Michael! Donnamarie Sabinsky - Murphy was your Fishing Buddy, Beach Buddy, Best Friend and also your Wife!? Good golly Michael!! You had it made man! God blessed you.
Memorializing loved ones is a cultural and personal practice in every place and society on earth. It should be. The people in our past and those who we shared life with , but who are now gone from us, through death, have had a profound effect on who we are today as individuals and who we are in society. Remembering them is important to our future and how we, who are living, will be remembered by future generations. Remembering the humility, giving, selflessness, love, patience and understanding of those who came before us will allow us to focus on those attributes in ourselves, and hopefully, will make us want to be more, do more, give more and love more.
Go read the Benches at Bradley Beach. You may find it enjoyable and time well spent. I did.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marshall Adame served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years as an Aviation Logistician. He is a Vietnam veteran. He became an Aviation Management/Logistics Consultant in 1992.
Marshall worked in the Kuwait recovery of 1992 and was an Aviation Logistics support representative in several areas throughout the United States until 1998.
He was the Senior Aviation Logistics Manager for Kaman Aerospace in their Egypt US Government Aviation programs and lived in Egypt from 1998 until late 2002.
Marshall went to Iraq in 2003 where he was the U.S. Coalition Airport Director for Basrah International Airport.
Later he was VP for Aviation development with a Commercial Services Corporation in Iraq where he lived and worked in the "Red Zone" of Baghdad.
In 2005 Marshall received a U.S. State Department Diplomatic appointment in Iraq and was a U.S. Advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Interior.
Later, as a State Department Official in Iraq, Marshall was promoted to Department of State Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) where he was on the staff of the National Coordination Team (NCT) in Baghdad, Iraq overseeing PRT development throughout the country.
He returned to the United States in August 2006 and became the DRS-TSI, Inc. Program Manager of the U.S. Army CECOM RESET program, where he is now the Program Manager overseeing Afghanistan and Iraq replenishment requirements.
He is a member of the consulting groups, Gerson Lehrman Group and The Society of Industry Leaders. He is an artist member of BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc) where his music is cataloged.
Marshall attended the University of Maryland, NC State University and Carolina Community College. He is also a graduate of the Marine Corps Staff NCO Academy, the Navy Senior Aviation Logistics School, and the Marine Corps / State Department Embassy School.
Marshall and Becky Adame have four children, Paul 37, Veronica 35, Billy 30 and Benjamin 26, and twelve grandchildren.
Billy and Benjamin serve in the US Army and are both Iraq veterans. Billy was wounded in Battle about 20 miles North of Baghdad on July 2, 2006. Benjamin returned to Iraq July 2007 for his second tour of 15 months.
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