Remembering Central Regional's Fallen Veterans

The district administration and Central Regional Alumni Association would like to pay homage to five former students who gave their lives while serving in the United States military with a memorial on school grounds.

, 26, of Seaside Park and a 2003 graduate, was the fifth former district student killed in military action in school history. Lyons died on Oct. 26, 2011. prompted district officials to plan a memorial to former students who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country.

“There have been hundreds of Central Regional graduates who have bravely service our country in the military,’’ said Superintendent of Schools . “Unfortunately, five graduates have been killed while serving. We think it’s important to remember and honor those individuals for their service.’’

Parlapanides said the simple memorial would be build near the original entrance to Central Regional High School around the current flagpole. There would be a brick memorial with benches and a granite fixture with the names of the deceased.

“Sometimes it’s forgotten when an individual does the right thing without fanfare,’’ Parlapanides said. “These graduates helped provide a blanket of freedom for us all.’’

Parlapanides said the estimated cost of the memorial is $6,000. He said the district has about $2,000 in hand. The district is accepting donations for the memorial from outside sources, Parlapanides said.

“It would be nice to remember those graduates who gave so much,’’ Parlapanides said. “It would help our students remember and we believe it would be a wonderful addition to our campus.’’

Lyons, who was a member of the 8^th Engineer Battalion, 36^th Engineer Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas when he was killed in Afghanistan, was the first Central Regional graduate to die while in military service since 1976.

Parlapanides said the four other Central Regional graduates to die while in military service were:

• George P. Berg, Class of 1965, Chief Warrant Officer U.S. Army, killed and missing Feb. 18, 1971, in South Vietnam.
• Robert E. Church, Class of 1967, Private U.S. Marines, killed May 16, 1968 in South Vietnam.
• William W. Hester, Class of 1967, Private U.S. Marines, killed July 1, 1968 in South Vietnam.
• Cheryl-Ann Turnage-Ferguson, Class of 1976, Tehcnical Sgt. U.S. Air Force, killed 1996 in a plane crash in Croatia.

“If we can come up with the funding, we’d like to break ground during the summer,’’ Parlapanides said. “We don’t think the sacrifice made by these Central Regional graduates should be forgotten.’’

Donations for the memorial can be mailed to the Central Regional Alumni Association, P.O. Box 150, Bayville, NJ 08721 and the district.