100th Anniversary Of World War I Focus Of Veterans Ceremony

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Ocean County Veterans Day commemoration on Sunday will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I on Sunday in downtown Toms River.

The World War I centennial ceremony, on the Armistice Day Centenary, will be held on the front lawn at the Ocean County Courthouse, 118 Washington St.

Music from the time period will start around 10 a.m. with the ceremony beginning at 10:30 a.m. Ocean County Freeholder Virginia E. Haines, Ocean County Historian Tim Hart, and Michael Schaffer, the head trustee of American Legion Post 129 are scheduled to give remarks.

At 11 a.m., Americans across the nation will toll bells in remembrance of those who served and sacrificed during World War I.

"Ocean County will toll the bell 75 times for the number of residents who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I," Ocean County Freeholder Director Gerry P. Little said.

There will be a dedication of the cannon, which was restored by the American Legion Post 129, as the county’s new monument to the World War I.

More than 10 percent of Ocean County's population at the time served in World War I, county records have shown.

"We have always taken great pride in our residents who have served our country and the World War I Centennial has continued to remind us the importance of our veterans," Little said.

The World War I Centennial began with a ceremony on April 6, 2017 honoring the 2,433 Ocean County men who served in World War I, known as the "War to End All Wars." The event was held in historic Courtroom 1, because Ocean County soldiers heading for war in 1917 first mustered at the county courthouse.

The Centennial Commemoration, initiated by Freeholder Deputy Director John C. Bartlett Jr., continued with the help of the Tuckerton Seaport Stitchers by constructing Centennial Service Flags. The stitchers donated their time to create 28 commemorative service flags, one for each of the municipalities that existed in 1918 in Ocean County.

The flags were designed in homage to the World War I era practice of creating community flags. Each of these flags contains 13 stars representing the original colonies, a blue number indicating the total individuals who served from each municipality and a gold number representing the total individuals from that town who were killed in action. The flags have been delivered across the county.

"The Service Flags have added a unique perspective to the history of World War I in Ocean County," Bartlett said. "The flags have allowed the public to be re-engaged with the World War I era, and has shown how their towns were impacted by the war."

Photo via Google Maps