Holy Week – The Knights of Columbus Good Friday Promotion Program at St. Agnes Church in Atlantic Highlands on April 7 is open to all and will be observed with remembrance and adoration beginning at 3P.M., the Rev. Jarlath Quinn, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Agnes Church announced.
The Knights of Columbus Rev. Joseph Donelly Council also encouraged all to attend the service and join with others in recognizing the day everyone was redeemed from sins through the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, an offering and sacrifice He made for the salvation of the world.
The most solemn day in the Christian year, Good Friday also symbolizes the reason for which Christ was born the King of Kings, namely to die 33 years later as God of the Universe and for the redemption of all mankind.
While Catholics observe the sacrifice of not eating meat and limiting their meal intake that day, they also recognize that it was on Good Friday that Christ gave his Mother Mary to be the Mother of all and His sacrifice initiated trusts in His Divine Mercy.
The Good Friday observance will include participation in the Passion of Christ as well as veneration of the holy Cross.
Palm Sunday, April 1, mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on Saturday evening at 4:30 and Sunday morning at 9:30, and at St. Agnes at 5:15 Saturday evening, and 7:30, 10:45 and noon at St. Agnes.
Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be at 7 p.m. at OLPH on Thursday, April 6 followed by adoration at the repository.
There are no morning masses at either church Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
The Blessing of the Food, an Easter tradition, will be at noon on Holy Saturday, April 6 at OLPH, and an Easter Vigil mass will be at 8 p..m. at St.. Agnes Church.
Easter Sunday mass is at 9:30 at OLPH and 7:30, 10:45 and noon at St. Agnes. All are invited for all the observations of Holy Week.
Care One at King James administrator Jimmie King invited Muriel Smith to walk the red carpet at the Middletown care center’s dining room this week in celebration of the nursing home once again receiving its satisfactory inspections from both the New Jersey Department of Health and the federal Medicare/Medicaid service.
King laid out the red carpet to show his appreciation to all 106 employees of the Route 36 facility. He also had dinners prepared for each of the employees, and made deliveries to those employees who could not be in the dining room for the celebrations.
The care center has consistently received its re-certification every year since the facility was first built by the former Atlantic Highlands Mayor James R. Snyder and his partner, Kingdon Westerlind when former Highlands Councilman Herman J. Black, was the first administrator. Black is one of the four Brothers Black who also owned Conners Hotel in Highlands, and brother Bill, who was chef at the famed restaurant, was also the chef at Care One. The dietary staff continues to be an award-winning facility at the complex..
King himself is the first registered nurse to ever hold the top position as administrator and early in his career was also employed at Care One, first as an aide until he achieved his nursing degree, later continuing his studies and own certification first as a nurse now the administrator of the 125 bed facility.
During the Gratitude Celebration King hosted for his staff were staff members who have been employed there for more than 500 years in total, ranging from approximately 45 years to the newest employee, who began work yesterday.
Smith was invited to participate since she is the patient advocate for the facility for the NJ Office of Aging.
This month’s meeting of the Atlantic Highlands Borough Council left me with so much to wonder about it’s difficult to include it in one story. My main wonder is What’s Happening???
What is happening to this town?
What is happening to our elected officials?
What is happening with the borough’s paid attorney who probably never set foot in the town nor knows its people until named attorney in January?
What is happening to common courtesy?
What is happening to concern for residents?
What has happened to disgust, righteous anger, and action to guarantee something better when faced with facts that the person in charge of educating the children in this town and Highlands blatantly lied to a state official?
What is happening with TRUTH?
All these were lacking, and have been lacking at council meetings. After disclosure of the Beams Letter, not one of the elected officials batted an eye, called for action, or for that matter in the case of some of them, even told the truth themselves.
Regionalization has been a topic of concern and decision for years. Years. The residents were led to believe it was coming close to the end. and they would finally be able to vote on the issue and make their opinions known, heard, and acted upon. But once again, they were thwarted.
Residents were happy to know that a mediation, or maybe two or three sessions between Highlands and Atlantic Highlands borough officials and experts would finally be held to settle the only question that needs to be settled, how to split the money the two towns would realize as the result of Sea Bright coming into the mix.
But … because of a serious family problem for this borough’s financial expert, even that mediation had to be put off, not for a day or a week, but until close to the end of the next month. No one on Council seemed disturbed about yet another delay on this all important issue. A delay that could mean the taxpayers will be denied, once again, their right to voice their opinion at the polls. Announcement of the new delay only came up as an almost insignificant one or two liner in a council member’s regular report.
That’s the only expert they want, the public was told. There was no answer to why there was no backup, or if the whole question would go down the tubes because of a personal issue of one paid expert.
A visiting Councilman from Sea Bright, obviously highly intelligent, deeply concerned, and packed with knowledge on the school regionalization question that has been the subject, but certainly not the object of a lot of action from this council, was told more than once by this borough’s sitting councilman that he was wrong, incorrect AND telling untruths.
How humiliating and embarrassing for borough residents when their own councilman then had to sit wordlessly and without any defense when the visiting councilman not only showed facts by date and law citation in order to prove himself correct on every statement he had made.
How embarrassing for residents when there was no apology or acknowledgement of error and rudeness from their own councilman in the face of being proven wrong or insulting a neighboring elected official.
In retrospect, perhaps that is just the way of the council as a whole. Only minutes before the visitor was told he was telling untruths, the administrator, amid the silence of every council member, told another resident he did not know if they knew anything about a letter the school superintendent had written to the state Commissioner of Education. The mayor wasn’t even concerned enough to look at the letter right then. “Later” she said.
Think about that for a second. A resident wants to show a signed letter from a person who blatantly apparently lied to a state official by saying she was speaking for this Council among others. Yet not one of this borough’s elected officials thought this was serious enough to even ask more about it.
Later in the meeting perhaps it was made more clear why no one wanted to see the letter. Perhaps it was because in spite of their earlier silence and lack of concern when asked if they knew about it, not one, but three members of council sheepishly admitted in some form … that indeed they did see the letter.
Of course that admission had to come only after a resident who does more research on municipal matters than any elected official reminded them publicly he indeed had sent everyone of them the letter in the afternoon. The visiting councilman also told them their highly paid attorney for regionalization had received the letter from the state. If they had not seen him, if that were true, shouldn’t then have wondered why their attorney didn’t think it was important enough to tell them?
But matters got worse throughout the meeting. During one incident, when there was a medical emergency that briefly halted borough business, the audio on ZOOM was immediately shut down. The approximate two dozen persons listening to the meeting could see the governing body chatting among themselves, but had no idea what happened to the person with the emergency. No idea. Quick action to turn off audio, but don’t dare let those on ZOOM people know as much as those in the audience.
Yet minutes after that, a former councilman spoke to the council about his own concerns, again with how regionalization was being handled. As he finished speaking and walked back to his seat, the audience, both in person and on ZOOM, could hear a man yelling out “Bull S**t” One council member, apparently paying more attention to the back of the room then the person then addressing Council, yelled out “Scott! Scott!” in an apparent call to have the Chief of Police come into the room. The Chief of course did respond, came into the room, could see nothing untoward was happening and saw no need to take any action. He told everyone to stop, and walked back into the adjacent room to continue to listen to the meeting.
Again, the lack of respect for the people they represent was evident once again. The public had just learned their actions in the past finally prompted the attorney to meet with council and decide that yes indeed, residents and anybody else could ask questions at a meeting. But council members themselves don’t bother to respond to e-mails sent to them more than a month before. A fairly new resident of the borough, eloquent, calm, well-spoken and obviously very fond of his new hometown, explained he had to come to the meeting since he never got any acknowledgement they received his letter. One councilman finally admitted yes he got the letter, but he didn’t see any question in it, so he didn’t respond. But there was a question in it, the new resident said. And it did get answered during the meeting.
Why do residents have to fight, have to repeat their requests, have to appear in person before they get any recognition from the people the elect to run their town?
Even when it came to comparatively smaller ways to make the town look more beautiful, gain more acclaim for being so wonderful and so much more, council members don’t seem to give a darn. When the one councilwoman who did go to the trouble of creating a wildlife sanctuary at her home expressed her pride and enthusiasm and said she was getting her neighbors to do the same, there was not a council member among them who even said it was a great idea and they were going to do the same.
And that would be an action that isn’t even controversial.
The Atlantic Highlands Police Explorers joined Department police officers Thursday March 25 when Monmouth County offered the first of 16 free paper shredding days in cooperation with the borough, using the Atlantic Highlands Parking lot.
Explorers directed the line-up of hundreds of vehicles that came from all over Monmouth County with boxes of papers to be shredded in the county program.
Other shredding days are being held throughout the county, with the next one April 15 in Brielle and one in Long Branch at the Community Pool Club on April 22. The last one for the year will be Nov.18 at Middletown High School North parking lot.
All residents, but no businesses, are permitted to bring up to 100 pounds of paper to be shredded, ensuring that all large binders are removed, but allowing for paper clips and staples. The 100 pound weight is usually included in four office paper boxes or four large trash bags.
Shredding will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 1 p..m. or earlier if the shredding trucks are full. Persons wishing more information can visit www.VisitMonmouth.com
The Parish Book Club meeting will meet Tuesday, April 4 at the St. Agnes Church lower level, Center Ave, Atlantic Highlands, and invites all readers or those interested in hearing about books to attend.
The Club meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., will include discussion of this month’s selection, “Rome Sweet Home,” a true story by Scott and Kimberly Hahn relating to the agreements, controversies and struggles including three generations of their family as they ponder over the decision of abandoning their religion to accept Catholicism.
Attendees will also selected the book for next month’s read.
Persons wishing further information or needing a ride to attend the meeting can contact group leader Joe Bullwinkel at 732-291-8804
Former legendary Henry Hudson Regional sports coach Vinnie Whitehead has filed for election as a Republican to one of the two council seats to be decided in the November election. in Atlantic Highlands, running on the ticket with incumbent Councilman James Murphy running for Mayor for the first time, and community activist and army veteran Ellen O’Dwyer.
This is a story I wrote for the Monmouth Journal three years ago when the school where Whitehead coached for 44 years named its gym after him in a ceremony that brought generations of the same families he had coached to honor him.
HIGHLANDS — (January 31, 2020) – The Henry Hudson Regional School gym was officially renamed the Coach Vinnie Whitehead Gym in a festive and moving ceremony Wednesday night that brought faculty, administration, students, alumni, family and scores of well-wishers and admirers to their feet numerous times for standing ovations for the retired coach.
Coach Vinnie retired last year after 44 years at the 7th through 12 regional school. But in that time, he racked up 64 years of coaching athletes and teaching teenagers how to live better lives. He coached 28 years of cross country, 20 of basketball, 10 of baseball, four of field hockey and two years of softball. In fact, he took on cross country as his second sport to coach for the specific reason of getting his basketball players in the best shape possible for their upcoming season.
The dedication program preceded the scheduled basketball game between the Admirals and the Keansburg High School Titans, all of whom sat quietly awaiting the start of the game, but in support and admiration for the retired coach.
With a series of speakers seated at the podium each to offer accolades to Whitehead and his wife, Maria, and speak of how the coach impacted their own lives as well as that of thousands of students, the honored guest and his family were each escorted beneath a tower of pompoms and parade of cheerleaders to thunderous applause from a crowded gym to seats at the podium.
Among the speakers in praise of the coach was alumnus and Atlantic Highlands Councilman James Murphy, who referred to Whitehead as a myth and a legend, and spoke on how he was inspired and, motivated by the man who helped create the foundation on which he lives his life. Current basketball coach Drew Eldridge, who attended Hudson for two years before transferring to Mater Dei to play football for the Seraphs, spoke of how Whitehead, “Let a lot of us live out our dreams.”
Eldridge also praised the Keansburg Titans as “a class team.”
Vincent Esposito, Dean of Studies and Athletics, who headed the program, admired Whitehead as his own mentor and leader. Principal Lenore Kingsmore presented Whitehouse. Superintendent of School Dr. Susan Compton cited the positive differences she observed in students and faculty alike because of Whitehead’s wisdom and guidance.
And the accolades and thunderous applause continued when Board of Education president Gail Woods presented Whitehead with a 1970 photo of the coach when he was a student at Christian Brothers Academy, and praised his energy, and passion. Woods also presented Whitehead with a plaque and read the resolution from the Board of Education honoring him for his 44 years at Henry Hudson and unanimously approving the dedication of the gym in his honor.
Whitehead, thanked the crowd, the faculty, his coworkers, students and alumni for the roles they have played in t he lives of him and his wife, Maria, as well as their daughter, Ashley. He praised and thanked his brother-in-law, Joe Nappo, who, like Whitehead’s wife, graduated from Henry Hudson and who came back to coach field hockey, co-coaching with Whitehead for four years and bringing the Admirals to four winning seasons, four Shore Conferences and four state tournaments during that time. But Whitehead said the greatest trophy for him has been “ the living, breathing, heart beating boys and girls I have been privileged to coach.”
Whitehead said that he was the fourth coach at the high school and has worked under many different principals and administrators during his more than four decades at the school. Then, as no surprise to anyone, he turned to the students and advised them to “be fierce, always respect, try your best, listen to your teachers and your parents and grandparents, and live life to the fullest.”
After the ceremony and before the game got underway, scores of well-wishers accepted the invitation to sign a piece of the former floor of the gym, which was recently renovated and improved, and leave a message for Coach Whitehead as a memento for him of t he lives he has impacted during his career at “the little school at the top of the hill.”
The retired coach grew up in Wall Township, attended St. Rose Grammar School in Belmar and Christian Brothers Academy before attending Brookdale College. He earned a baseball scholarship to Furman University in Greenville, SC and earned his degree in physical education and health. He met his wife while both were coaching at Henry Hudson and the couple has been married for 38 years.
The only sad news of the night was Keansburg’s 49-30 loss to the Titans, but even that isn’t enough to crush the spirit of the smallest school in the Shore Conference. They face Keyport tonight (Jan. 31) at Keyport.
“This is an egregious violation….we don’t have any control. You do! This consistent process of delaying the process going forward is very disturbing.”In a soft, but firm, determined yet sad and well controlled voice, Sea Bright Councilman Erwin Bieber politely but courteously scolded the Atlantic Highlands Council for not stepping up to the plate to take some action.
Bieber pointed out Henry Hudson Superintendent Dr. Tara Beams told the state Commissioner of Education she had the full collaboration of the towns, including Sea Bright, and the three school boards, when she presented a petition seeking authorization from the Department of Education for a referendum in the November general election
The petition Beams submitted, in which she said she had the full collaboration of everyone, is different from the petition the three boards had agreed upon, Bieber told the governing body, and is certainly not one that Sea Bright even knew about, let alone participated in submitting … like Beams said in her undated letter.
Earlier, a resident said she had spoken with Highlands Mayor Carolyn Broullon and she also had never authorized Beams to represent Highlands. When questioned by that resident, no one on council said they knew of the letter and administrator Robert Ferragina said he was not aware they were made aware of, nor was he aware any member of council had authorized it…
The petition as submitted by Beams, without permission from any of the three governing bodies, does not include Sea Bright but rather reads an expansion of the current regional School district serving two boroughs to add the two elementary schools to create an all-purpose PKK-12 school district.
The letter, which is undated, but signed by Beams, said the petition also seeks to enlarge the district to include Sea Bright but only “if its withdrawal from the Oceanport and Shore Regional districts is approved by the state and the voters of all three towns.
The councilman asked the local officials how they thought the state Commissioner would react, seeing the petition that was submitted with the accordance of the three municipalities and now seeing another that is different and also purports to be the petition the three towns and boards agreed in letter not coming from any of the attorneys involved, but coming from the educator saying now it was she making the presentation “with full collaboration” of everyone.
Bieber reminded the elected officials that Sea Bright was never consulted in this and if they believe Beams is accurate “you’re missing something”. He asked “what the heck is going on? If this happened ii Sea Bright, we would certainly be taking action.”
Council had said minutes earlier in response to a question from a resident they were not aware of the Beams letter, although Bieber had confirmation it was presented to attorneys for all three municipalities. Mayor Loretta Gluckstein then stated, “I want to see that letter.” However, when a resident held it up and said “Do you want to see it now?” she quickly answered “No!” then added I’ll see it later on” and declined to take the letter.
Continuing to explain the history of the regionalization quest, which he said he has been involved in for years, Bieber made it clear he does not have any children in the school, but added “But I care for the children in our schools.” and reminded the council the state law that would enable Sea Bright to join a new regional district was put in place specifically for Sea Bright and similar towns to take best advantage of state education funds and to enable other districts to secure more state educational funding.
He spoke of conversations and meetings he and the borough administrator had had when both felt the issues that had to be overcome to get the question on the ballot could be resolved in three months in time for last year’s election ballot. He spoke of how the decision to regionalize was made after both the state and boroughs paid for separate experts who all agreed moving quickly and consolidating all three towns was the best thing to do and should be done as soon as possible.
After the Sea Bright Council Member finished his comments and sat down, it was only Councilman Jon Crowley who challenged him citing several instances where he said Bieber was wrong and repeating several times on separate issues that Bieber was not correct. Standing again Bieber took each of Crowley’s accusations individually and presented factual information, citing specific laws and regulations that supported his statements.
Neither the Mayor nor any member of council gave any indication or made any motion that they intend to investigate the matter further or find out why they did not receive, as they said, copies of the letter that Bieber said was sent from Trenton to each of the three attorneys involved, including Atlantic Highlands attorney, Matthew Giacobbe.
Later in the meeting resident Mark Fisher also said council members made an error when they said they were unaware of the letter, noting he had e-mailed it to each of them as well as the borough administrator and borough clerk several hours before this meeting.
After repeated denials throughout the meeting by the Borough Attorney, the Business Administrator, the Mayor, and a number of Council Members regarding the existence of this unauthorized letter sent by Dr. Breams, and only after Mr. Fisher confronted the Council did Council Member Jon Crowley finally admitted that he did in fact receive the letter, although “I didn’t read the entirety of the letter”
This admission opened a flood gate of recollections by other Council Members. James Murphy inferred that he was aware of the letter, but did not read it due to his conflict with the entire matter in which he recluses his self from. Council Woman Hohenleitner also indicated she received it. Sometimes it is hard to get a straight answer … even when you ask a direct question.
While Dr. Tara Beams is busy writing aletter to the state Commissioner of Education and seemingly outright lying that she is representing all three boroughs and their boards of education involved in the school regionalization issue, parents of children in all three schools in Highlands and Atlantic Highlands are still highly dissatisfied with how Dr. Beams oversees the education as superintendent and fearful nothing is being done to address their concerns.
Parents are also fearful of making their concerns public, so more and more of them are writing VenividiScripto and asking for help in making public their belief. Beams is definitely not the right person to provide the best education for their children.
Kris Frazier is one concerned parent who not only has written to the board of education but also shared her letter with VeniVidiScripto as a last resort effort to have someone address their concerns she has for education in the local system. Some of those concerns were included in an earlier story.
Ms. Frazier, in trying to follow the new rules put in place that all concerns have to go through channels before they reach the board, directed a letter to Dr. Beams and, dissatisfied with having to write the very person she was criticizing then wrote a second letter to the board expanding on her original letter for which she had never received any formal response.
In this letter, Mrs. Frazier accepted that the board could only respond to some of her concerns and while Dr. Beams did respond to a letter Mrs. Frazier sent, Mrs. Frazier pointed out having the superintendent answer the letter complaining about herself “is a non-biased review of what’s happening in the school.”
Stressing information she is still seeking, the parent said “It is a fact our community is unique …- this school and this district are special.” But, she pointed out, “there is no emphasis put on the school environment and the perception of that environment for current and future parents.”
As examples of her concern, she wrote that programs have been removed, teachers are leaving and her fear that in the Atlantic Highlands elementary school, students will not be prepared for middle school.” She hastened to add that fact “is not by any fault of the teachers” stressing it is rather “because of the system put in place with the current leadership.” The explanation that the problem is definitely at the very top of the level, and the teachers are not to blame nor are they inferior. That has been the hallmark of almost every letter VeniVidiScripto has received form parents in the local schools.
Mrs. Frazier described the system as “choking the air out of a school that was soaring.” She added that the reason parents are ” pulling their children from the district is because we know what is possible here and we don’t see it returning.”
Expressing further concerns, to the board of education, Mrs. Frazier added in her letter that “no programs have been added that make this district competitive for high school…you’ve taken away the programs at the elementary school level that did enable children to be challenged.” She continued “You’ve taken away our programs in theater and art. We shouldn’t be taking programs away because students leave. We should be adding more programs to make it possible for them to stay.”
Looking at local school district history, Mrs. Frazier pointed out the district has not been elevated in its academic platform the last two years but rather an environment was created that leaves no space for parents, teachers or students to have input into moving the district in the right direction.
She pointed out that when she expressed these concerns to Dr. Beams, the answer was it is entirely the teacher’s responsibility to provide differentiated instruction, though in the past it was supported by programs at the school.
She can blame the former superintendent, Mrs Frazier said, but pointed out to board members ” it is uniquely Dr Beam’s responsibility to understand the standard and spirit of the district she works for. And to respect it and push it forward. ” She said the superintendent explained that the focus on gifted students is inappropriate, teachers have a lack of specialized teaching certificates, staff scheduling has gaps are the reasons for the structure change in the 5th and 6th grades.
“All I hear as a parent are inadequate explanations.”
This week, VeniVidiScripto also heard from parents of students in the Highlands elementary school reiterating the same complaints. One parent wrote “the same holds true at Highlands,” citing the math curriculum is horrendous, science is treated as special, and even worse, “history would be non existent except for a handful of resourceful teachers”
That parent agree that “the children are capable of so much more, the teachers are as well, if given the chance.”
In addition to blaming the boards and the superintendent a Highlands parent added her belief that “if the state Department of Education were not such a bureaucratic machine, we parents would be heard.”
The administrative leadership of the district is too heavy-handed, the parent wrote, and as a result, the teachers are suffocated, the very capable principals in the school cannot run their schools to the best of their ability, and in the end, it is the children who are suffering and looking towards a dismal future, should Dr. Beams continue as superintendent.”
It could have been Thomas Jefferson applauding and cheering the decision, but in the end, the people who attend Atlantic Highlands council meetings learned that they can now enjoy the rights guaranteed to all Americans under the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights…they’re allowed to speak and ask QUESTIONS at a council meeting.
The decision of the Mayor and Council was not made by resolution. Nor was there a vote taken. It was simply the borough attorney, Peg Schaffer, reading a statement following an executive session saying that’s what the governing body told her to say.
Still, it did not end with Ms. Schaffer’s reading of her prepared statement, one presumably readied even before that executive session. Mayor Loretta Gluckstein said she didn’t want to beat a dead horse. But she did anyway.
The mayor wanted to repeat what the attorney said the governing body agreed to, again, though no vote was ever taken, that the public does have the right to ask questions at a meeting.
That wasn’t enough for the mayor to say. She wanted to add an unnecessary definition of what the lengthy statement from the attorney said., “That does not mean that if you don’t like the answer you get, you are allowed to badger ME or any member of the council,” she said. Hopefully the word “Badger” doesn’t become overly subjective …
No other member from council spoke, though on the official recording of the meeting you can hear one councilman saying, “it’s all downhill now.” That makes me wonder about the adage “there’s a grain of truth in every joke.”
Schaeffer’s statement included a reminder to the public that the council does not restrict the length of time a resident might take at the podium during a public meeting. But she did not also remind residents that that right only came about after an earlier request and earlier repetitious requests from the public years ago before it was actually approved by a vote and formal resolution.
In her prepared statement, Schaffer cautioned the public that anyone who “fails to keep to the subject” or is “repetitious” will still be halted from continuing. She read that disruption of meetings “is a substantive evil.”
There do not seem to be any instances under this or the previous administration when police, who are present for every meeting, have ever removed anyone for being disruptive
The attorney concluded her statement with “the bottom line is, we will answer questions,” including herself in the statement.
Later, during the first few minutes of the public portion of meeting, there was one instance when Councilwoman Lori Hohenleitner, possibly observing something in the back of the room, called out “Scott! Scott!” referring to the Police Chief. That was followed by someone else also yelling “Scott.” Someone said “Boracchia,” a former councilman who had just made a statement about regionalization during the meeting, followed by someone in the back of the room saying he “should leave.” There was no interruption of the meeting other than Ms. Hohenleitner yelling out, and the public continued with the public portion.
National Medal of Honor Day. Saturday, March 25, wreaths will be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for each of the men buried there.
On that same day, at Patriot’s Point in Mount Pleasant, SC, there will be Medal of Honor Storytelling tours and a special Medal of Honor Visitors Experience.
These two events, as others across the country, honor National Medal of Honor Day, celebrated each year on March 25 since it was first established by Congress to foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor recipients.
Each of the 3516 recipients of the nation’s highest military award is specially honored on the date that the first Medal of Honor was issued to 19 military men known as Andrew’s Raiders at the Civil War battle known as the Great Locomotive Chase in 1862.
The wreaths laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers are in remembrance that each of the Unknowns is a recipient of the Medal of Honor. The wreaths are laid by living recipients of the Medal of Honor in their recognition of the sacrifices of those we served alongside and those who came before them.
The Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum offers four exclusive tours that day featuring places and artifacts symbolizing America’s heroes, including a special behind-the-scenes experience and a commemorative item for all tour participants.
The story telling tours feature docents stationed at Medal of Honor Informational Checkpoints around the Museum to share the stories of America’s greatest military heroes next to the artifacts that illustrate their stories. This is the only day of the year where the two special events are conducted.
Jacob Parrott was the first service member to receive the Medal of Honor. He was a member of Andrew’s Raiders during the Civil War. Each of the Raiders received the Medal of Honor from Secretary of War Edwin Stanton on March 25, 1863, for” for their volunteering and participation during an American Civil War raid in April of 1862.
General Ormsby Mitchel was commanding officer of Union troops in Tennessee and planned to capture a water and railway junction necessary to the Confederates at Chattanooga, Tennessee, depriving the South access to the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys.
Such action, however, would be met with strong Confederate reinforcements from Georgia and create havoc and great loss of Union lives.
James J. Andrews was a civilian scout traveling with Mitchel and suggested using a small group of volunteers to destroy the railroad, thereby cutting off the Confederate ability to move either supplies or reinforcements. Mitchell approved, and Andrews Raiders conducted the Great Locomotive Chase. Andrews’ Raiders was instituted.
The Raiders plan included stealing a train, stopping several places along their rail ride to destroy tracks, bridges, switches, and telegraph lines behind them, then rejoining Mitchill as he headed to Chattanooga, and rejoin.
Traveling in groups of twos and threes and dressed as civilians to avoid suspicion, Andrews, another civilian William Hunter Campbell, and 22 volunteer soldiers, Parrott among them all arrived in Marietta, Georgia.
Moving to Big Shanty, the volunteers took over a steam locomotive, the General, along with three boxcars, and continued to Chattanooga, damaging the tracks and switches behind them along the way. Because of delays along the way due to Southern rail trains moving in the opposite direction, and other incidents that almost betrayed their secrecy , the Confederates were able to catch up with a train of their own, and begin chase with their own locomotive, the William R Smith.
Having a locomotive enabled Confederate General Fuller to keep pace until he was stopped by missing track, track that Andrews and his men had pulled out. Undaunted, Fuller and his men resumed the chase on foot until they were past the destroyed sections of track.
Just 18 miles outside of Chattanooga, the raiders abandoned the General and scattered. All were captured within two weeks, and in the end, Andrew’s raiders failed in their attempt. They were tried in military courts and found guilty of “acts of unlawful belligerency.” Andrews and seven others were hanged.
Fearing the same, Parrott and the remaining raiders managed to escape; he and five others failed, eight succeeded. Parrott was taken as a prisoner of war, and beaten numerous times in an effort to have him divulge more information about the raiders’ intention but refused each time. Eventually all the POWs were released in a prisoner exchange.
Parrott died Dec. 22, 1908 at his home in Kenton, Ohio and is buried in Grove Cemetery in Kenton, Ohio on the road named for him as Jacob Parrott Boulevard.
The hijacked locomotive, General, is on display at The Southern Museum in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Texas, the locomotive used by the Confederacy, in the chase, is on display.
