Local veterans memorial celebrates 15th anniversary

(April 10, 2020) The Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines each year draws thousands of people for Memorial Day and Veterans Day events, along with hundreds of local schoolchildren for annual educational programs.  

The Veterans Memorial Foundation that oversees events and fundraising this year will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the memorial, with scheduled events including a cocktail party slated for the fall.  

Plans for the memorial began in 2003, when Sharyn O’Hare chaired a committee that arranged events celebrating Ocean Pines’ 35th anniversary. O'Hare's father was a Marine in World War II and she would later serve on the Ocean Pines Board, from 2013-2015. 

Also involved in the effort was Roseann Bridgman, a prolific volunteer who lived in Ocean Pines from 1997 until her death, in 2009. Her husband, Alfred, was a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard. 

After the anniversary, the committee found itself with more than $15,000 in excess funds. A south gate playground received $7,000 of that and a committee formed to explore spending the remaining balance.  

Originally, the group looked at putting a flagpole up near the south gate.  

“As committees go, it went from one flagpole to what we really wanted, which was a memorial,” O’Hare said.  

The committee toured a prospective site, a small peninsula too small and close to the water to ever develop into houses, and later got approval from then Association President Dan Stachurski to build the memorial at the site, just off Route 589 and between Manklin Creek Road and Cathell Road. 

Things moved fast after that, with the committee turning into a board of directors and the group earning a 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation.  

The Worcester County Veterans Memorial broke ground on Veterans Day, 2004. The main part of the memorial is a large circle of brick pavers honoring U.S. Military men and women, surrounded by brick-wall monuments for each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and flags for each branch flying high in the air. Under each brick wall is sand from the beaches of Normandy.  

“The bricks and pavers tell the story. Those are the veterans that local families wanted to honor,” Marie Gilmore, longtime Memorial Foundation president, said. “Anyone can purchase a brick for $75 and it’s inscribed with the name of someone who has served, or a paver for $150, which allows four lines of information.” 

Gilmore joined the effort in 2004. Her husband is a retired Marine. 

The memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2005, thanks to an all-volunteer grass-roots effort, according to O’Hare.  

“People in this community were incredible,” she said, adding that everything came together quickly, in part because of the mood of the country in the years following the attacks of September 11, 2001.  

“We have a lot of military people and a lot of retired people who served, and the country was very patriotic at that time,” O’Hare said. 

“This has brought the community together,” Gilmore added. “It’s such a patriotic community with so many people who have served in the Armed Forces, and they just came together to help us teach and continue on with our mission statement, which is to preserve the memories of those who served.” 

O’Hare said the memorial is unique in Worcester County, in that it can draw up to 5,000 people for annual Memorial Day ceremonies.  

The services each year are elaborate, with current and former military personnel addressing the large crowds, along with a presentation of colors by local Junior ROTC, fight songs for each branch sung by the Delmarva Chorus, and a 21-gun salute finale.  

“There’s no other community in the area that does that,” O’Hare said. “It’s very much a show of patriotism and, when they see how professional our programs are, they’re blown away.  

“They say, ‘This is what Memorial Day is about.’ It’s not the picnics, it’s not the beach – those are all fun things, but this is what it’s all about,” O’Hare added.  

Annual Veterans Day events also draw large crowds, despite often less–than–ideal weather.  

“It could be cold and wet and raining, and we’ll have 600 people there,” O’Hare said.  

Beyond the ceremonies, O’Hare said the foundation board wanted to create a living memorial, something that would also help to educate and inspire the next generation.  

“We realized the future is not my age – it’s the youth. These children have to understand what freedom is, what is a hero, what does it mean to respect the flag, what are the branches of service,” O’Hare said. “The educational component is key and that was something we established in our first year.”  

Cpt. Ed Little, retired U.S. Navy, led the education program for 12 years. O’Hare and longtime resident Don McMullen now oversee the effort, which includes an educational booklet for children developed by former USA Today writer Joan Baraloto, and annual tours of the memorial grounds. Last year, more than 650 fifth graders from all Worcester County schools visited the site. 

The Memorial Foundation also oversees the Flags for Heroes program, each year planting hundreds of flags in the field between the memorial and Route 589. Flag sponsorships are $50, and flags will be on display from Armed Forces Day, May 16, through Flag Day on June 14.  

A dedication ceremony is scheduled on May 16, with Ocean Pines General Manager John Viola set to be the keynote speaker. 

“A flag is sponsored in honor of a hero in your life, and a hero could be somebody who served in the Armed Forces, it could be a first responder, a doctor, a brother or sister, or a teacher,” Gilmore said.  

For sponsorship forms, visit www.opvets.org/events/flags-for-heroes-2020. The Memorial Foundation is also seeking corporate sponsors, with sponsorship levels ranging from $250 to $2,000. 

Plans for the 15th anniversary celebration this year include a cocktail party with live music, hors d’oeuvres, and beer and wine. Tickets are $25, with all proceeds benefiting education programs. That event was originally scheduled in May, but was moved because of COVID-19 concerns.  

For tickets or information, contact O’Hare at 410-603-4777 or email [email protected]. 

Gilmore said she is grateful for the community’s continued support.  

“Everyone in Ocean Pines is proud of their memorial,” she said. “We always emphasize that it’s the community’s memorial, because community contributions built it.” 

For those who cannot attend the event but would like to support the Memorial Foundation, checks can be made out to “Worcester County Veterans Memorial” and mailed to P.O. Box 1576, Ocean Pines, Maryland 21811.  

For more information on the Memorial Foundation, visit www.opvets.org/the-memorial-story/the-memorial-foundation.