Avalon’s Forgotten Heroes: Donald Stevenson, William Rommel II, Joseph Ferrigno
By today’s standards, it is difficult to describe just how small a town Avalon was 75 years ago in the waning days of World War II. The total population was probably around 400, and even when the town “filled” with summer visitors in the summer, the population was probably still less than 1,000. Suffice to say that almost everyone knew each other. It was a very close-knit community.
So sadly, it was big news when The Cape May County Times and The Seven Mile Beach Reporter printed each week and listed the casualties of war. Almost every issue told the story of several county residents, summer or year-round, who were missing in action or, worse, killed. Families in Avalon mourned along with families in Woodbine, The Villas and the Wildwoods. It was a small county and we all mourned each other’s losses. It was always difficult to contemplate a local “kid” from Cape May County losing his life thousands of miles from our shores. But times were very different in the summer of 1945. And tragedy struck far too often.
The local draft board typically inducted 10-15 “kids” a week – and the term “kids” is accurate because often the inductees were still enrolled in high school. They should have been running on our beaches instead of running for their lives.
Avalon and Stone Harbor were relatively lucky when it came to loss of life. Despite the number of permanent residents and summer visitors engaged in the war in all corners of the world, for most of the war, no one from Avalon made the ultimate sacrifice. Lucky, that is, until an incredibly bad 15-month stretch when three of Avalon’s bravest all made the ultimate sacrifice.
Staff sergeant Donald J. Stevenson, 23, lived in Avalon both as a summer kid and as a year-rounder. He lost his life in Graz, Austria. 2nd Lt. William Rommel II, 22, a longtime summer kid, sacrificed his life in the Philippines. Cpl. Joseph G. Ferrigno, 21, lived and worked in the family business, The Black Eagle, before he lost his life in Belgium.
Sadly, these three brave men would never again know the feeling of a gentle summer breeze off the Atlantic Ocean; they’d never get the opportunity to bring their own children to the beach or to watch a
July 4th fireworks demonstration on a warm summer night. Instead, each made the ultimate sacrifice that allows us to enjoy the freedoms that we all do.
At the time of their deaths, Avalon Mayor Edith Greenan had spent time developing a veterans memorial park on a bayfront lot at 21st Street and Ocean Drive. It featured benches along with a billboard-sized sign that listed the name of every Avalonian serving in any branch of the service in World War II. So, it seemed to make sense to honor Avalon’s bravest in this new veterans park.
The three were honored in the first summer following the end of the war when their families joined the mayor in planting trees in their honor. It was said at that time that it was hoped that the trees would become permanent reminders of the three who called Avalon home.
The wave of patriotism continued and so it seemed these three names would be forever etched into the hearts and minds of everyone in Avalon. In June 1947, a VFW Post (Post 9458) was established at the corner of 25th Street and Ocean Drive with local builder George Gilbert as the first post commander. The post was named Ferrigno-Rommel-Stevenson, in their honor.
The post immediately became active in raising funds to honor the trio – contributing the initial nest egg to purchase the granite memorial that stands today at 21st Street and Dune Drive and honors all who have served. The monument was originally dedicated in 1949 at 21st Street and Ocean Drive when all three families came out to pay their respects and leave wreaths for their children. Mayor Greenan addressed the crowd that day: “We who have lived in safety and comfort at home can never know the hardship they experienced … nor the loneliness and the longings of their hearts for home.”
Joe and Mary Ferrigno, parents of Joseph Ferrigno, in front of The Black Eagle
Sadly, over time, through the fault of no one, the memory of these three incredibly brave men has been lost. A series of events probably began in the 1950s when Avalon moved the granite memorial to a more permanent location on the 21st Street circle. Residential housing took over that lot in the early 1960s. Over time, the large sign listing individual names ceased to exist. And finally, the VFW post named in their honor became defunct on Dec. 21, 1964. The final location of the post is in the vicinity of the current Avalon Chamber of Commerce facility. Sadly, as the post ceased to exist, so did memories of the trio of heroes.
With a dwindling number of relatives and next of kin remaining, three names that we should all know have almost become forgotten. Time has not been kind to them. Especially sad, given the magnitude of sacrifice that these three men made. No doubt as kids all three spent time running the beach and boardwalk – perhaps even exploring the bays and waterways – as many kids do. And although at least two of the three were enrolled in college, there was no spring break for these three. Instead, they were being trained as marksmen, flying in B-24s and members of the fabled Alamo Scouts, a precursor to the Army Rangers.
Under current Mayor Martin Pagliughi, the town has done an amazing job of recognizing those from Avalon who have done their part to ensure our freedom. Now, some 75 years later, we believe that it is important to remember three of our bravest and to make sure that their names and sacrifices are never forgotten.
DONALD J. STEVENSON
The Stevenson family purchased a summer cottage in the Sea Gate section of Avalon (across the 21st Street Bridge) in 1922, before Donald was even a year old. He spent summers at the house they called “Teddy Bear” with his father, a teacher who also held a law degree; his mother, a nurse; and his sister, who was two years older. Donald’s world would change dramatically on the evening of Sept. 28, 1929 when his father suffered a fatal heart attack in Avalon. Evidently the family had no life insurance and the financial burden was too great for his mother. Donald’s sister was placed in an orphanage while Donald was placed in the foster care of a Cape May County family. The family would be reunited years later. At that time, they lived in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.
Stevenson graduated from high school in 1941. Like many other young men at the time, Stevenson had a desire to enlist and serve his country. He was declared 4F (unacceptable for medical reasons) for military service because one leg was shorter than the other, causing a noticeable limp. In order to enlist, according to his nephew Scott Weichel, he went back to enlist early one morning, at a time of day when the limp was least noticeable. It worked. He passed the physical and volunteered to go into the newly created Army Air Force. He was assigned to the B-24 bombers of the 454th Bomber Group which operated out of North Africa.
According to 454 AFF Bomb Group: “S/S Donald Stevenson was a radio operator/waist gunner on the Aubrey L. Edwards crew of the 737 Squadron.” According to the plane’s co-pilot Lt. Lowell G. West, “… 2 Mission 19 March 1944 to Steyr (12th most populated city in Austria). In the vicinity of Graz (Austria’s second largest city), about 1400 hours, altitude 21,500 ft. #4 in lead element. Ship hit with flak, attacked by enemy air craft – Me109’s. Ship caught fire – bomb bay in flames. Also, the flight deck. Tail gunner hit, undoubtedly killed. Waist gunner was hit and found on the ground 200 yards from the plane – no chute.”
Some crew members survived and were taken prisoner of war. Stevenson was killed in action either in flight or when he crashed back to earth. For his actions, Stevenson was awarded the Bronze Star; European-African-Middle Easter Campaign Medal; Honorable Service Button and World War II Victory Medal. He left behind a fiancee, his parents and his sister. He is interred in the North Cedar Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia with his family.
WILLIAM ROMMEL II
The Rommel family made their summer home in the vicinity of 21st Street and Avalon Avenue. William enlisted in June 1942, leaving his job as a clerk with the Reading Railroad. He was one of five children. Rommel became a member of the Alamo Scouts, a special recon unit of the 6th Army. The Scouts were an all-volunteer elite unit known for operating deep behind Japanese lines in the Pacific Theater. Many of their missions remained classified until the 1990s.
His final mission began in Australia where he boarded a secret submarine with two other officers bound for the east coast of Samar (the Philippines). The three men traveled by foot through jungles and, because of the lack of roads, traveled mostly by stream. We will never know, but one must wonder if Rommel drew upon his experiences of exploring the swampy Seven Mile Beach as a youngster. For three days, he gathered information on the enemy and handed out propaganda materials. After twice failing to cross the Gulf of Leyte because of high seas, they finally made it across after commandeering a native sailboat. They eventually made contact with the guerrilla leader, who provided crucial information that would be key to the 6th Army’s decisive victory in what is referred to as the largest naval battle of World War II and among the largest naval battles of all time.
After plans were changed several times, Rommel was in the midst of being returned to his company via PT-494 when he was mortally wounded by enemy aircraft while boarding the ship by way of a cargo net. Rommel holds the distinction of being the first solider to be buried in the American Cemetery in the Philippines. For his heroic actions, he was awarded the Silver Star, and his story has been shared in multiple books about the top-secret Alamo Scouts. Newspaper accounts following his death mention that General Douglas MacArthur sent a personal letter to the Rommel family offering his condolences and telling of their son’s heroic actions.
JOSEPH G. FERRIGNO
Joe was born and raised in Philadelphia. He spent most of his life in Philadelphia before his family moved to 3601 Ocean Drive in Avalon where they would operate The Black Eagle Tavern. Local census from 1940 show that Ferrigno lived at 3601 with his parents, sisters and grandfather, who would go on to become Avalon’s oldest living resident at 104. And that Ferrigno worked as a waiter in the family business.
Ferrigno was often listed as a sharpshooter in Army documents, with the 330th Infantry. He was among two soldiers listed as missing in action by his unit in February 1945. His body was eventually recovered two days later, and he was listed as killed in action. His parents had been on vacation in Florida when the U.S. government learned of his death. They were driving back from Florida when his sister answered the “knock at the door.” Sadly, upon their return home they, too, learned of his death.
Ferrigno was buried in Margarten American Cemetery in the Netherlands. His family was given the option of returning his body to the United States, but his mother wrote a note to the authorities stating that she’d prefer to not have his body disturbed. There is confirmation that his mother made it to Europe at least once to Joe’s grave before she passed away. Ferrigno was awarded a Purple Heart for his heroic service. His grave has been adopted by a Dutch family, now in its third generation, which visits his grave and places flowers to show their appreciation to a man they have never met, for his sacrifice he made in their country.
Although their names were never engraved on the granite monument brought to Avalon from Vermont in 1947, it still stands today on the circle at 21st Street and Dune Drive. As you drive around the circle, pause for just a moment to remember all those who have served, but let us make sure that Avalon’s three heroes are never forgotten. And Mayor Greenan’s words from the ceremony to honor these men more than 75 years ago still ring true, even after all of these years: “Let us hope and pray that there will be no more,” she said. “They gave their lives for us to live free. Let us never forget.”