Post by admin on Dec 10, 2009 16:59:44 GMT -5
Fallen hero receives military burial
Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds was killed in action in Korea in 1950
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff The family of Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds of Freehold waited almost 60 years to have what most families of servicemen who are killed in combat receive right away — a proper military burial for their loved one.
Dan Savino of the Marine Corps League Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment, Freehold, salutes as taps is played below) during a military burial for Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds, who was killed in Korea on Nov. 29, 1950.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff
Reynolds, 20, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, was killed in action on Nov. 29, 1950 in Korea. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and the Silver Star.
On Nov. 29 — 59 years to the day that Reynolds died — more than 200 guests, including family members, gathered at Reynolds' gravesite at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery, Freehold Township, to honor the fallen hero.
A military honors burial that Reynolds was not able to receive in 1950 included the playing of taps, a gun salute and a flag presentation at the gravesite.
In the near future the bridge that carries Route 9 over Throckmorton Street (Route 522), within sight of the St. Rose cemetery, will be named in honor of Reynolds.
Efforts to name the bridge in honor of Reynolds and to give him the burial with honors that he never had were led by the members of the Marine Corps League Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment, Freehold.
Reynolds' sister, Lucille Dill, said the Nov. 29 ceremony was beautifully done and very emotional.
"I don't think anyone could have done anything better than the Marine Corps. They gave tender loving care to our family and friends," she said.
Dill said Dan Savino, a member of the Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment, "did a great job and worked so very hard for this."
"He really was a leader," she added, noting that Savino led the drive to name the Route 9 bridge and to hold the military funeral.
As she said in a previous article, Dill reiterated that "everyone should remember that although the bridge will carry Philip's name, it is truly a memorial to all veterans, and I believe that is the way Philip would have wanted it."
Friends, family members and guests gather at the grave of Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds of Freehold to give the fallen Marine something he did not have at the time of his death in the Korean War — a funeral with full military honors.
CHRIS KELLY staff
Savino noted that although Reynolds was killed in 1950, his body was not returned to the United States until 1955. At that time the fallen Marine was buried at the St. Rose cemetery without military honors.
Five decades later those honors were bestowed upon Reynolds.
The graveside ceremony began with words from Robert Dunigan, chaplain of the Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment.
Dunigan said those in attendance were gathered to "pay tribute to one of our own who on this day, 59 years ago, paid the supreme sacrifice for our freedom and the freedom of a people and a country that he did not know. He knew only that his Marine Corps asked him to do a job and he did not hesitate to perform that job as he was trained. He gallantly gave his life protecting these people and their right to live free and to return their country to the 'Land of the Calm.' For those who fought it, life has a very special meaning that the protected will never know."
Chaplain Robert Dunigan offers words of comfort during a Nov. 29 service for Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds.
CHRIS KELLY staff
Savino explained to those present that Reynolds came from a large, loving family and was recalled as a "very fun-loving person."
"He was a Freehold man, born and raised, and attended schools in Freehold. He came from a Marine Corps family. When the Korean War broke out, he had just completed a tour of sea duty and had returned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and he was ordered to Camp Pendleton, California, where they were forming the nucleus of the 1st Marine Division. He was assigned to Easy Co. 2nd Battalion 1st Marine Regiment and shipped out to Japan and then onto Korea.
"After hitting the wall at Inchon on the afternoon of Sept. 15, 1950, and capturing the city, they moved into the city of Seoul where they encountered fierce fighting. After recapturing the city of Seoul, they then boarded ships and sailed around the east coast of Korea, and made a landing at Wonson.
"After the landing they moved north to Koto Ri where on Nov. 29 they were hit full force by the Chinese, encountering very fierce fighting. While manning his machine gun, Phil encountered a ruptured cartridge. Before he could clear his gun and resume firing the Chinese had overrun his position and he, along with his assistant, were mortally wounded. Had it not been for his large volume of accurate fire and his actions, the loss of life would have been much greater than it was," Savino said.
Reynolds' Silver Star citation was read by the detachment's commandant, Jim Hack.
Savino said Nov. 29 was a "very emotional day." He noted that members of the Reynolds and Dill families came from New York and from as far away as North Carolina.
"He had a gun salute and as is the tradition, an empty casing was inserted into the fold of the flag," Savino said.
Savino noted that the effort to honor Reynolds was supported by state legislators Jennifer Beck and Caroline Casagrande. Gov. Jon Corzine recently signed a bill that named the Route 9 bridge in Reynolds' honor.
Monmouth County Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow said the military funeral brought about an "incredible moment in Freehold Borough history."
McMorrow, who previously served on the Borough Council in Freehold Borough, said she contacted the Office on Aging, which also handles veterans interment, when she found out that Reynolds never had a military burial.
"We were able to finally give Cpl. Reynolds the military burial he deserved," she said. "I did not know him and many people who were at the ceremony did not know him. Now I know who he was and all about him and with this ceremony he now stays alive in our memories and in our hearts."
In considering everything that happened on the day of the service, Dill said the most emotional part of the ceremony for her was when U.S. Marine Sgt. Marc Drainville saluted her and presented her with the flag with the empty casing tucked in its fold.
"When he did that I realized this is really final," she said.
Dill said her only regret was that her parents did not live to see the recognition and honor bestowed upon their son and to have had this long-awaited closure.
"Maybe though," she said, "they had a front-row seat and were looking down at us." CHRIS KELLY staff CHRIS KELLY staff
Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds was killed in action in Korea in 1950
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff The family of Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds of Freehold waited almost 60 years to have what most families of servicemen who are killed in combat receive right away — a proper military burial for their loved one.
Dan Savino of the Marine Corps League Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment, Freehold, salutes as taps is played below) during a military burial for Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds, who was killed in Korea on Nov. 29, 1950.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff
Reynolds, 20, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, was killed in action on Nov. 29, 1950 in Korea. He was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and the Silver Star.
On Nov. 29 — 59 years to the day that Reynolds died — more than 200 guests, including family members, gathered at Reynolds' gravesite at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery, Freehold Township, to honor the fallen hero.
A military honors burial that Reynolds was not able to receive in 1950 included the playing of taps, a gun salute and a flag presentation at the gravesite.
In the near future the bridge that carries Route 9 over Throckmorton Street (Route 522), within sight of the St. Rose cemetery, will be named in honor of Reynolds.
Efforts to name the bridge in honor of Reynolds and to give him the burial with honors that he never had were led by the members of the Marine Corps League Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment, Freehold.
Reynolds' sister, Lucille Dill, said the Nov. 29 ceremony was beautifully done and very emotional.
"I don't think anyone could have done anything better than the Marine Corps. They gave tender loving care to our family and friends," she said.
Dill said Dan Savino, a member of the Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment, "did a great job and worked so very hard for this."
"He really was a leader," she added, noting that Savino led the drive to name the Route 9 bridge and to hold the military funeral.
As she said in a previous article, Dill reiterated that "everyone should remember that although the bridge will carry Philip's name, it is truly a memorial to all veterans, and I believe that is the way Philip would have wanted it."
Friends, family members and guests gather at the grave of Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds of Freehold to give the fallen Marine something he did not have at the time of his death in the Korean War — a funeral with full military honors.
CHRIS KELLY staff
Savino noted that although Reynolds was killed in 1950, his body was not returned to the United States until 1955. At that time the fallen Marine was buried at the St. Rose cemetery without military honors.
Five decades later those honors were bestowed upon Reynolds.
The graveside ceremony began with words from Robert Dunigan, chaplain of the Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment.
Dunigan said those in attendance were gathered to "pay tribute to one of our own who on this day, 59 years ago, paid the supreme sacrifice for our freedom and the freedom of a people and a country that he did not know. He knew only that his Marine Corps asked him to do a job and he did not hesitate to perform that job as he was trained. He gallantly gave his life protecting these people and their right to live free and to return their country to the 'Land of the Calm.' For those who fought it, life has a very special meaning that the protected will never know."
Chaplain Robert Dunigan offers words of comfort during a Nov. 29 service for Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds.
CHRIS KELLY staff
Savino explained to those present that Reynolds came from a large, loving family and was recalled as a "very fun-loving person."
"He was a Freehold man, born and raised, and attended schools in Freehold. He came from a Marine Corps family. When the Korean War broke out, he had just completed a tour of sea duty and had returned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and he was ordered to Camp Pendleton, California, where they were forming the nucleus of the 1st Marine Division. He was assigned to Easy Co. 2nd Battalion 1st Marine Regiment and shipped out to Japan and then onto Korea.
"After hitting the wall at Inchon on the afternoon of Sept. 15, 1950, and capturing the city, they moved into the city of Seoul where they encountered fierce fighting. After recapturing the city of Seoul, they then boarded ships and sailed around the east coast of Korea, and made a landing at Wonson.
"After the landing they moved north to Koto Ri where on Nov. 29 they were hit full force by the Chinese, encountering very fierce fighting. While manning his machine gun, Phil encountered a ruptured cartridge. Before he could clear his gun and resume firing the Chinese had overrun his position and he, along with his assistant, were mortally wounded. Had it not been for his large volume of accurate fire and his actions, the loss of life would have been much greater than it was," Savino said.
Reynolds' Silver Star citation was read by the detachment's commandant, Jim Hack.
Savino said Nov. 29 was a "very emotional day." He noted that members of the Reynolds and Dill families came from New York and from as far away as North Carolina.
"He had a gun salute and as is the tradition, an empty casing was inserted into the fold of the flag," Savino said.
Savino noted that the effort to honor Reynolds was supported by state legislators Jennifer Beck and Caroline Casagrande. Gov. Jon Corzine recently signed a bill that named the Route 9 bridge in Reynolds' honor.
Monmouth County Freeholder Director Barbara McMorrow said the military funeral brought about an "incredible moment in Freehold Borough history."
McMorrow, who previously served on the Borough Council in Freehold Borough, said she contacted the Office on Aging, which also handles veterans interment, when she found out that Reynolds never had a military burial.
"We were able to finally give Cpl. Reynolds the military burial he deserved," she said. "I did not know him and many people who were at the ceremony did not know him. Now I know who he was and all about him and with this ceremony he now stays alive in our memories and in our hearts."
In considering everything that happened on the day of the service, Dill said the most emotional part of the ceremony for her was when U.S. Marine Sgt. Marc Drainville saluted her and presented her with the flag with the empty casing tucked in its fold.
"When he did that I realized this is really final," she said.
Dill said her only regret was that her parents did not live to see the recognition and honor bestowed upon their son and to have had this long-awaited closure.
"Maybe though," she said, "they had a front-row seat and were looking down at us." CHRIS KELLY staff CHRIS KELLY staff