Wall Township honors an American hero
Wall Township Local 234 and mem-
bers of the community gathered to
honor a World War II hero and Wall
Township resident this Veterans Day
with the unveiling of a memorial for
Harry J. Rockafeller. A crowd gathered
around the new monument, which de-
picts Rockafeller during the Battle of
the Bulge.
Major General Harry Rockafeller re-
tired from the Army Reserves in 1974.
Over the course of his service, Rock-
afeller received three Silver Star Cita-
tions, a Bronze Star with V device for
Valor, a Purple Heart and a Combat
Infantry Badge for his efforts serving
against Germany in 1944-1945. Af-
ter the war, Rockafeller remained in
the Army Reserves, rising through the
ranks to major general and command-
er of the 78th Division. Rockafeller was
also a Rutgers graduate.
The Wall Township resident and
American hero passed away on Aug.
8, 2017, at the age of 100. Before Rock-
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■ DECEMBER 2018
afeller’s passing, he became a close
friend and role model to Local 234
member Michael Malone, who prom-
ised Rockafeller that he would never
allow the heroic leader to be forgotten.
Malone and Local 234 kept that
promise by creating the Rockafeller
Memorial Fund in March. In just a few
months, the Local raised more than
$218,000.
On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, Local 234
proudly unveiled the statue in front of
a crowd of 1,000 people from the Jer-
sey Shore and all over the country who
had gathered to honor the hero and his
legacy.