Roll of Honor
Listed in the order they fell.
- Specialist · Army Christopher M. Duffy June 4, 2004 Baghdad, Iraq
Killed when his convoy was attacked with roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades in Baghdad. He and Sgt. Frank Carvill of Carlstadt were the first New Jersey National Guard soldiers to die in combat since World War II.
- Sergeant · Marine Corps Alan D. Sherman June 29, 2004 Southeast of Baghdad, Iraq
A Marine reservist, killed when a roadside bomb exploded beside his Humvee as he and four other Marines traveled southeast of Baghdad.
- Private First Class · Marine Corps Vincent M. Frassetto September 7, 2006 Anbar Province, Iraq
A 2003 graduate of Toms River High School North. He was killed in his first week of missions when an improvised explosive device struck his convoy along Alternate Supply Route Lyman.
- Corporal · Marine Corps Thomas E. Saba February 7, 2007 Anbar Province, Iraq
Died when the helicopter he was flying in crashed while supporting combat operations in Anbar Province. Six others aboard were also killed.
- Corporal · Army Kareem R. Khan August 6, 2007 Baqubah, Iraq
A 2005 graduate of Southern Regional High School who enlisted after the September 11 attacks. He died of wounds from an improvised explosive device in Baqubah alongside three fellow soldiers, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
- Major · Marine Corps James M. Weis July 22, 2010 Helmand Province, Afghanistan
An AH-1W Super Cobra pilot, a Toms River High School North graduate and a Rutgers alumnus. He was a married father of two. He was killed near Trek Nawa while supporting Marines in combat.
- Special Warfare Operator 3rd Class (SEAL) · Navy Denis C. Miranda September 21, 2010 Zabul Province, Afghanistan
A 2003 Toms River High School East graduate and swim team member who enlisted that year and became a Navy SEAL. He was one of nine Americans killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Qalat. Toms River named a stretch of Bay Avenue near Fischer Boulevard the Denis C. Miranda, USN, Memorial Highway.
- Sergeant · Army James W. Harvey II June 20, 2011 Ghazni Province, Afghanistan
Known as Jimmy to family and friends. He died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Molla Kala. A section of Church Road in Toms River bears his name.
- Corporal · Marine Corps Nicholas S. Ott August 10, 2011 Helmand Province, Afghanistan
A former Manchester Township High School athlete, killed while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province.
- Sergeant · Army John A. Lyons October 26, 2011 Ghazni Province, Afghanistan
A combat engineer who died of wounds from enemy small-arms fire in Ghazni Province.
- Sergeant · Army Jonathan A. Gollnitz September 26, 2012 Logar Province, Afghanistan
A paratrooper, killed by a suicide bomber in Puli Alam along with Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks.
- Corporal · Marine Corps Christopher M. Monahan Jr. November 26, 2012 Helmand Province, Afghanistan
Riding in the turret of the lead truck in a convoy when it struck an improvised explosive device in Helmand Province. Local reports also list his family home as Ocean Gate.
When you go home, tell them of us and say,
for your tomorrow, we gave our today.
For teachers
A Memorial Day lesson
A one-period lesson for grades 6–12: where Memorial Day comes from, the 3 p.m. National Moment of Remembrance, a classroom Reading of the Names, and a student handout for reading a stone and checking its sources.
Open the lesson plan Download PDF Start the Reading of the Names
About this memorial
This memorial honors service members whose home of record was in Ocean County, New Jersey, and who died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Freedom's Sentinel and related post-9/11 operations.
The sky above the memorial holds 2,977 stars, one for each person killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania (National September 11 Memorial & Museum). They are the only stars in that sky.
Each name is confirmed against the U.S. Department of Defense Defense Casualty Analysis System and Military Times Honor the Fallen, with local reporting linked on each person's page. The short biographies are written for this memorial from those public records.
Some Ocean County natives entered service while living elsewhere and are listed under another hometown in the official records. If you know of someone who belongs here, or see an error, we want to hear from you so this memorial can be complete and correct.