Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial Reaches First Fundraising Goal

Remaining Funds Must be Raised by Veterans Day on November 11, 2022

Rendering of the Bernie Friedenberg WWII Memorial

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 29, 2022) – A monument memorializing Atlantic City native and war hero Bernie Friedenberg and all other World War II veterans is one step closer to reality now that the first fundraising goal necessary to make it happen has been reached. The Friends of Bernie Friedenberg (FBF), the group of veterans’ advocates behind the movement to create the Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial in Captain O’Donnell Park in Atlantic City, NJ, has now raised enough funding to cover the cost of the bronze statue depicting Friedenberg in combat action as a WWII medic.

The FBF group has raised $298,224 in net donations, recently surpassing their first fundraising goal of $250,000. With the monies already raised, full payment for the statue is assured. In addition, funds already raised will pay for all costs of transporting the statue from the foundry to the memorial site and minimal site-development costs.

The FBF’s next goal is to raise an additional $186,776 by November 11, 2022, Veterans Day, to complete the memorial with hardscaping, illumination, flagpoles, paving, and other materials. The full cost of the memorial is estimated at $485,000.

“We are very appreciative of the donors who have now guaranteed that the Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial will be built,” said Bob Turkavage, who is chairman of the Friends of Bernie Friedenberg, a group of highly accomplished military veterans, businessmen, and public servants. “Raising the rest of the funding by Veterans Day would be a symbolic and emotional win, and it would give us enough time to ensure the work can be complete in time for the memorial to be unveiled and dedicated on D-Day, June 6, 2023. Bernie would be pleased that this monument will remind visitors that freedom has a cost, and that World War II was fought by brave U.S. soldiers in the name of freedom.”

Bernard I. “Bernie” Friedenberg grew up in Atlantic City and attended area schools. He was a freshman at Temple University in 1941 when the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor was attacked, drawing the United States into World War II. The very next day, Friedenberg attempted to enlist in the military services (Marines, Navy, and Army) but he was rejected by all three services due to poor vision. Undeterred, he persisted and Friedenberg was eventually inducted into the Army as a non-combatant. He received training as a medic, attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, and was assigned to the Medical Detachment, 1st Battalion, 16th Regiment, 1st U.S. Infantry Division.

Friedenberg was deployed in many of the major battles of the War: Operation Torch in Algeria in November 1942; as a member of the “Fighting First” in the campaign for Sicily in 1943; Omaha Beach on D-Day 1944; through the fields and hedgerows of France into Germany in 1944, and the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. In these and other battles, it was Friedenberg’s job to remove or supervise the removal of wounded soldiers from the front lines to secure aid stations where he and others would render initial medical care to them.

Friedenberg received two Silver Stars for his heroism on Omaha Beach on D-Day and later in Germany. He was also awarded two Bronze Stars for valor, and two Purple Hearts for wounds sustained in combat.

Upon returning home to Atlantic City after the war, Friedenberg became a staunch advocate for veterans’ affairs, having served for many years as a member of the Atlantic County Veterans Advisory Board, and as Commander of a Jewish War Veterans Post. He regularly spoke at high schools and colleges in southern New Jersey on the perils of war and the true cost of freedom up until his death in 2018. Many donors have made donations to the Friedenberg WWII Memorial recounting the tremendous impact that Friedenberg’s talks had on their children’s lives.

The site of the Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial will be on the western side of Captain O’Donnell Park bordering Albany Avenue, and close to the existing World War I Memorial and Stockton University. The bronze sculpture that will be the centerpiece of the Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial is being designed and created by Pennsylvania-based Fisher Sculpture, one of the foremost manufacturers of sports and military sculptures in the world. The 3,500-pound bronze statue depicts a six-foot likeness of Friedenberg cradling a wounded soldier in his arms on Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944.

Aside from Turkavage, the other members of the Friends of Bernie Friedenberg committee are Marco Smigliani (Vice Chair), Retired Brigadier General Douglas Satterfield, James Eberwine, and Robert Frolow.

For more information about the Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial or to donate, visit berniefriedenbergworldwariimemorial.com.