First of its kind N.J. memorial to decorated WWII medic to be unveiled in 2023

From NJ.com: A local Atlantic City group has organized efforts to open a memorial to late World War II medic Bernard Friedenberg. The statue is set to be unveiled on June 6, 2023. Pictured is an early clay model of the statue, which will be the centerpiece of the memorial.

Marco Polo Smigliani suffered hearing loss in his early 20s after three RPGs went off near him while he was in combat during the Vietnam War.

The recipient of four Purple Hearts, the veteran still has a piece of a projectile in his left arm and remembers losing dozens of friends while manning a machine gun for the US Marine Corps, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines.

But sitting at his Egg Harbor Township home, Smigliani just wants to talk about his friend, Bernard Isadore Friedenberg.

“Bernie and I were very good friends … but he was also like a father figure to me. Not only did I respect the honorable man that he was, but also on a personal level, he was just a very kind man, very intelligent,” Smigliani said.

A new memorial to honor Friedenberg, a decorated war medic, is set to be unveiled on the 79th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2023.

Friedenberg, who grew up in Atlantic City and died in 2018 at 96, tried to enlist in the Marines, Navy, and Army on Dec. 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, according to the local organization, Friends of Bernie Friedenberg. All three services rejected him due to his poor vision. Ultimately, he was able to sign up for the Army as a non-combatant — becoming critical as a medic on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on D-Day.

During his military service, Friedenberg received two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, and two Bronze Medals.

“For me, (the monument) acknowledges the service of all of the WWII veterans ... and in particular, honors the medics that were on the frontlines,” Susan Friedenberg, Bernie Friedenberg’s eldest daughter, told NJ Advance Media.

Read more of this great article from NJ.com about our efforts to honor Bernie and his legacy with the Bernie Friedenberg World War II Memorial here.