Fort Monmouth veterans, members of the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, representatives of RPM Development, and other dignitaries attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Veterans Memorial and park at East Gate in the Oceanport section of the fort Nov. 4.
Photo by Laura D.C. Kolnoski
By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
OCEANPORT – Veterans who lived and/or served at Fort Monmouth when it was a U.S. Army base gathered with others under a sunny skies last week to witness the dedication of a new monument.
The tribute to the military is located amid former officer housing, which is now a renovated residential development known as East Gate.
The monument pays homage to 1917 through 2011 – veterans of World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Cold War and conflicts in Southeast Asia – and sits in the center of a professionally landscaped park with walkways and benches. It was constructed by RPM Development of Montclair, the firm that bought and renovated Officers Row in the fort’s historic district inside the gates off Oceanport Avenue.
Photo by Laura D.C. Kolnoski
“We wanted to pay homage to the for t’s rich history,” said RPM’s Assistant Vice President Michael Hong in his opening remarks. “We worked with Executive Director Bruce Steadman of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), who connected us to a trio of retired veterans. Collaborating brought the veterans’ vision to life.” Two of those retired veterans were in attendance – Lt. Col. John Edward Occhipinti and Col. John L. Booth. The third, Col. Michael T. Ruane, was unable to attend.
Occhipinti retired from active duty with more than 22 years of enlisted and commissioned service. His final duty position was deputy commandant for the United States Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Monmouth from 1999 to 2003. He then became a Department of Defense civilian and was the garrison director for plans, training, mobilization and security until the fort closed in 2011. He continued to serve as the fort’s site manager and Army liaison until June 2018.
Col. John L. Booth, also retired, served at the fort and consulted in its operations as a public works director, Occhipinti said. He remains active with a close-knit group of former fort personnel and families, writing a newsletter still circulating among them.
“The FMERA team made this a very professional and wonderful relationship,” said Occhipinti of the veterans’ continued active participation in directing its future as a mixed-use community combining high-tech, education, residential, retail, entertainment, office, dining, recreation, and more. “In this crowd are folks who lived and worked here. With their families, they created a bridge from the past to the future. It’s a higher magnitude than most people realize.”
Also making comments prior to the ribbon cutting were Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone and founder and president of RPM Development Edward Martoglio.
Noting that the base closure was “devastating” for the area and its economy, Arnone thanked RPM for creating the memorial and park, adding, “History is what Monmouth County is about. We do not forget our vets.” In addition to Arnone’s fellow freeholders, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and members of the FMERA staff were also in attendance.
“This monument is a tribute to our military,” Martoglio said in his closing remarks. The memorial is a solid granite cap on a brick pier. The applied cast metal plaque honors the men and women who served at Fort Monmouth. There are cast metal seals representing the major military branches that performed at the post.
Attendees were invited to tour a model of the 68 modernized townhomes, duplexes and single-family residences in the century-old Officers Housing opposite the fort’s parade grounds, nearing completion by RPM. New homeowners began moving in earlier this year, the first to reside on the fort since its closure. Thousands of new inhabitants are expected once redevelopment is completed in several years.
Guests eagerly toured the commander general’s house, situated at the end of East Gate on Parker’s Creek, recently placed on the market for $799,999. While RPM rehabilitated the exterior, improved landscaping, and installed new water and sewer, the interior of the two-story structure with a full attic is largely original, including the wood floors, doors and trim, stucco walls and steam heat radiators. The kitchen is devoid of cabinetry and there is no air conditioning. Fully enclosed porches on the main and second floors overlook the scenic creek.
“As we brought folks in, everyone had different ideas on how to realign the main floor, take down walls and reshape or move the kitchen to suit their particular needs,” Martoglio said of his decision not to fully renovate the structure. He added that several offers are pending on the stately home, considered a jewel of the fort’s historic district.
