Following extensive public comment and design enhancements, a monument to honor U.S. Navy sailors who gave their lives during the Second World War’s “Battle of the Atlantic,” was (unanimously) approved Tuesday (5/19) by Cape May City Council.

Cape May is the chosen location of the memorial because the destroyer the USS Jacob Jones, the first US warship to be attacked by a German U-Boat following Germany’s declaration of war against the United States, was sunk just miles off Cape May’s shoreline. A total of 138 Jacob Jones officers and crew perished.

                At a meeting on Tuesday (5/19), City Council approved the design and location of the monument, which has been under discussion over the past year.  A group of local leaders has been working on a project plan and preliminary design of the memorial since 2024.

                “We are very grateful to Mayor Mullock and members of Council for their support of this project, which will honor the countless brave Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the battle for control of the Atlantic,” said Myles Martel, founding member of the Jacob Jones Memorial Committee. “The location here Cape May will be a vivid reminder of how frighteningly close World War II came to the American coast.”

The monument, “The USS Jacob Jones Memorial: Portal to Freedom,” will be located on the Cape May promenade near Philadelphia Avenue.

“We thank the committed and enthusiastic group of local leaders who are pursuing this project, which will dramatically further Cape May’s reputation for heritage and patriotism,” said Cape May Mayor Zachary Mullock. “We also appreciate the active participation of many of our residents in discussions about the design and location of this important memorial.”

                Now that City Council has given its approval, Martel said donations to fund the project will be raised through a nationwide campaign through a 501(c)(3), which the committee has established. No public funds will be used in constructing the memorial, Martel said.

               The Jacob Jones was the first U.S. destroyer deployed in the “Battle of the Atlantic” to patrol for German U-Boats off America’s East Coast. On Feb. 18, 1942, it was attacked off the Cape May coast just days after it began its mission and less than three months after the declaration of war with Germany. At the time of the Jacob Jones sinking, the East Coast of the U.S. was particularly vulnerable as Germany significantly disrupted supply routes between North American and Europe.

                Martel said that the Jacob Jones attack had a major impact on U.S. military strategy. He noted that headlines across the nation carried the news of the tragic deaths of the crew and resulted in an understanding the of the urgent need for improved coastal defense and military preparedness.

                “This striking and poignant monument can help ensure that future generations understand the price of freedom, the risk of our nation being exposed to a foreign adversary and the enduring strength of the American spirit. In reverently telling the story of the brave sailors of the Jacob Jones, we will honor and elevate the national recognition of all those who gave their lives in the ‘Battle of the Atlantic’ to preserve our precious freedom,” said Martel.

               Leading the design of the monument is John Boecker, a Yale University-trained architect who is a Cape May resident.  

For more details on the project visit www.ussjacobjonesmemorial.org.