NEW CASTLE, Del. – Today, Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) officials announced that the iconic War Memorial Monument located at Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the Delaware Memorial Bridge will undergo an extensive renovation beginning on or about June 1, 2024.  The project includes replacing the underlying concrete structure and expansion of the wall names to include servicemen and women from New Jersey and Delaware who died serving the United States in all wars and conflicts from World War II to the present.  The cost of the work is approximately $5 million. 

The DRBA seeks the public's input and assistance to ensure that all soldiers from Delaware and New Jersey who perished in conflicts after the Korean War are properly honored and represented on the new War Memorial Wall.  On the Veterans Memorial Park website, www.veteransmemorialpark.us, we have posted a link to a document containing the names of those lost during Vietnam and later conflicts. (Use the link to “War Memorial Restoration.”)  

If any name has been erroneously omitted or misspelled, please use the feedback link on the webpage to submit corrections or additions to the list so that those individuals may be honored along with their peers. We request that all reviews and submissions be received by June 30, 2024, so we have ample time to produce the metal plaques bearing the names of those who died protecting our freedoms. 

“We are proud to maintain the Veterans Memorial Park as a peaceful spot for remembrance and reflection,” said DRBA Executive Director Thomas J. Cook.  “It is truly humbling to be reminded that nearly 20,000 local heroes paid the ultimate sacrifice in these global conflicts for the freedoms that we enjoy every day.”

The project plan includes reintroducing the circular plaza design, increasing the plaza area, and the lawn plus the expansion of the monument to display nearly 20,000 names from WWII through subsequent wars on metal plaques.  Additional project details include replacing all existing flagpoles, adding one for Space Force, and removing the reflecting pool to accommodate space for programming needs. 

The annual Veterans Day service will take place as scheduled on November 11.  Construction activity will be suspended on or before October 25, 2024 to allow for the Authority’s maintenance department to prepare for the event. During active construction, the public will not be able to access portions of the Memorial grounds that will be cordoned off for project.   The project is expected to be completed mid-May 2025.

Originally constructed in 1955, the War Memorial Monument pays tribute to soldiers from New Jersey and Delaware who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country in World War II and the Korean War.  In 1996, the War Memorial Monument grounds were modified from the original circular form to its current octagonal form, the addition of service branch flags, and the insertion of a reflecting pool. 

Earlier this year, the DRBA awarded Contract DMB 21-11 for the War Memorial Rehabilitation Project to Wickersham Construction and Engineering, Inc. of Lancaster, PA. The estimated cost is nearly $5 million to replace the underlying concrete structure, expand the Memorial Wall and Plaza, upgrade lighting, drainage, and landscaping. Work is expected to be completed in mid-May 2025. 

About the Delaware River and Bay Authority 
The DRBA, a bi-state governmental agency created by Compact in 1962, owns and operates the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Cape May- Lewes Ferry, and the Forts Ferry Crossing.  The DRBA also manages two airports in New Jersey (Millville Executive Airport and Cape May Airport) and three in Delaware (Wilmington Airport, Civil Air Terminal and Delaware Airpark). All DRBA operating revenues are generated through the bridge, ferry and airport facilities.  For more information, visit www.drba.net.