While the DAR, the Daughters of the American Revolution has as its primary missions the promotion of historic preservation, education and patriotism across the country, each of its chapters accomplishes these goals in a variety of different, innovative ways that meet the needs and suggestions of local residents as well as recognize local men, women and children who all contribute towards citizenship patriotism and higher education.
For the Middletown chapter, which has only been in existence for just over two years, there have been some amazing accomplishments and support for all three aims.
The chapter’s primary support is for the active-duty military and veterans in the area. The Middletown chapter supports the food pantry at Earle Weapons Naval Station thru multiple collections per year, either among its own members, the DAR state conferences or drop boxes at local libraries to encourage more community involvement.
The Middletown chapter, as a Friend of the Commissioning Committee for the submarine New Jersey (SSN796) provided New Jersey themed welcome bags to the boat’s 200 crew members at the commissioning of the nuclear sub at NWS Earle earlier this year.
Photo courtesy Gary Lehman
On a regular basis, the Middletown DAR provides “Welcome to the World” baby baskets to the new parents for all babies born at both Earle and the Coast Guard station at Sandy Hook.
It set up a lending library at Earle and continues to keep it filled with a broad selection of books, and also supplies military at the base with numerous others items including blankets or pet food whenever a need arises.
At Sandy Hook, the Middletown chapter also donates gift baskets to aid the Coast Guard in raising funds for a holiday party. And on the birthday of the Coast Guard’s August 4, the Middletown DAR threw an ice cream party to celebrate the anniversary of the nation’s oldest continuous seagoing service. Their current plans include a major celebration for the Navy’s 250th birthday this coming October. 13.
To ensure the success of each of these support programs and events, the Middletown chapter raised and spent more than $12,000 during 2024.
Still in support of the military, the Middletown chapter holds an annual veterans appreciation lunch, honoring numerous persons and events that promote support for US military and are active in the Wreaths Across America program annually.
That includes ceremonies and presentations of wreaths at the grave sites of American military, including and in particular the six Revolutionary War veterans buried in the Middletown area as well as the seven Vietnam KIA soldiers who also are buried in the township.
Support of the military, as far reaching as it is, is only one phase of the projects the approximate 42 members of the Middletown chapter successfully accomplish.
Education is another major area of support. In that area, the women expanded the program they started in 2023, and last year collected more than 4,000 books for the Bridges of Books program, the organization that promotes literature and book reading for children. Additionally, the chapter donated hundreds more books promoting literacy to various adult sources for books, including libraries.
Kristan Sussman, the DAR member who heads the chapter’s book collections, also pointed out their support and donations to the Red Cross books at Earle and added the chapter is currently reaching out to Fort Dix to ascertain and provide, if necessary, any books for their location.
Urging and supporting good citizenship among teenagers, the chapter presents Good Citizen awards to seniors at six different high schools in the area, honoring that student selected by each school’s administration and faculty for service, dependability, patriotism and leadership, presenting a $300 scholarship at graduation ceremonies.
Their high school essay contest, Patriots of the American Revolution, is a popular annual event, and grants for numerous causes are part of the Middletown chapter’s annual program.
The chapter sponsored a teacher grant from Neptune school district last year, and another for the Middletown Historic Society for painting their historic train station. Members will be present this year at the ceremonies surrounding the Historical Society’s opening of the historic original train station. The chapter also sponsored, through the national society and members’ dues, a grant in the 2023/2024 cycle for Friends of Bridgewater History assisting that organization in receiving $2900 to restore a historic cemetery.
The chapter reaches outside the school area as well to encourage good citizenship and recognize youth who practice it through a variety of means. They present Youth Citizen medals to police cadets selected by their leaders in several area towns, and we work with Middletown, Holmdel and Marlboro in these efforts, with a goal of including Highlands youth this year. “We think it’s important to recognize the time these students invest to learn about civic service,” said Chapter regent Michele Donnelly.
Two veterans who the chapter officers recognized as Distinguished Citizens received medals this year, when Michael Downs and Paul Roman were honored at ceremonies. An Americanism medal was also presented to Thy Cavagnaro, a naturalized citizen and Vietnam refugee who has dedicated her life to thanking Vietnam veterans.
Currently, the chapter is working on two new signs to honor local historical people and events. Working with Highlands Council president Joann Olszewski, the DAR is planning a sign to honor where Joshua Huddy was hung in Highlands during the Revolution, as well as a second sign highlighting the Battle of Navesink; they anticipate both signs will be in place and dedicated during the 250th anniversary of the nation next year.
The Middletown DAR has been recognized since its inception for its dedication towards locating, researching, and improving burial locations for Revolutionary war soldiers in the area and has already cleaned several cemeteries. Their cleaning included scrubbing and restoring visibility to 189 headstones and repairing another seven headstones that had been fractured; they also reset another eight stones that had fallen and were lying in disarray.
To accomplish all their work in local cemeteries, the women have both encouraged and received the support of friends and neighbors, happy for the opportunity to enable more citizens to learn the impact of the Revolution on the immediate area and the role Monmouth County and its residents played in the revolution.
Sussman pointed out the cemetery restoration has proven to be an easy and educational way of instilling a greater knowledge of the revolution among young residents especially. “The community who help us accomplish this work make it possible for us not only to benefit from additional labor but also help teach others how to preserve these sacred places and hopefully pass on to the next generation the importance of protecting and maintaining them. We’re not getting any younger,” the active woman laughed.
Our goal, Sussman continued, is “to identify all Patriots buried in Monmouth County. We already know it is a big goal, and we realize we are not going as fast as we would like. But you have to start somewhere. We want to make sure their cemeteries are accessible, and their graves are marked.”
Towards that end, the chapter has already ordered and installed 26 markers for Patriots whose grave markers were missing or illegible in Middletown, Holmdel, Matawan and Marlboro.
Another eight are planned for 2025.
Chapter members have completed documentation for Holmdel and Marlboro and donated those publications back to the Monmouth County libraries and local historic societies. “We spend so much time doing research to find these American heroes and prove their service, we want to make sure we give that back, “ Sussman continued, speaking for all members of the Middletown chapter. They are grateful to the Monmouth County Historic Commission regrant program for the support they receive from their program as well as the endorsement and support they receive from local government, the Monmouth County commissioners, as well as state legislators who support their efforts on a regular basis.
