BY JOHN DUNPHY
Staff Writer
JOHN DUNPHY ShopRite employee Barbara Clark put together the Wall of Heroes at the store after her son, a U.S. Marine, was deployed to Afghanistan. Below is a closeup of the Wall of Heroes. SAYREVILLE — When U.S. Marine Jason Nielsen was deployed to Afghanistan, his mother, Barbara Clark, sought a way to publicly honor her son for his service to the country.
In January, Clark, a cashier at ShopRite, constructed a display at the Ernston Road store, calling it the Wall of Heroes. She posted two photos and a few military details about her son, a lance corporal with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Regiment Weapons Company, who was deployed overseas in November.
Before long, many shoppers began posting photos of their own, finding the wall a useful way to recognize loved ones in the service.
“We just want to let people know what our children are doing for us, for everybody,” said Clark, who moved to Sayreville a year ago from Carteret.
Located adjacent to the line of cash registers, the Wall of Heroes started as a place for people to pay tribute to local people serving overseas — one notable feature is a picture of current ShopRite employee Angel Molina, who recently served a tour in Iraq with the U.S. Army.
The Wall of Heroes has since branched out to include not only those currently and recently active overseas, but those serving on U.S. soil and those who fought in the past.
Clark noted that there have also been a number of veterans who have stopped by the wall to assess the photos and notes.
Her son, Nielsen, 20, decided to join the military after the horrific events of Sept. 11, 2001. He started boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., in August 2002 following his June graduation from Carteret High School.
Having been stationed for a period in Hawaii, Nielsen has been in Afghanistan for more than five months as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Clark said the time her son has been away from home, especially the months being spent overseas, has been difficult.
“It’s hard,” she said. “You get your good days, you get your bad days. It’s tough.”
That Nielsen would want to do something for the greater good of his country came as no surprise to his mother, who said that’s the kind of person he is.
“What he wants to do is become a fireman,” Clark said. “He’s a great kid.”
Jim Boles, general manager of the Sayreville supermarket, said ShopRite has tried doing its part to honor those serving the country in the past.
“We try to do something every year for somebody,” he said. “We’ve got a good bunch of people here. The generosity you get, it’s unbelievable.”
Boles said ShopRite will be putting together care packages for active military members whose photos find their way to the Wall of Heroes.
“Hopefully we’ll run out of space and put another [wall] up,” he added.
Clark said Nielsen’s tour of duty is expected to end in June, when he will return to Hawaii and spend a brief period back home. With only two months to go in Afghanistan, the proud parent is anxiously awaiting her son’s return.
“It’s like a countdown,” she said. “He wants to come home.”
Clark hopes more people will join in the effort to recognize those fighting for the country with photos and notes on the Wall of Heroes.
“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have our freedom,” she said. “All you can do is just thank them.”
“If it wasn’t
for them, we wouldn’t have our freedom. All you can do is just thank them.”
— Barbara
Clark