AmeriTel Telephone Systems is proud to celebrate the community service of our owner, Pete Ferro, who volunteers with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. On October 19, Auxiliarists Pete Ferro and Jim Bemiss climbed the rocky base at Loughran’s Point Park in Point Pleasant Beach to reinstall a replica lantern on the Fishermen’s Memorial, a meaningful symbol of vigilance that had gone missing in recent years.
What Happened at the Memorial
During a rededication ceremony attended by Coast Guard leadership, local commercial fishermen, and families of those lost at sea, volunteers carefully affixed a new lantern to the bronze mariner. The original lantern appears in archives as recently as 2019 and was absent in a 2024 photo; the replacement was installed for the ceremony and will be permanently bolted in place by the borough.
Why This Memorial Matters
Dedicated in 2000, the Fishermen’s Memorial was inspired by the tragic winter of 1999, when four clam boats sank in just 13 days, claiming the lives of 10 fishermen. The memorial’s plaques honor every fisherman and Coast Guardsman who departed past the Manasquan Inlet’s T-rocks and did not return. During the ceremony, the Auxiliary rang a bell 121 times—one for each name remembered—underscoring the site’s role as a place of collective remembrance for families who have no gravesite to visit.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Role
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the volunteer component of the Coast Guard, established by Congress in 1939. Its members support safety, education, and community outreach—work that includes ceremonies like this one as well as on-the-water and shoreside initiatives that strengthen maritime safety across our region.
AmeriTel’s Commitment to Community
AmeriTel’s leadership believes strong businesses and strong communities go hand in hand. From helping local nonprofits to serving in civic and maritime organizations, we aim to show up in ways that matter—supporting the people, history, and working waterfronts that define the Jersey Shore.