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Community Corner

Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds: The Man Behind the Bridge

Reynolds' story is one of honor, dedication and courage.

You drive over it most every day. It is the bridge that takes Route 9 over Throckmorton. I know I have read its sign numerous times and continued my trip without a second thought. Only recently did I take notice enough to remember the name and begin to investigate. Who is Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds? Why did Freehold name a bridge after him?

It was through the spearheading of Dan Savino and the Marine Corps League Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment 203 that this came about. After a long four-year fight, the name of the bridge was changed in 2010. The legislation had been stalled in the state Assembly and state Senate due to financial issues. It is the first and only bridge to be renamed without government funding, according to Savino, who worked tirelessly to make the name change happen.

“He was a hero, who was buried like a nothing,” Savino said.

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It is a testament to Savino and the dedication of his organization that they never gave up. 

The naming took place on May 18, 2010, nearly 50 years after the honoree had perished. Two hundred people attended, including Reynolds’s surviving family. His sister, Lucille Dill, lives in Freehold to this day. The location of the bridge was the reason for the selection; one can actually view the corporal’s grave at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery 100 feet away. 

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A Hero's Life

Philip A. Reynolds, a happy well-meaning young man lived in Freehold for most of his life. He joined the Marines and was stationed in Korea in 1950.  On November 29, at the age of 20, he was killed in action and later posthumously awarded a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.

Reynolds had been serving as a machine gunner, facing an enemy force that outnumbered and surrounded his unit. Reynolds exposed himself to direct attack to use hand weapons to accurately shoot and hold back the enemy. When his gun jammed, he was mortally wounded. Witnesses say that his bravery empowered the men to defend themselves. The corporal’s body was not returned to his family for five years and so he was not laid to rest in Freehold until 1955. No one can explain why. The signs placed at both sides of the bridge honor Reynolds and all the Marines that have fought for our country in the past, present and future.

On a personal note, each time I cross that bridge, I can’t help but reflect on all the young men who have died for our country. I am in awe of their sacrifice as they fought and fight to keep our homeland safe. They all deserve to be honored.

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