By Doug Otto
On Saturday May 28th the daily flag raising ceremony at Ocean City’s Music Pier will honor the 27 graduates from Philadelphia’s Father Judge High School who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.
This number represents the highest number of lives lost by any private school in the United States, and is a somber distinction shared with Philadelphia’s Cardinal Dougherty and Northeast Catholic High Schools.
Beginning the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and continuing every day until September 11th, the Music Pier flag raisings begin at 9:00 a.m. and patriotically recognize an individual or a group.
The May 28th honor was supported by Ocean City American Legion Post 524 Commander Bob Marzulli, a member of the Father Judge Class of 1969, and the post’s Senior Vice-Commander, Pat Cummings, a member of the Father Judge class of 1968.
“The idea is to have Father Judge veterans front and center as our American Flag is raised by their classmates,” said Mike Dufner, a member of the Class of 1970.
Brian King, President of Father Judge High School and a member of the class of 1997 said, “Our alumni and school administration go to great lengths so that our 27 Vietnam veterans are not forgotten. There are several occasions during the school year where they are honored, including a memorial mass in November, during Wreaths Across America in December, on Vietnam Veterans Day in March, and at a Memorial Day ceremony at the school each year.”
After moving fulltime to Ocean City in 2006, Mike Dufner, began hosting a ceremony at his home on Dory Drive for those spending the weekend at the shore and not able to attend the school ceremony.
“Our ceremony, which started out with about 30 people has grown into a group of between100 to 150 each Memorial Day,” said Dufner. “The names of the 27 graduates are read along with those from Cardinal Dougherty and Northeast Catholic.”
This year, Dufner approached Ocean City American Legion Post 524, where he is a member of the Sons of the American Legion, and asked about the possibility of having Father Judge veterans participate in the Music Pier flag ceremony. The Post leadership approved and set the date as Saturday May 28th.
“My request included a reference to a feature length documentary about the Father Judge 27 produced by American Veterans Media,” said Dufner.”
Entitled Remember the 27 Crusaders, this film can be viewed for free online through Memorial Day at:
The film’s narrative is driven by interviews with family, friends, classmates, Father Judge staff, brothers in arms and military personnel. The film employs extensive archival film, video, photo, and media materials and a soundtrack of period and contemporary music.
For additional information regarding the Father Judge High School Memorial Day celebrations, contact:
Mike Dufner, Father Judge Alumni – 609-412-1954, Duf714@aol.com
Brian King, President of Father Judge High School – 215-338-9494, bking@fatherjudge.com,
Bob Marzulli, Commander-OC American Legion – 609-731-4986, rjmarzulli@yahoo.com
Jack Hagan, Adjutant- OC American Legion – 609-304-3088, adjutant@legion524ocnj.org,
