Run for the Fallen: Always Honored, Always Remembered
OCEAN CITY — The pain of Jackie Gehret’s loss is close to the surface. When she talks about her Marine, the tears come quickly.
It was little more than a year ago that two Marines in uniform showed up to tell her that her son, Cpl. William G. Gehret, had died at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Aug. 22, 2023.
As soon as she saw the Marines at her door, she knew. A mother had lost her son. She was forever changed.
Late afternoon Thursday, Sept. 26, standing under a small tent adorned with flags at 2127 West Ave., Jackie Gehret alternated among smiling, laughing and crying when talking about her son.
The smiles and laughter came while remembering the joy her loving son brought her, the tears because there would be no new memories for this Gold Star mother.
Cpl. William G. Gehret is one of the scores of names on the Hero Markers dotting Cape May County, his story one among many. It illustrates that behind each one of those markers, there is much to be told.
In spite of the raw emotions, Gehret found a time of comfort Thursday. She was there for the New Jersey Run for the Fallen, when members of the military ran one mile for each active service member from the Garden State who died during the Global War on Terrorism.
The men and women ran from Sunset Beach in Cape May Point at the southwest tip of Cape May County, through Cape May City, Lower Township, Wildwood Crest, Stone Harbor and Avalon, Sea Isle City and Strathmere, to the northeast corner of the county — Ocean City. The more than 195-mile run ended at the New Jersey Gold Star Family Monument in Holmdel.
In the county, the runners visited 86 Hero Markers along the way, one for each of those service members who died.
In Ocean City, the run stopped on Corson’s Inlet Bridge at the state park on Ocean Drive, on West, Central, Wesley, Haven, Asbury and Bay avenues, on the boardwalk at the Ocean City Fishing Club Pier and the Music Pier, at Veterans Memorial Park, VFW Post 6650 on Bay Avenue and finally at American Legion Post 524 at 46th Street and West Avenue, where there was a Gold Star Family Dinner — the many stops a reminder of just how many heroes have been lost.
Hero Marker 153.1 on West Avenue was a tribute to Cpl. Gehret. A few feet away was Hero Marker 153, for SSgt. Aaron Nelson Brown.
Jackie Gehret was with nine other family members and close friends to welcome the runners and for the small ceremony on behalf of the fallen heroes.
Under the tent was a small table that held Cpl. Gehret’s official Marine Corps portrait, a folded American flag, an embroidered flag on a small stand with a photo medallion and a book a crafter fashioned into a U.S. Marine Corps memento.
“He was a treasure, such a special boy,” Gehret said, choking up as soon as she was asked to describe her son. “Very much family-oriented and he had a special bond with every single family member — different with each cousin, aunt, uncle, his sister (Devon). He absolutely adored his nieces and nephew.
“He was funny, silly. We used to call him Silly Billy. And I was Wackie Jackie,” she laughed. “He was just very kind, funny, always smiling.”
Billy Gehret grew up in Marlton and graduated in 2018 from Cherokee High School. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2020. He loved country music, playing soccer and video games, and spending time with family and friends.
As a little boy, he was enamored of the military. He dreamed of being in uniform. His mother has a picture of him age 5 or 6 wearing military fatigues, his face painted in camouflage green.
When the family would go to the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park, they would stop to load up on lunches at the Wawa, which was near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehust. Many of the Wawa’s customers were members of the military. Billy, unprompted, would say hello and thank them for their service, his mother said.
He was always small for his age, but it didn’t deter him.
“That was his dream, to be a Marine. He did it. A lot of people didn’t think he would get through boot camp, but he proved them all wrong,” she said. “He fulfilled that dream. He was honored with a [Marine Corps Achievement Medal] which was pretty prestigious. He was so excited. I’ll never forget when he called me and told me about it.
“He said, ‘Mom, I finally got that award that I was really striving for.’”
The award was for sharp leadership, technical proficiency and dedication to duty.
“Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see the world. He wanted to be deployed and that never came to realization,” his mother said. “But he became a Marine and he loved it. He loved it. He really thrived and I never saw him more happy than when he was down there and serving our country.”
When he died, at age 23, it was a loss for the family and the community.
“The day we brought him home, the outpouring of love and support from everyone was amazing,” she said.
His death “is still fresh. We just had the first anniversary of his death and his homecoming and his services.”
She and family also attended the 2023 Run for the Fallen.
“Last year when I was here it was so raw and fresh. I think I was still in shock. It was only a few weeks after his passing that we had this,” Gehret said of the 2023 run.
“It was just beautiful. We all vowed to do this every year because it’s such a beautiful tribute to these service men and women that paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
The Run for the Fallen means a lot to her.
“Absolutely. Absolutely. I just think it is such a beautiful tribute to these service men and women who gave their lives for our freedom,” she said. “Like they say, they’re always remembered, never forgotten, forever missed.”
In the brief ceremony last week, military members placed the Hero Marker, a small page-sized placard enclosed in plastic about the fallen hero on a wooden stake that also held an American flag.
Gehret was with Billy’s stepfather, Bob Breuer, an uncle and cousins, including some older cousins the kids consider aunts.
“I thank God every day for my family. They’re my support system. They’re really what gets me through. And my grandkids. They’re what bring me the most joy and comfort,” she said.
“I always say, forever broken but forever blessed. I was honored to be his mom.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff