Bernard Dillon Jr., a Ventnor native who fought at Guam and Iwo Jima and received the Silver Star and Purple Heart, rarely discussed his wartime experiences. Now his daughter, Commissioner June Byrnes, is sharing his scrapbook to honor his service and connect local veterans with assistance.
ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. — For years, the photographs, letters and wartime telegrams preserved in a family scrapbook quietly told the story of a young Marine from Ventnor who survived some of the fiercest fighting of World War II.
Today, his daughter is sharing those memories with a new generation while helping Atlantic County veterans and their families learn about services available to them.
Atlantic County Commissioner June Byrnes recently discussed the military service of her father, Bernard Joseph Dillon Jr., during an appearance on The Don Williams Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
Dillon, a Ventnor native and Atlantic City High School graduate, served in the Marine Corps during World War II, fighting in the Pacific and receiving both the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
His experiences helped inspire Byrnes' involvement in veterans affairs and a weekly social media series she calls "Military Mondays."
"My father kept a scrapbook, which was part of his healing years later," Byrnes told Williams.
The scrapbook contains photographs Dillon saved from his military service, along with letters and Western Union telegrams that his mother preserved while he was overseas.
"My grandmother saved letters that were sent home from him, or when he was wounded, Western Union telegrams to my grandparents," Byrnes said.
For Byrnes, revisiting those materials has become an emotional journey into a part of her father's life that he rarely discussed.
"It's very emotional for me. So each week, I'm kind of following his journey, and I'm posting pictures of him, and what he was going through."
A Young Marine From Ventnor Goes to War
Bernard Joseph Dillon Jr. was born in Atlantic City in 1923 and grew up in Ventnor.
After graduating from Atlantic City High School in 1942, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was sent to the Pacific during World War II.
He served with the 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, and participated in the battles of Guam and Iwo Jima.
Both battles were part of the American military campaign against Japanese forces in the Pacific.
Dillon's obituary identifies him as a recipient of the Silver Star, awarded for gallantry in action, and the Purple Heart, awarded to service members wounded or killed as a result of enemy action.
During her radio interview, Byrnes recalled the injuries her father suffered during the war.
"He made it through World War II," Williams said, asking whether Dillon had escaped without being wounded.
"Oh, yes," Byrnes responded. "He has a Purple Heart."
She acknowledged that her father had suffered multiple wounds but said he remained a source of strength for his family.
"But he was our rock," Byrnes said.
The specific circumstances surrounding Dillon's Silver Star award and the extent of his wartime injuries were not discussed during the interview.
The Stories He Rarely Told
Like many World War II veterans, Dillon did not frequently discuss his wartime experiences with his children.
Byrnes said her father quietly preserved the photographs and other materials from his service, returning to them years later.
"He would just quietly go" through the pictures he had saved, she recalled.
She believes maintaining the scrapbook was part of his healing process.
For his daughter, those preserved memories have provided a way to better understand what he experienced as a young Marine thousands of miles from home.
"So there was a lot of stories he did not share with us growing up, because it's not what they did," Byrnes said.
Williams observed that many veterans he has interviewed over the years have been reluctant to discuss their wartime experiences.
The conversation also touched on the importance of recognizing military decorations as honors awarded for service and sacrifice.
"You don't win a medal," Byrnes said. "You are awarded it."
The distinction reflects the respect she has for her father's service and the experiences of other veterans whose stories may never have been fully shared.
From Marine to Ventnor Police Officer
After returning home from World War II, Dillon continued serving his community.
He joined the Ventnor City Police Department, eventually attaining the rank of captain.
He left the department in 1966 to join his brother's business, Dillon Construction Co., and retired in 1989.
Dillon and his wife, Lilian, raised their family in Ventnor before moving to Linwood in 1970 and later to Mays Landing.
He died Feb. 11, 2013, at the age of 89.
Byrnes said her father's military service and subsequent career in law enforcement helped shape her own commitment to public service.
"I come from a family of public servants," she told Williams.
"So my father coming out of the Marine Corps after the war was over was a police officer and always gave back to his community."
She said her parents were active in their community and that other family members also pursued careers in education and public safety.
"My mother and father were very involved. I have a sister that's a retired teacher. We have retired firemen in our family. So this was my way of serving our community."
Military Mondays: Sharing His Journey With a New Generation
Byrnes is now using her father's scrapbook to share his wartime experiences through a weekly Facebook series called "Military Mondays."
Each installment follows a portion of Dillon's military journey through photographs and other materials preserved by the family.
But the posts serve another purpose.
Byrnes also includes information about programs and services available to veterans throughout Atlantic County.
"I'm currently, Don, I'm currently through social media, doing Military Mondays on my Facebook page," she explained.
She said the series allows her to share her father's story while making residents more aware of assistance available to those who served.
"Each week, I'm kind of following his journey, and I'm posting pictures of him, and what he was going through," Byrnes said. "And then I'm also including, at the bottom, what services we have throughout Atlantic County for our veterans."
The response from the community has encouraged her to continue.
"And I've had a lot of people approach me and say, oh my gosh," she told Williams, explaining that some residents were previously unaware of the information she was sharing.
"Please, please keep posting," she recalled people telling her.
The project has become a way to preserve her father's memories while providing information that could benefit veterans and their families today.
Helping Atlantic County Veterans
Byrnes serves as the Atlantic County Board of Commissioners' liaison to the county's Veterans Advisory Board.
She said the assignment is especially meaningful because of her father's service.
"One of the committees that I love being on, because I'm the daughter of a World War II Marine," she told Williams.
Byrnes said she attended a veterans-related golf event where the radio interview took place to show her support for the veterans community.
"I'm not" golfing, she told Williams. "I'm just here to support. I'm the commissioner liaison to the Veterans Advisory Board."
The Atlantic County Veterans Advisory Board works to identify the needs of local veterans and advise county officials on programs and services affecting veterans and their families.
The county also operates an Office of Veterans Services in Northfield, which assists veterans and their families with benefits, available programs and referrals to other agencies.
The office is located at 201 S. Shore Road in Northfield and can be reached at 609-677-5700.
Byrnes said sharing information about those services is an important part of her Military Mondays project.
Her father's story provides a personal connection to the veterans she works to support.
A Legacy That Continues
More than eight decades after Bernard Dillon left South Jersey to serve in World War II, the photographs, letters and telegrams preserved by his family continue to tell his story.
For Byrnes, the scrapbook is more than a collection of wartime memories.
It is a connection to her father, a reminder of his military service and a way to help others learn about the experiences of the men and women who served their country.
By sharing those memories through Military Mondays, she hopes to preserve his legacy while connecting today's veterans with resources that may help them and their families.
And although her father rarely spoke about everything he experienced during the war, the materials he left behind continue to tell his story through his daughter.
"But he was our rock," Byrnes said.
Atlantic County Commissioner June Byrnes discussed her father's World War II service and her Military Mondays initiative during a Sept. 24 appearance on The Don Williams Show on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND. The Don Williams Show airs Monday through Friday from 6 to 10 a.m.
About the Author
Scott Stephens
Scott has been an on-air personality, producer and newscaster for 30+ years. He has been a mainstay in the South Jersey Community and on the air across many different area stations. Scott can currently be heard on Kool 98.3 and News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.
