Carteret, NJ – On Friday August 13 Mayor Dan Reiman joined with Councilman Vinny Bellino, former VFW Commander in Chief George Lisicki, and Carteret residents to formally rename Liebig Lane “Ivanitski Terrace.” Frank Ivanitski was a Carteret resident who along with many other Merchant Marines fell victim to a German U-Boat attack during World War II.. Family members and descendants of Frank Ivanitski were also present to participate in the ceremony and to receive a Mayoral Proclamation.
Frank Ivanitski was born January 27, 1924 and was a lifelong resident of Carteret. He resided on John Street with his parents, Michael Mary. He had three sisters and four brothers, of which two were also in the Merchant Marines and joined the Army when the United States entered World War II.
On its way to England with munitions, food, and cotton in convoy HX-232 the Dudley was torpedoed by U-615 on April 10, 1943, and crippled. As it tried its best to maneuver away from hostilities, U-615 again fired upon her with two more torpedoes and sunk her on April 11th in the North Atlantic. The entire crew of 43 and complement of 25 Armed Guards were killed.
Frank as well as others on the Edward B. Dudley were awarded the Mariner’s Medal in death.
“Our local history is filled with stories of patriotic and dedicated individuals who recognize the cost of freedom, and who have not hesitated to offer themselves in the defense of our ideology,” Mayor Reiman stated. “We are a community that recognizes full well what our servicemen offer, and the gratitude and recognition they deserve. Frank Ivanitsky’s is certainly a story of heroism that will now be preserved retold through this memorial.”
The original “Ivanitski Terrace” (a paper street with no buildings) was vacated in 2006 to make way for redevelopment in West Carteret that has included the construction of a Radisson hotel and $100 million PC Richard warehouse and distribution center, an agreement through which fifteen acres of light industrial space is being converted into office and warehouse/distribution space for PC Richard & Son’s operations.
