Chasing the Big U 2

The sign was dedicated to one Joseph A. Balzano and erected on October 17th, 2016. The park was opened in 2015 based on my research, so the propeller couldn’t have been there for more than 10 years. If someone held a gun to my head and forced me to guess where this propeller came from, my best guess would be the nearby USS New Jersey. However, without the gun, I’m relatively confident that its origin is elsewhere. Battleship New Jersey still has all 4 of her propellers, and of the 3 propellers I’ve encountered in New Jersey, only one is confirmed to be from the battleship, and I believe it was replaced in the 60’s if my memory is correct. The Battleship has been out of service since ‘91, so she likely hasn’t had her propellers replaced for more than twenty five years at the time of the park opening in 2015. Anyway, the sign reads:

In memory of Joseph A. Balzano 1933-2011

Joseph A. Balzano was a major force in the City of Camden, spearheading port operations and economic development. He coupled this with untiring philanthropy toward Camden and its residents, the city in which he was born and raised. "Joe" was known world-wide for his legendary port expertise at the Port of Camden, but his dedication and commitment to the city, especially the Waterfront South Neighborhood, will be forever remembered. He was often heard referring to the Delaware River as the "highway to the world." Joe was committed to creating access for community to the river he loved and revered as the source of Camden's celebrated history and future success.

Dedicated October 17, 2016

I think that one sentence has a typo, I think it's meant to be “Joe was committed to creating access for THE community to the river he loved”. I hope I’m wrong though, it'd be a shame for a man's memorial to have a typo.