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VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
Nokomis cadet receives JROTC highest award
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E W P O R T , M a i n e — A Nokomis Regional High School senior was awarded the Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps’ highest honor on Oct. 3. Felix Thibodeau IV, 17, of Etna was selected from approximately 470,000 JROTC cadets. The award, the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement, is presented annually to six Army JROTC cadets nationwide. Brig. Gen. Gerard Bolduc and Gordon Kelley presented the prestigious award to
Cadet Thibodeau at a special ceremony held at the Nokomis High School. Bolduc is commander of the Maine Air National Guard and the assistant adjutant general, Air at the Joint Force Headquarters, Maine Air National Guard, Camp Keyes, Augusta. Kelley is a member of the Legion of Valor of the United States of America organization, sponsor of the award. The Legion of Valor Organization is made up of recipients of the Medal of Honor, Army Distinguished Service Cross and the Navy Cross. The Bronze Cross for Achieve-
ment has been in existence since 1951 and is awarded in conjunction with the Army’s JROTC program. In addition to the award presentation, Maine State Rep. Kenneth Fredette made a special presentation of Congressional Sentiment to Thibodeau on behalf of the Maine State Legislature in recognition of his achievement. Fredette acknowledged the importance of the event to Nokomis and commended the Nokomis administration and students for the successes they have been a part of
over the years. Among his achievements, Thibodeau supervised approximately 10 JROTC cadets to raise $22,000 for VA Maine Healthcare System-Togus and its work with homeless veterans. Those efforts in 2013 earned him an award from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. Cadet Thibodeau is only the second Maine JROTC cadet to ever receive the award. Stephanie Thomas, the first Maine student to receive the award, also from Nokomis, received the Bronze Cross in 2011.
The willingness of America’s veterans tosacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude. — Jeff Miller, Author
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
BDN FILE PHOTO BY KEN BUCKLEY THE MAINE KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL AT MOUNT HOPE CEMETERY.
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BDN FILE PHOTO BY KEVIN MILLER A MEMORIAL ON THE MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY CAMPUS IN CASTINE HONORS THE THOUSANDS OF MERCHANT MARINERS AND MEMBERS OF THE U.S. NAVAL ARMED GUARD WHO DIED WHILE ON BOARD OR ESCORTING SUPPLY SHIPS DURING WORLD WAR II. DESPITE THE HEAVY LOSSES DURING THE WAR, MERCHANT MARINERS WERE NOT GRANTED OFFICIAL VETERANS STATUS BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT UNTIL 1988.
Thank you for your service.
At Bangor Savings Bank, we would like to recognize our Veterans for the sacrifices made to ensure our freedom and safety.
Member FDIC
1.877.Bangor1 | www.bangor.com
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VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
Gould family history of military service spans four wars SUBMITTED BY RICHARD GOULD
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he Gould family is proud of family members who served the United States in its time of need, said Richard Gould of Greenville. “My father, Melville A. Gould, volunteered to serve in World I and fought in France,� Richard Gould said. “My brother James O. Gould, volunteered to serve in World War II. Jim was a turret gunner on a B-24 bomber flying many missions over Germany. My brother Melville A. Gould Jr. volunteered to serve after graduation from high school in 1945. And I volunteered to serve during
the Korean War, flying B-29s.� The Gould family history of military service goes back to the Civil War. Gould’s mother, Helen Sage Gould, who was born and raised in Indiana, was the granddaughter of John Sage, who volunteered to serve in the Union Army. He served in the 75th Indiana Division and was wounded in Tennessee. He lived to tell the tale and became a doctor. James O. Gould and Helen Sage met and married in Indiana. Eventually they came home to Maine where their sons James, Melville Jr. and Richard were born in Madison. PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHARD GOULD MELVILLE A. GOULD OF OLD TOWN (PICTURED) VOLUNTEERED FOR MILITARY SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR I. HE SERVED IN FRANCE.
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
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Injured U.S. Army sergeant takes part in Warrior Games
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KOWHEGAN, Maine — Army Sgt. Jessica Brennan participated in the Army Warrior Games Trials the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, and competed in the 2014 Warrior Games Sept. 28 through Oct. 4 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Warrior Games showcases the resilient spirit of wounded, ill and injured service members from all branches of the military. After overcoming significant physical and behavioral injuries, these athletes prove that life can continue after becoming wounded, ill or injured. Since 2010, approximately 200 wound-
ed, ill and injured service members and veterans have competed annually at the Warrior Games, a unique partnership between the Department of Defense and U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Military Program. Athletes representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Special Operations compete for gold in each of seven sports — archery, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field and wheelchair basketball. Each branch of the military selects members for its respective team. This year, the Army hosted regional training and selection clinics for wounded, ill and injured athletes around the country. Key events included regional training and
“I participate in all the events to help with my process of healing and being part of a team.” ARMY SGT. JESSICA BRENNAN U.S. Army Warrior Trials. Soldiers and veterans with the most competitive times and scores were invited to the 2014 U.S. Army Warrior Trials. U.S. Army Warrior Trials were held, where more than 100 soldiers, airmen, marines and veterans competed at the 2014 U.S. Army Warrior Trials at West Point June 15-19.
For these athletes, motivation stemmed from celebrating strength in the spirit of competition after facing life-changing circumstances. “I participate in all the events to help with my process of healing and being part of a team,” Brennan said. “It feels great to be part of the trials and being part of a team.” Brennan injuries includes a lower back injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. She is serving as motor transport operator at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Brennan is the daughter of Terrance Brennan of Hayes, Virginia, and Letitia Laverdiere of Skowhegan. She is a 2003 graduate of Rampart High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
To all the men and women who have served, and to those who are serving now...
Thank You.
U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST SEAMEN DAVID FLEWELLYN IN THE SULU SEA - OPERATIONS SPECIALIST 3RD CLASS CHRISTOPHER ETHIER OF OLD TOWN, ASSIGNED TO TICONDEROGA-CLASS GUIDED-MISSILE CRUISER USS ANTIETAM (CG 54), STANDS WATCH IN THE SHIP’S COMBAT INFORMATION CENTER. ANTIETAM IS ON PATROL WITH THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARRIER STRIKE GROUP IN THE 7TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF STABILITY AND SECURITY IN THE INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.
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VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
World War II soldiers among those in Veterans Interview Program at Cole Museum BY ROXANNE MOORE SAUCIER • SPECIAL TO THE BDN
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ANGOR, Maine -- What’s the difference between the two Nazi arm bands, a Sumner High School student asked Norm Rossignol during an Oct. 28 session of the Veterans Interview Program at Cole Land Transportation Museum.
“This one belonged to a Nazi officer,” the World War II veteran answered, pointing to the plain red one with the swastika, “and this one belonged to a ‘brown-shirt,’”he added, indicating the red arm band with the white stripe. Rossignol is one of the mainstays of the museum’s interview program, which also includes veterans of the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Global War on Terror who volunteer to sit with three or four students at a time from schools around the state whose youngsters tour the museum and learn about military experiences and the cost of freedom from those who helped pay for that freedom. The Old Town man’s artifacts included
PHOTO BY JIM NEVILLE WORLD WAR II VETERAN NORM ROSSIGNOL (LEFT) DISPLAYS HIS BRONZE STAR, PURPLE HEART AND OTHER MEDALS FROM 20 YEARS OF MILITARY SERVICE TO STUDENTS FROM SUMNER MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL IN SULLIVAN AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE DURING A SESSION OF THE VETERANS INTERVIEW PROGRAM ON OCT. 28, 2014, AT COLE LAND TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM.
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014 the several medals he earned in 20 years with the U.S. Army, particularly with the 94th Infantry Division during World War II. Among them are the Bronze Star and Purple Heart he received for heroic action in Brittany, France, on Oct. 14, 1944. A French soldier tripped a mine which killed the soldier and two others, including the American platoon sergeant; and injured Rossignol and two others. Rossignol was the first to regain consciousness, according to an account he gave “Quiet Courage” author Don Colson. The Bronze Star citation credited Rossignol for taking command of the situation, applying first aid, organizing a litter squad and insisting that the others be treated and evacuated before getting treatment for his own injuries. The 94th moved on to the Ardennes Forest, where, Rossignol says, “I’ve never been so cold in my life.” He was with the unit into 1945, and then with the 301st Infantry to Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. His military career later took him to the Christmas Islands in the South Pacific, where he witnessed nuclear tests in the early 1960s. World War II veterans who volunteer regularly at the Cole Museum through efforts such as the interview program or giving tours of the facility’s more than 200 antique vehicles include George Lapaire, George Lindeman, Tom Newman, Harold Beal, Austin Carter, Bob Glidden, Leon Higgins, Paul Wilbur and museum founder Galen Cole, a Purple Heart veteran who challenges students who interview veterans to go home and interview a veteran in their own family. Each World War II story is different, but with the common theme of doing whatever was needed to help win the war. Pilot Leon Higgins desperately wanted his duties in the Army Air Force to include flying P-51 fighters. But what the Air Transport Command needed was pilots for the Curtis-Wright 46, the biggest twin-engine transport in the world at the time, also known as “the whale.” Higgins’ cargo across Middle Eastern countries toward the Pacific was everything from troops to critical equipment and supplies, plane engines and parts and medical supplies. Individuals flew on the transports as well, Higgins told Colson. “You might have a Congressman, you might have a general -- people who needed to
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Cole Land Transportation Museum is adults, $5 age 62 and up, free to those age get to the Pacific Theatre quickly.” Paul Wilbur did what was needed, as well, open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. May 1-Nov. 11 at 405 18 and under. For information, call after joining the Marines at 17 just two Perry Road, Bangor. Admission is $7 990-3600, ext. 13, or visit colemuseum.org. months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. His duty included driving truck and setting up communications, a dangerous task that gave him a close call at Guadalcanal. “An artillery shell came right through the roof of my truck,” he told Colson. “The damn thing didn’t go off. It scared the hell out of me. Other than that, I was all right.” At Bougainville, the Marines found themselves climbing over the sides of the troop carriers with their rifles and back packs, Wilbur recalled. “The minute we hit the beach, Japanese planes came in and started strafing the beach,” he said. “You had no place to go. You crawled down into the sand, scared to death.” Wilbur and Rossignol fought on opposite sides of the world 70 years ago, but they were together in October for a special three days BDN FILE PHOTO in Washington, D.C., as part of an Honor SOLDIERS AND CIVILIANS CELEBRATE INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF AUG. 15, 1945, IN BANGOR Flight from the state of Maine organized by AS RADIO CARRIED WORD OF THE JAPANESE SURRENDER AND THE END OF WORLD WAR II. Vinalhaven pilot Earl Morse. Rossignol had visited the National World War II Memorial previously, including a trip for veterans and Maine Troop Greeters in 2005 through the Cole Land Transportation Museum, and earlier this year with daughter Diane Rowell for a reunion of the 94th Infantry Division. This trip also was a unique experience, he said, including the thrill of being greeted by 1,000 people when the plane landed at Baltimore-Washington Airport. But for Rossignol, whose Purple Heart cap adorned with military patches and buttons attracts a variety of kindred spirits, the real highlight was going back to the World War II Memorial. “When I stepped off the bus, a soldier gave me a big hug and said he didn’t know if he’d ever see me again,” Rossignol said. He choked up as he explained that he had met the young man while serving as a Troop Greeter three weeks ago at Bangor International Airport when the soldier was returning from Afghanistan. It was also special for Rossignol to go on the Honor Flight accompanied by his son, Norman Jr., who helped with the 14 veterans using wheelchairs on the trip. His son found the experience so meaningful, Rossignol explained, that he plans to volunteer to accompany the flight again next year.
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VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
Holden author publishes history of 2nd Maine Cavalry BY BRIAN SWARTZ • SPECIAL TO THE BDN
PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZ
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ong-forgotten Maine cavalrymen ride once more into battle in a Civil War book recently released by Holden author Ned Smith. A few years ago, Airline Community School secretary Joni Archer “asked me what I knew about the 2nd Maine Cavalry,” said Smith, who teaches part time at the Aurora school. “I said, ‘Nothing.’” Archer’s great-grandfather, Pvt. George Cook, had ridden with the regiment. Intrigued by Archer’s question, Smith then researched and wrote “The 2nd Maine Cavalry in the Civil War: A History and Roster.” The 231-page (index included) book was published in September by North Carolina-based McFarland & Company Inc. According to Smith, the 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment was well known for its wartime exploits with the Army of the Potomac. The 2nd Maine Cavalry Regiment, however, was almost unknown, so he researched the unit online and at the Maine State Archives in Augusta. Smith also sought additional primary source material at the National
HOLDEN AUTHOR NED SMITH HOLDS A COPY OF “THE 2ND MAINE CAVALRY IN THE CIVIL WAR,” THE SECOND BOOK THAT HE HAS WRITTEN ABOUT A MAINE REGIMENT THAT FOUGHT DURING THE CIVIL WAR. THE BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMBER BY MCFARLAND & COMPANY INC. OF NORTH CAROLINA.
Archives and Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. His research coalesced into a detailed and well-written and -illustrated historical account of the 2nd Maine Cavalry’s service in the Deep South. Rather than presenting a bland regimental history, Smith presents a tale that flows well from the Civil War’s opening battle at Fort Sumter in April 1861 to the mustering out of the 2nd Maine in late 1865. He examines the impact of slavery on pre-war politics in Maine and Florida, the Confederate held state with which the 2nd Maine Cavalry was most associated. Raised in late 1863, the regiment shipped incrementally to the Deep South in March and April 1864. Although headquartered at Pensacola, Florida, the 2nd Maine sent detachments to fight in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi before the war ended. Smith quickly introduces the characters — and some really come across that way — populating the 2nd Maine Caval-
ry Regiment. Utilizing period letters, military reports and official photographs, he brings to life men from all over Maine; his book is as much an informative tale of these soldiers as it is a regimental history. Among the officers were Orland’s Andrew Spurling, an audacious staff officer who often donned Confederate garb to lead daring raids deep into enemy territory. Good friends with Maine Adjutant General John Hodsdon, Major Charles Miller of Rockland leaned on that relationship when writing whining letters to Hodsdon about the perceived flaws of other officers. Then there are the enlisted men; Smith peppers his book with their vignettes. Due to their letter-writing propensities, the “shoulder straps” (a derogatory wartime term for officers) left behind much resource material. Smith dug deep to find information about such soldiers as George Soule, who with his son, Augustus, enlisted in Co. F. Disease
killed the 18-year-old Augustus in spring 1864; George survived the war. Another father, Greenleaf Smart, and his son, Richard, served in Company G. Greenleaf died in November 1864, Richard came home to Maine in 1865. While detailing the campaigns, skirmishes, marches, raids and occasional battles of the 2nd Maine, the book avoids the boring “just the facts, ma’am” approach typical of many regimental histories. Smith blends the 2nd Maine’s tale with what was happening strategically and militarily; readers learn simultaneously about an obscure Maine cavalry regiment and such overlooked military operations as the Red River Campaign in Louisiana and the spring 1865 campaign to eliminate Confederate forts and other facilities in Alabama. The focus on individual soldiers is the book’s salient feature. “A lot of people think a unit history is, ‘We went here, we went there,’” Smith said. “History is about people; people are interesting.” He said he wrote “The 2nd Maine Cavalry in the Civil War” for people who are interested in people, why they went and fought, why these young kids went to the Deep South. The book’s maps, photographs and wartime illustrations appear with the respective chapters rather than in a centerfold cluster. Civil War buffs and genealogists will appreciate the detailed regimental roster. The book includes a well-developed bibliography; for good measure Smith added information about the various 2nd Maine troops courtmartialed during the war. This book is not Smith’s first-time foray into Civil War history. He previously published a well-written history of the 22nd Maine Infantry Regiment. He is married to author Diane Smith, who has published three Civil War-related books. Priced at $39.95, “The 2nd Maine Cavalry in the Civil War” is available at Amazon.com
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
BDN FILE PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZ THE SOLDIERS’ MONUMENT AT MOUNT HOPE CEMETERY IN BANGOR WAS DEDICATED ON JUNE 17, 1864. BUILT TO HONOR BANGOR SOLDIERS AND SAILORS WHO DIED DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THE MONUMENT WAS FINANCED BY PRIVATE DONATIONS.
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VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
Daughter recounts with pride and sadness father’s memories of World War II BY LORI WINGO
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y father, Cecil Wingo enlisted in the army on May 8, 1943, shortly after his 18th birthday. He reasoned, “They were going to get me anyway, so at least I was able to choose which branch.” Over the course of the next 30 months, he experienced more death, destruction and chaos than should be expected of a human being. He wore the same uniform for 54 straight days during the Battle of the Bulge. “When we were finally able to take a shower and get new uniforms, they ordered us to pile our dirty uniforms up so they could burn them,” he stated. “The smell was terrible.” One night a few years ago, after Alzheimer’s disease had begun it’s cruel progression, I was with him at the veteran’s facility where he had been placed in the locked ward. We were reminiscing about family memories when suddenly, he looked off into the distance and said, “You know, I did a lot of things over in Europe that I didn’t want to do.” It was a chilling moment to see how, after 60 years, war still was imprinted in his mind. In the course of that evening, he shared with me some of the things that had been too painful to speak of when he was younger. Although my father didn’t talk much of his army days, he was proud of the fact that he had fought in five of the eight military campaigns in the European Theatre. This included D-Day+4, where he recalled the bodies of soldiers still floating in the water as he made his way onto the beach head, mindful of the few remaining German snipers who would take the occasional “potshot.” Just four days earlier, many fellow Virginians from a little town called Bedford were slaughtered by German machine guns as they attempted to wade ashore with 60-pound packs. Some reached shore and collapsed; others drowned in the water. Dad was attached to the 3rd Army, 9th Division 376th AA/AW unit during the war. His job was that of a heavy gunner on a truck mounted with .40 caliber guns. The division fought its way inland and crossed
into Belgium in early September. On the 13th of that month, my father would become a reluctant hero. German soldiers had switched the road signs near Rotgen in an effort to lure the Allies down a heavily wooded narrow road where German forces lay in wait. The ploy worked, and soon a column of Americans were heading into the trap. The Germans had blocked this road and there was no means of backing up or going forward. When the Germans opened fire, nearly everyone jumped off the trucks and halftracks into the ditch on the opposite side of the road. “One guy panicked and jumped off the wrong side,” Dad always would say quietly. “The bullets from the ‘burp guns’ literally cut him in half.” Why my father didn’t jump with the others was never explained, but he would say, “I did what I thought was right.” He remained at his .40 caliber gun, which he immediately swung around on its rotating mount and opened fire into the woods. He began calling to his company to fetch more ammunition from the front of the half-track. A sergeant called back, “It’s too hot up there. There are too many skeeters buzzing around.” My father somehow climbed over the top of the truck into the cab and retrieved more ammo boxes. “I fully expected to be shot by the Germans at any moment,” he said. On his return, his gunner’s assistant, Henry Bertram, joined him on the halftrack. Through this effort, the Germans were pinned down until the tank units and infantry could move forward and end the attack. My father would go on to endure the Battle of the Bulge, where he learned to despise the cold and lived in constant fear of capture. Rumors swirled that captured Americans were being executed on the spot by the enemy, so sleep and rest became hard to come by. In March 1945, his artillery unit would be sent to the Rhine, and would in fact be some of the first GIs to arrive to protect the
famed Bridge at Remagen until the American forces could cross with their massive tanks and guns. He would witness the collapse of the bridge — not from any of the unsuccessful attempts by the Germans to blow it up from the air or via barges placed in the river — but from the sheer strain of the heavy tanks, massive troop numbers and other equipment. “The Germans didn’t blow that bridge up,” Dad would say. “We shook it down with all the jeeps and tanks.” Dad finished his service in the military police, monitoring the trains that were still functioning in a few cities. With the massive destruction of Allied bombs, many German citizens were desperate to get out of the devastation. If they could not travel inside of a departing train, they often would try to climb on top of the cars. What these poor souls did not realize was that the clearance through many of the remaining tunnels was so small it meant instant death for someone riding atop the train. My father often would lapse into the little German that he remembered and recount, yelling,
“Mach schnell, mach snell! Runter aus dem Zug (Hurry! Get off the train).” “They would cuss me something awful,” he recalled. “They thought I was just being mean, but I knew what would happen if they stayed up there.” It would be years before my father would retell these stories and I suspect there were even darker stories that he never told. He came home in November 1945 with two purple hearts, a bronze star with a V for valor and a bad case of untreated combat fatigue-shell shock, more commonly known today as PTSD. Loud noises and big crowds agitated Dad. His hands would shake violently when he became anxious and he could become
extremely agitated. My mother recalled that during their courtship, his mouth would jerk uncontrollably to one side when he tried to smile. Worst of all, on three separate occasions, my uncles had to pull him off the railroad tracks near the family home. Dad had walked down to the rail bed and was waiting for a train to come by and hit him. I am always mindful to say my father didn’t “win” these military decorations, he “earned” them — at a heavy price. To say I am proud of my father is an understatement. Many children and grandchildren might not be here today had Dad not stayed at his gun. Years after the war, an army buddy in that ditch in Rotgen made a point to drive up to our home from North Carolina, just so he could shake my father’s hand and tell him that a first child had been named Cecil, in honor of my father. And yet, I see in retrospect that my Dad was a casualty of the cruelty that war brings. It took more than 60 years for the wounds to his psyche to be fatal, but they found their mark as his final years took him back to Rotgen, The Bulge and the bridge at Remagen. Nurses were Germans trying to poison him. His ward at the veteran’s home was a POW camp and all the men were going to be shot before the next morning. Through these final years, my mother visited him faithfully him every day, even when he no longer recognized her. If there was one salvation that could sooth my father’s psychological wounds, it was the unconditional love and support my mother gave him for more than 61 years of marriage. Somewhere in the forests of Belgium, I am convinced, my father’s spirit has returned to the place that changed the course of his life forever. With any luck, one day, I will cross the waters to France and try to catch a glimpse of him at the instant he put his life at risk for the sake of his comrades and change the course of his life.
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
THESE SNAPSHOTS DOCUMENT SOME OF THE MOMENTS WORLD WAR II VETERAN CECIL WINGO EXPERIENCED DURING HIS TIME OF SERVICE IN THE U.S. ARMY, BEGINNING IN 1943, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF WAR.
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VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
BDN FILE PHOTO BY WAYNE L. BROWN
BDN FILE PHOTO BY GEORGE BRAGDON
FLAMES BELCH FROM THE MUZZLE OF A CEREMONIAL CANNON AS MEMBERS OF
VIETNAM MEMORIAL AN ADDITION TO THE MAINE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WAS DEDICATED
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VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
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Armed Forces Day memory BY PAUL SHERBURNE
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n Nov. 11, 1958, following a short home-leave, I arrived at Grand Central Station in New York City, wearing the dress uniform of the U.S. Navy. I was toting a large sea-bag, which contained all my belongings, as well as a small handbag containing my orders. My orders read: “Report to the USS Maury AGS-16, New York, New York.” As it was a national holiday, the station was all but deserted. Spotting a lone Information Guide on duty at a central kiosk, I proceeded there to ask for help with directions. She did what she could, but was unable to get an answer as to where my ship might be. Overhearing this, a uniformed transportation patrol officer stepped over and offered his help. “Should be at the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” he said, apparently stating the obvious, and asked the young woman to make a call to confirm. Whoever answered assured her that the ship was NOT there. At that point, the patrol officer made a call to his military police friends in the city. After several minutes, one of them returned the call to report that the ship was actually at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Cony Island. The patrol officer then led me down some long stairs to the sidewalk, where we found a long line of waiting cabs. Business was more than slow: it was almost nonexistent. He stepped to the first cab in line and spoke quietly to the driver. Then he turned to me and said, “Give the man a twenty and he’ll take you to your ship.” That seemed to me to be a little high, but I paid it. Only after riding through city streets and over bridges and through tunnels for more than an hour did I understand that it was probably a fair charge. We entered the shipyard and proceeded to the pier where the Maury was tied up. It must have been high tide, because from the pier the ship seemed like a mountain. Seeing the cab off, I stepped onto a narrow, extra-long gangway and headed up — handbag in one hand with sea-bag dragging behind in the other. A step short of the deck, I stopped, set down my bags, and looked up
into the eyes of the man about to greet me and grant permission to board. Because it was a holiday, most of the officers were on leave, and I was met by the “officer of the deck,” a 6-foot 4-inch senior master chief in full dress blues with gold insignia, gold hash-marks from elbow to wrist, and a large array of ribbons. (I learned later that the chief was within a year of completing 30 years on active duty.) He was assisted by a young seaman, standing well behind him on the quarterdeck.
felt myself doing a swan dive onto the gray metal, and ended up spread eagled directly at the feet of the old salt on deck duty. I actually could see my reflection in the toes of his shoes. As I gathered myself, I noticed the old chief was suppressing a grin, most probably thinking, “where in the h*ll do they find these people...” I dropped my eyes, got my things, and
followed that seaman to my “quarters,” which consisted of a too-small locker in a bunkroom containing 57 cots stacked five high. The space was not much larger than the living room of the house where I grew up in Milo. Thus began what became a twoocean, two-year-long cruise aboard the USS Maury, ending up in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in the summer of 1960.
To say I was impressed would be an understatement; to say the man was intimidating is without argument. However nervous I was, I remembered my brief training and remembered to turn and give the ensign a smart salute. It was well out of view at the stern, but I knew it must be there. Then I pulled my orders from my handbag and handed them over. I also formally requested permission to board along with a proper salute to the OD. Without opening the envelope containing my orders, he passed them to the seaman and instructed him to escort me to my quarters. I reached behind me and got a good grip on my sea-bag and stepped aboard. Unfortunately, I had overlooked the handbag, which was still on the gangway directly in front of my feet. Suddenly, I
USS MAURY (AGS-16) ON MAY 1952
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
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BDN FILE PHOTO BY SETH KOENIG
U.S. ARMY PHOTO
THIS 1895 CIVIL WAR MEMORIAL AT PORTLAND’S EVERGREEN CEMETERY WAS COMMISSIONED BY NATHAN
LEAVING THEIR LST (LANDING SHIP TANK), SOLDIERS FROM THE 27TH DIVISION LAND ON
AND HENRY CLEAVES. BOTH MEN STUDIED LAW, AND THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY LAW LIBRARY NOW BEARS
SAIPAN IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS DURING WORLD WAR II.
THEIR NAMES. HENRY CLEAVES FOUGHT IN THE CIVIL WAR AND LATER BECAME GOVERNOR OF MAINE.
How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! —Maya Angelou
BDN FILE PHOTO BY ROBERT E. KLEIN
BDN FILE PHOTO BY ALLAN JACKSON
A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE CREW OF THE USS EAGLE PE 56 WAS TAKEN ABOUT ONE MONTH BEFORE THE
INFANTRYMEN OF THE U.S. FIRST ARMY, LEFT, EXTEND WELCOMING HANDS TO RUSSIAN TROOPS ON A DAMAGED
SUBMARINE CHASER WAS SUNK BY A GERMAN U-BOAT IN THE FINAL DAYS OF WORLD WAR II.
BRIDGE OVER THE ELBE RIVER AT TORGAU, GERMANY, ON APRIL 25, 1945, NEAR THE END OF WORLD WAR II. TWO U.S. WORLD WAR II VETERANS, LAID FLOWERS MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2005, AT A MOSCOW MONUMENT COMMEMORATING THE MEETING OF SOVIET AND AMERICAN FORCES AT THE ELBE RIVER IN GERMANY 60 YEARS AGO.
VETERANS DAY • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • November 11, 2014
Thank you Veterans! We honor the brave men and women who have nobly served our country.