I was fascinated by Wayne Reilly’s Sept. 1 historical column in the BDN about newspaper coverage of World War I a century ago and its effects on local communities and people, including Bangor folk who were in Europe when war broke out.
The name Carl Holden jumped out at me, leaving me to wonder how the 18-year-old had found time to go abroad while fulfilling his appointment at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. His Class of 1917 graduated early in order to be available for service in WWI.
Holden served on several ships in the Great War, including the Lansdale, which was torpedoed. He rose to prominence in World War II and was executive officer of the USS Pennsylvania, which was in dry dock at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. Though less damaged than other U.S. ships during the attack, the Pennsylvania did lose two officers and 16 enlisted men.
He also was the first commander of the battleship USS New Jersey, the ship he called the Lovely Lady, his daughter Jean Holden told me several years ago.
After the war, Holden capped his Navy career with command of the U.S. naval forces in Germany — the fleet arm of the occupation forces — and additional duty as naval member of the Inter-Allied Advisory Council. He retired as a vice admiral, died in 1953 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
During the 10-year period spanning WWII and afterward, Holden made the front page of the Bangor Daily News and the Bangor Commercial seven times.
I was able to compile a nice folder of material on Carl Holden thanks to the Families and Individuals Index, a card catalog in the back of the Bangor Room of local history at Bangor Public Library.
Also referred to as the Bangor Daily News index, the catalog gives dates and page numbers for numerous articles in the BDN and the Bangor Commercial for much of the 20th century. This is an index that even the BDN does not have.
Those indexed are people mainly from the Bangor area, and the listings may include as few as one article referencing a wedding, anniversary, obituary or accomplishment. In the case of more prominent people, such as Carl Holden, I found two full catalog cards listing newspaper stories on him.
Needless to say, any time I’m looking for information on area individuals, I do make the effort to check the Families and Individuals Index. Others with numerous mention include those known for efforts in the business world, or community service. Check the “Associations” part of the index, as well.
You could add to your information on a Navy relative, of course, by looking up any ships he served on through the Internet, for example. Small ships may have had only a number, such as LCI 565, while larger ships had names as well as a number. The USS John F. Kennedy, for example, an aircraft carrier I spent a couple of days on as a reporter back in 2000, was also known as CV 67.
For any branch of military service, you may want to learn more about your relative by checking out information on the battalion, regiment, task force, company, division or other unit designation.
The army unit I have learned about is World War II’s Fifth Armored Division, which held three of its annual association reunions here in Bangor, the final one in 2012.
The Fifth Armored Division Room at Cole Land Transportation Museum on Perry Road has a wall listing some 975 members who lost their lives in World War II, including five fellow squadron members of museum founder Galen Cole.
The expanse of wall makes an impression on both individual patrons and groups of schoolchildren who tour the museum. When I give student tours, I always think of Madawaska native Onias Martin, a Mainer listed on the wall.
My family and I have been to Madawaska many times because my husband is from Frenchville. My husband and I know both Normand Martin, Onias’s brother, who is an artist and the creator of the Paul Bunyan statue on Main Street in Bangor, and Normand’s son, Greg Martin.
A whole new dimension of Onias and his family came alive to me when reading BDN reporter Nick McCrea’s account of his family’s recent visit to the French village of Bonnetable, where Martin was killed in World War II.
The Martin family on the trip included Nick’s pepere — grandfather — Raynold Martin of Brewer. This is genealogy and family history at its best. I know that Nick’s reporting of anything to do with the military or patriotic events is enriched by his connection to the great-uncle who sacrificed so much for freedom.
There are so many ways for us to feel the ties that bind us to those who came before.
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The Wassebec Genealogy Society will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at Mayo Regional Hospital on Main Street in Dover-Foxcroft. Wayne Bennett will speak on “The Hilton Family of Piscataquis County.” All are welcome. For more information, call 564-3576.
For i nformation on researching family history in Maine, see Genealogy Resources under Family Ties at bangordailynews.com/browse/family-ties. Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402, or email familyti@bangordailynews.com.