As the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II approaches, I think it’s wonderful that more towns and historical societies have put up memorials that include the names of World War II veterans — monuments such as the one in Abbot that memorializes my dad, Gayland Moore Jr., and uncle, Carroll Moore.
But funding a memorial can be an expensive project, and engraving the names of all World War II veterans who entered the military from Portland or Bangor, for example, on a monument really wouldn’t be practical.
Cost isn’t an issue in posting a name with information to the World War II Memorial Registry, which is available free at wwiimemorial.com.
You can look at the entries that have been posted for someone you know. Even better, you can use an advanced search to find out what names have been posted for a particular town or city. Abbot, Maine, has entries for James F. Brown, Gilbert N. Crabtree, Giles M. Fogg, Samuel Goodridge Jr., Gayland A. Moore Jr. and Edward Lewis Page.
Bangor has 437 entries in the registry.
It is easy to write up a paragraph or two about an individual veteran, or perhaps a historical society or library might work on compiling information for a town’s World War II veterans.
There are numerous websites with information on World War II, and I would remind readers to check for sites on a particular military unit or ship, as well as individual.
A one-of-a-kind resource not online is the World War II pages published during the war by the Bangor Daily News. These pages, which include small photos of many of those serving in World War II at the time, can be found on BDN microfilm at Bangor Public Library, University of Maine Fogler Library in Orono, Maine State Library in Augusta and University of Maine at Presque Isle Library, among others.
But which town was published, when? A few years ago, then-BDN librarian Charlie Campo and I put together this list:
— Danforth, Dec. 1, 1942
— Brownville, Dec. 7, 1942
— East Millinocket, Jan. 8, 1943
— Van Buren, Jan. 26, 1943
— Fort Kent, Feb. 10, 1943
— Millinocket, Feb. 23, 1943
— Mt. Desert, March 9, 1943
— Lincoln, March 22, 1943
— Milo, March 26, 1943
— Wytopitlock, April 1, 1943
— Limestone, April 13, 1943
— Winterport, April 20, 1943
— Medway, April 22, 1943
— St. Francis, April 27, 1943
— Madawaska and environs, May 4, 1943
— Hampden, May 11, 1943
— Howland-Enfield, May 18, 1943
— Corinna, May 25, 1943
— Orono, May 31, 1943
— Stockholm, June 8, 1943
— Island Falls, June 15, 1943
— Stockton Springs, June 17, 1943
— Winn, Chester, Woodville, June 22, 1943
— Harrington, June 24, 1943
— Woodland (Baileyville), June 29, 1943
— Dennysville, July 6, 1943
— Guilford, July 13, 1943
— Greenville, July 20, 1943
— Dover-Foxcroft, July 27, 1943
— Orrington, Aug. 3, 1943
— Frankfort, Aug. 10, 1943
— Seboeis, Aug. 12, 1943
— Brownville Junction, Aug. 17, 1943
— Jonesport, Aug. 24, 1943
— Patten, Aug. 31, 1943
— Hodgdon, Sept. 7, 1943
— Eagle Lake, Sept. 14, 1943
— Carroll, Sept. 21, 1943
— Newport, Sept. 28, 1943
— Corinth, Oct. 5, 1943
— Stacyville, Oct. 6, 1943
— Parkman, Oct. 11, 1943
— Shirley, Oct. 13, 1943
— Lee, Oct. 14, 1943
— Springfield, Webster, Lakeville; Nov. 1, 1943, and Nov. 2, 1943
— Dedham, Nov. 2, 1943
— Cutler, Nov. 3, 1943
— Portage, Nov. 8, 1943
— Greenbush, Nov. 10, 1943
— Carmel, Nov. 15, 1943
— Hermon, Nov. 16, 1943
— Abbot, Nov. 22, 1943
— Lubec, Nov. 25, 1943
— Pittsfield, Nov. 25, 1943
— Pembroke, Dec. 1, 1943
— Passadumkeag, Dec. 7, 1943
— Milford, Dec. 20, 1943
— Prospect, Dec. 27, 1943
— Etna, Dec. 30, 1943
— Sangerville, Jan. 3, 1944
— Glenburn, Jan. 4, 1944
— St. John, Jan. 5, 1944
— Gouldsboro, Jan. 13, 1944
— Hudson, January 18, 1944
— Brooklin, Jan. 25, 1944
— University of Maine, Feb. 4, 1944
— Harmony, Feb. 8, 1944
— Daigle, Feb. 23, 1944
— Ashland, March 1, 1944
— Veazie, April 13, 1944
— Sedgwick, May 1, 1944
— Burlington, May 5, 1944
— Plymouth, May 17, 1944
— Monson, May 26, 1944
— Former B&A Railroad employees, May 30, 1944
— Topsfield, June 6, 1944
— Cherryfield, June 19, 1944
— Bridgewater, June 26, 1944
— Dixmont, July 5, 1944
While my dad and countless numbers of other veterans pictured on those pages have since died, we are blessed to have still with us many World War II veterans who appreciate our thanks, love and friendship.
Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor, home of the Maine World War II Memorial, will honor the legacy of the Greatest Generation with a concert and ceremony marking the end of World War II at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, at 405 Perry Road.
The event is part of the worldwide Spirit of ’45 commemoration scheduled over the weekend marking the Aug. 15, 1945, announcement that the Japanese would surrender, ending the war. The program will include the presentation of special streamers to be added to the World War II walking stick of those in attendance.
The program also will include a wreath laying at the Maine World War II Memorial. The museum grounds are also home to the Bangor World War II Memorial engraved with the names of 112 Bangorians who died in the war.
Spirit of ’45 activities, which are listed online at spiritof45.org, range from events scheduled at parks and veterans memorials to cemeteries, including Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten and the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Featured speakers at the Cole Museum program will include retired Col. Clifford “Bruz” West, 94, a Bangor High School graduate living in Winthrop. West served in the Marines in battles at Peleliu and Okinawa in the Pacific.
Also speaking will be museum founder Galen Cole, a Purple Heart veteran of World War II who served in the 5th Armored Division in Europe. Cole founded the Walking Stick Program, which has given more than 9,400 walking sticks to Maine veterans of four wars since 1999.
Walking sticks are available to Maine veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Global War on Terror who come to the museum with ID and proof of military service from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Nov. 11. For more information call 990-3600 ext. 13, or visit colemuseum.org.
I can’t have my dad back for this special weekend, but I know where to find some World War II veterans I can thank in his memory.
For information 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.