It all started when Bahria Hartman was a 14-year-old girl growing up in Norwich. World War II had been brewing for two years, but so far the United States had only watched from afar with as the conflict spread and intensified overseas. Then the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and the US became directly involved in the bloody struggle that would rage on for nearly four more years.
Two young men from Norwich – Michael Quarto and Harry Carlson – were stationed on the battleship USS Arizona and were among the 1,177 American lives lost that day; Bahria knew them personally. When articles about the deaths appeared in the Norwich Bulletin, she lovingly cut them out and pasted them in a scrapbook.
This was the first act in a labor of love that continued through the First Gulf War. For 50 years, Bahria kept track of every serviceperson from Norwich who was killed in a war and memorialized them in her scrapbook with newspaper clippings; photographs, letters and poems provided by family and friends; and gold stars, American flags and the religious symbols of their faiths. All-in-all, the scrapbook, which consists of three volumes, commemorates the wartime sacrifices of 123 Norwich residents who served in World War II, 50 who served in Korea, 15 who served in Vietnam and a handful from the Iraq, or Gulf War.
Bahria, who is of Lebanese descent, was born in Utica, New York and moved to Norwich as a young child when her father George Harb got a job at a wool mill. ”I always felt a close tie to the military because my father served our country in the infantry in Germany during World War I,” she explains, showing photographs of her father who she included in the scrapbook.
Bahria’s close ties to the US Armed Services continued when she fell in love with Herbert Hartman, a young Navy man stationed at the Subase in Groton, at a Base dance. Herb, from Memphis, TX, attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander during his lifelong career in the Navy. ”It’s interesting that my name in Arabic means ‘sailor’ or ‘navy,’” Bahria says. ”After I married my husband, we traveled the world for 15 years and then returned to the United States. We eventually moved to Norwich and I worked as a bookkeeper.”
Originally the scrapbook was in one huge volume, but time took its toll on the pages and it began to fall apart. The book was divided into three volumes and restored with the help of contributions made on the occasion of the Hartmans’ 50th wedding anniversary on September 7, 2007. He passed away the following February.
“The books are dedicated to the memories of my husband and father,” Bahria says. ”I honor their service, as well as, the service of all those brave men and women who gave their lives for our country.”
The Veterans’ Memorial Scrapbook is available for viewing at the Otis Library at 261 Main Street, Norwich.
When he enlisted in the US Navy right out of high school, Groton Veteran Jim Moulding was seeking solid job skills. In the late 70s, the economy was sinking, there were gas lines and good jobs were scarce. But there was another, deeply personal reason Jim chose to serve his country. ”I wanted to honor my father, who was not able to serve in the military because he lost an eye as a child and he wanted to serve very badly,” Jim explains. ”It was especially difficult for him because all his brothers served.”
Jim decided to go into the “Silent Service” when he toured the Battleship Massachusetts and the USS Tigerfish at Battleship Cove, the world’s largest historic naval ship exhibit, located in Jim’s hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts. ”I thought it was fascinating,” he says. So at 17, Jim shipped off to basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois, and then to the Naval Submarine Base in Groton for a six-week training program in advanced electronic and electrical systems.
“Everyone around me was very calm and self-assured, which helped me feel comfortable and adapt quickly to being on a sub. I was specializing in interior communications, which involves the operation and maintenance of the phone systems, electrical systems and department-to-department communications,” Jim explains. ”But as I learned the technical side of the work I’d be doing, I had to learn so much else. On a sub, everyone is cross-trained. We all needed to know how to do damage control and save the ship if necessary.”
After his first sea tour, Jim did a stint of shore duty as a recruiter in Worchester, MA. While in Worchester he married his wife, Robin, whom he’d known since elementary school. Their daughter was born in 1988, four days before Jim transferred to the Groton Subase, which would remain his home port until his retirement. He traveled the world on a fast-attack sub in a series of six-month deployments to such far-flung locales as Portugal, Spain, Italy, Crete, Sicily, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan, the Bahamas, Bermuda and France.
Jim earned the rank of Chief Petty Officer, NCO Master. He was the senior enlisted man on the USS Batfish and Chief of the Boat. “In 1998 I had my last deployment, which took me around the world for six months. When I got back, I went on shore duty and led the Weapons/Sonar Department at the Sub School.”
Jim retired in 2002, after more than two decades of service to his country. ”When I retired, I had a great sense of accomplishment at doing my patriotic duty for my country, but it was also difficult to leave behind such a big part of my life.” Since his retirement, Jim, who has a Master’s Degree in Business, has worked as a contractor for Pfizer and on the Subase. He now works as project manager for AMETEK, SCP, a manufacturing company that makes such products as cables and connectors used on submarines.
When he’s not working, Jim enjoys traveling with his wife, performing in local theater productions and spending as much time as possible with his beautiful granddaughter. ”My daughter married a sailor,” he notes with pride, adding, “I’m a patriotic American who enjoyed every minute defending out country. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Google the term “National Debt” and you will quickly receive the search results for millions of websites. Most deal with the very serious issues of government overspending and the accumulation of more than two centuries of federal deficits. Yet very few bring up the biggest national debt of them all – that which America owes to her veterans. November 11 – Veterans Day – marks the perfect opportunity for us to take an historical audit on just how much this nation owes her heroes.
Marine Sgt. Dakota Meyer is one who America owes an enormous debt. Humble by nature, but heroic by deed, Meyer drove a humvee into an Afghan valley that he knew was heavily populated with well-armed enemy insurgents. Outgunned and outnumbered, Meyer and Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez made multiple trips to the hot zone, killing insurgents as Meyer manned the turret.
Disregarding serious shrapnel wounds that he received, Meyer left his vehicle several times searching for pinned down comrades and coalition forces. He found his comrades shot to death, but with the assistance of Army Capt. Will Swenson, Meyer carried their bodies and gear away from the village.
As he received his well-deserved Medal of Honor from President Obama, Meyer requested that his fallen colleagues be remembered. Our debt to these heroes can never be re-paid but our gratitude and respect must last forever.
For many veterans, our nation was important enough to endure long separations from their families, miss the births of their children, freeze in sub-zero temperatures, bake in wild jungles, lose limbs, and, far too often, lose their lives. Military spouses have had to endure career interruptions, frequent changes of address, and a disproportionate share of parental responsibilities. Children often had to endure changes in schools, separation from friends and, hardest of all, the uncertainty of whether or not Mom or Dad will live through their next combat mission.
As the leader of our nation’s largest veterans service organization, The American Legion, I recently had the opportunity to testify before a joint Congressional committee on Veterans Affairs. I reminded our lawmakers that it is not in the nature of America’s warriors to complain. Warriors endure. Warriors make do with less. Warriors finish the job, no matter how hard, no matter what is asked.
Warriors need advocates and that is why The American Legion exists. We are here to serve veterans, their families and our communities. Veterans need each other, but, more importantly, our country needs our veterans.
You cannot fight a war without warriors and while the utopian idea of a society without war is appealing, let us not forget that wars have liberated slaves, stopped genocide, and toppled terrorists.
The American Legion shows its support for America’s heroes through its Family Support Network, Legacy Scholarship Fund, Operation Comfort Warriors, Temporary Financial Assistance and the National Emergency Fund, just to name a few of our programs. But you can show your support simply by saying “Thank you” to the next veteran you meet. You can show your support by hiring a veteran in your workplace, visiting a VA hospital or donating to a veterans program.
Companies should understand that it’s smart business to hire veterans, and when members of the Guard and Reserves deploy, it is America’s business to ensure that their civilian careers do not suffer.
Homelessness is another issue that affects veterans disproportionately. Too often today’s tattered citizen of the street was yesterday’s toast-of-the-town in a crisp uniform with rows of shining medals. This is hardly the “thanks of a grateful nation.”
We can do better. We must do better.
Fewer than 10 percent of Americans can claim the title “veteran.” And while the great military phrase “uncommon valor was a common virtue,” has been so often repeated that it risks becoming a cliche, it is no less true.
In 1789 George Washington said, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.”
We must ask ourselves as a nation, are we serving veterans even half as well as they have served us?
Sometimes you don’t have to look further than next door for what you are looking for. When my editor asked me to write about a Veteran of war I thought of Bill, my next door neighbor.
“Come on in,” Bill welcomes me. ”I will be glad to share my military experiences with you.”
“I was born and grew up in New London, graduating from New London High School in 1962. In 1965, I was drafted but I joined the Navy.”
“I was a US Navy Petty Officer and trained to be a Communications Technician. My training took place at the Naval Training Center, in Great Lakes, Ill., in 1965 and the Naval Communications Class A School, in Pensacola, FL in 1966. I learned to be a teletype operator and cryptographic operations.”
“During the Vietnam War era, 1965-1969, I served on various surface ships and traveled all over the world. In 1966, I served on the USS Canisteo as a radio operator and 1967-1968 as a communications technician on the USS Belmont.”
“I was stationed at the US Naval Facility at the American Embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus 1968-1969. My trips included Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Straits of Magellan, Chile, Panama Canal, Ivory Coast, Angola, Cape of Good Hope, Mozambique, Kenya, Liberia, Greece, Cyprus and Europe.”
“While sightseeing in these places and staying in these countries, I learned about the different cultures and lifestyles. Today, when I read about the politics in these countries, I understand better because I was there.”
“When Apollo landed on the moon in July of 1969, I was stationed in Cyprus. The non-English speaking Cypriots pointed to the moon and gave the ‘thumbs-up’ sign of approval! They had smiles all over their faces! You know, when we landed on the moon it affected not only the United States, but the whole world. It is interesting that after the war, I worked for NASA.”
“Sometimes I had problems trying to be understood in a foreign country. When I was in Cyprus I tried to say hello in Greek but by mistake used the word for ‘milk.’ We all had a good laugh about that.”
“After the war, I used the GI Bill to graduate from the University of Houston, Texas in 1971. Having your education paid for under the GI Bill is a huge benefit to serving in the military.”
I ask Bill what other lessons he learned from his war experiences. “The Navy did a good job in preparing me to live successfully as a civilian after the war. I learned how to make my own decisions about my future, the importance of education and how to educate myself, how to be successfully employed and how to be a family man.” Bill was honored when he was awarded the Naval Defense Service Medal.
Today, Bill is enjoying his retirement and visits with his daughter Jennifer and her three children in Texas.
When Gregory Bliven was only thirteen years old, he lost both his parents in a devastating fire at their home in Montville. He looked to the U.S. Army to help provide the life skills and guidance he missed through his teenage years, and it delivered.
“The U.S. Army and then the National Guard gave me the tools I needed to succeed in life,” says Greg, who now makes his home in Bradford, Rhode Island. ”The Military helped me in so many ways. It taught me self-discipline and teamwork, and gave me the sense of purpose I needed.”
Greg joined the U.S. Army in October 1975, soon after the Vietnam War had ended. He did basic training in Fort Lewis, washington. ”I served with many men who had just returned from Vietnam, and I felt humbled when they told me of their experiences,” says Greg. ”I read as many books about the war as I could so I could have a better sense of what they had gone through.”
During his three years in the Army, Greg studied pharmacology and worked out in the field in M.A.S.H.-style tents where servicemen and women could be treated for injuries and illnesses. He joined the National Guard promptly after his tour was up. ”I loved wearing the uniform and serving my country, and I felt that the Guard would be a good fit for me,” Greg says. He started out in the aviation unit in Groton as a sergeant working with helicopters. Eventually, Greg’s platoon leader encouraged him to apply for Officer Candidates School. He attended the Connecticut State Military Academy, called Camp O’Neill at the time for Governor William O’Neill. He graduated with honors – number one in his class – and became a commissioned officer. He was put in charge of an infantry unit where he rose to the rank of Executive Officer and Company Commander.
In 1985, while Greg was working at the academy as an instructor, his life took a dramatic turn. ”I was going through a divorce and got custody of my two young daughters. When they would see me ironing my uniform to report to National Guard duty, they’d cry and beg me not to go,” Greg recalls. He made the decision to leave the Guard so he could be there for his daughters – a decision Greg never regretted as he watched them grow up into happy, successful, well-educated young women. ”They’re my best friends,” he says proudly.
In 2009 Greg retired from Pfizer, where his father had worked, after a long career that started in the manufacturing plant in 1974. While in the National Guard he went to UCONN and URI, earning undergrad and graduate degrees in pathology and business. By the time he retired, he’d moved up to Business Process Lead Scientist reporting to the Executive Director of Pathology.
When he’s not riding his motorcycle, Greg uses his talents as an actor. He acted in many plays and movies, and worked – with his faithful Black Lab, Lily – in the film Great Hope Springs, recently shot in Stonington and starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. He is a regular player at the Granite Theater in Westerly. ”Theater filled a void left behind by the Military,” Greg says. ”Teamwork and discipline are very important to the process of rehearsing for and putting on a play, as is the desire to do your very best – something that I always felt when I was in the Army National Guard.”
