U.S. Navy Seabees Celebrate 75 Years of Service: “We Build, We Fight” from Davisville, RI, to the Four Corners of the World
This year, the U.S. Navy marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of its Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Seabees. Although the military had often designated individual units to engage in construction activities in peace and war, it wasn’t until December 28, 1941, that Rear Admiral Ben Moreel, chief of the Bureau of […]
A Civil War Angel of Mercy: Katherine Prescott Wormeley
In the early days of the American Civil War, few military officers knew or cared much about the medical care rendered to their men although organized medical departments existed in both the Union and Confederate Armies. However, the South suffered from a lack of resources throughout the war. Military doctors varied in their qualifications from […]
Block Island and the Navy in World War I
As we observe the centennial of America’s entry into World War I, over the next months we’ll share a few stories about the Rhode Island connection to “the war to end all wars”. When a Rhode Islander thinks of the US Navy in World War I, Newport, RI, immediately comes to mind. It was home […]
The U-Boat in Newport Harbor
Many Rhode Islanders are familiar with the sinking of the U-853 off Block Island in the waning days of World War II. But, that wasn’t the first U-boat to prowl Rhode Island waters. For this tale, we go back to 1916. World War I had been raging for two years. The U.S. had managed to […]
The Final Resting Place of a Hero of the American Revolution: Col. Israel Angell
This month marks the 99th anniversary of a special honor paid to a hero of the American Revolution, Rhode Island’s own Israel Angell. It was on Saturday, May 4, 1918 that the Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (RISSAR) dedicated the relocated graves of Angell and his first wife. The Society […]
Remembering Those Who Served: The East Greenwich World War I Memorial
How many times have you driven down Main Street past the East Greenwich Town Hall and noticed the handsome stone and bronze memorial on the front lawn? Ever wondered how it got there and what it represents? This gracefully-aging monument commemorates the World War I service of 183 East Greenwich residents who responded to the […]
The Aleutians Campaign of World War II and a Varnum Continentals Connection
In February of 1942, by order of Chief of Staff General George Marshall, the cumbersome reporting mechanisms of the Army were reorganized into three components: Ground Forces, Air Forces, and Services of Supply (later to be simply known as the Service Force that also included the Army’s Technical Services). Among the latter was the Quartermaster […]
Red Roses & Silver Wings: A World War II Memoir with a Varnum Connection
By the early spring of 1945, the end of the war in Europe was in sight. The Battle of the Bulge was over and Russian troops were pushing towards Berlin. But the fighting continued on the ground and in the air. Our story this month is typical of thousands of others: a young married couple, […]
James Mitchell Varnum and the 1st Rhode Island Regiment (“Black Regiment”)
Let’s take a look at one aspect of the General James Mitchell Varnum‘s illustrious career: the evolution of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment (LINK 1 :: LINK 2), which became known as Varnum’s Continentals and from which we take our name as a historic state militia. The first shots of the American Revolution echoed down […]
Rhode Island Enters World War II: The Aftermath of Pearl Harbor and Block Island’s Defiant Response
By the time the Japanese launched their sneak attack on Pearl Harbor 75 years ago this month, Rhode Island had already been gearing up for America’s potential entry into World War II. At the mouth of Narragansett Bay and along the shoreline facing ocean waters, the Army’s massive coast defense forts were manned primarily by […]