NEWS honored locals gone to WWII

Just in time for Memorial Day 1943, charter members gathered in front of the town hall in Orono to inspect the roll of honor dedicated to the 300 people doing their part in World War II.

“Proudly we dedicate this plaque to the men and women of Orono in the service of our country,” the plaque read.

In addition, a full page in the Bangor Daily News that day also honored the servicemen and women, including head shots of as many of those from Orono as were available.

In Newport that year, the Methodist church hung a beautiful service flag with 64 stars and also displayed an honor roll. The honor roll at High Street Union Church contained more than 60 names.

They had gone to war, and no one could forget.

“War savings stamps have been sold in the schools and in a huge drive for scrap metal all business places closed, the schools closed and everyone worked for one afternoon to collect the metal. Several hundred dollars [were] realized from sale of the scrap and funds donated to war relief agencies and the Red Cross,” the Bangor Daily News reported.

In Orrington, more than 200 had gone to serve by the time the farming community’s service page ran in August.

Even the smallest towns did their part.

“The plantation of Carroll which had a population of 304 in the last census has seen 25 men and women leave to serve the country,” according to Carroll’s service page on Sept. 21.

It wasn’t unusual to have five or six boys, or even seven, from one family in the service.

In the Howland-Enfield area, there were four Sereykos, four Lindquists and four Strattons in the military at one time.

Thirty-one from Frankfort were in the service that summer. Frankfort-Winterport had its own observation tower.

In Corinna, some 90 young men and women were in the military on behalf of their country. Their first to be killed in the war was Pvt. Percy Fernald, a graduate of Corinna Union Academy who died in action in the Philippines March 15, 1942.

Hampden’s honor roll numbered 170, while other towns honored in 1943 included Greenbush and Etna.

Many other towns and cities also were honored by having one or more NEWS pages set apart to honor their service men and women.