Bangor man ends 40-year run remembering the USS Maine
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 44° 47.843 W 068° 46.430
19T E 517888 N 4960467
Battleship Maine Monument is within the Davenport Park located at the NW corner of Main Street and Cedar Street. The mysterious sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba, sparked the Spanish-American War. You can visit at any time.
Waymark Code: WMV3M0
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 02/18/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member NW_history_buff
Views: 2

One man has gone to greater lengths than any other in remembering the USS Maine. Since 1970 he has been organizing Bangor’s “Remember the Maine” ceremonies each year, but deteriorating health finally forced him to turn over the torch to others in 2010. The Bangor Daily News picked up on the story at the time and published the article reproduced in part further below.

Dedicated in 1922; Shield and Scroll of USS Maine is one of the most outstanding displays in Maine and accompanying the memorial are two plaques honoring those who served in the Spanish-American War and World War II.
USS Maine Shield and Scroll Battleship Maine Monument is comprised of a triangular shaped granite structure to which is affixed the bronze shield and scroll work that was recovered in 1912 from the battleship USS MAINE. The monument is surmounted by a bronze light standard that is crowned by an eagle.

The monument, which is 12' long on each side, is formed of ashlar granite blocks that rest on a granite plinth and are capped by a slightly projecting cornice (the upper edge has recently been covered with stainless steel as has the top of the structure). The edges are slightly battered, and the overall form depicts the prow of a ship.

Affixed to the leading edge of the structure is the shield and partially replicated scrolls that were salvaged from the USS MAINE in Havana Harbor. A recent restoration of these decorative features under the supervision of a professional conservator has resulted in the red, white, and blue color of the shield with gold borders, and the deep red, green, and bronze color in the scrolls. Affixed to the front of the plinth is a bronze plaque that bears the following inscription:

TO THE MEMORY OF
THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
OF THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
1898
SHIELD AND SCROLLS RECOVERED FROM WRECKAGE
OF U.S.S. MAINE
BLOWN UP HAVANA HARBOR, CUBA
FEBRUARY 15, A.D. 1898
ERECTED BY
THE CITY OF BANGOR
A.D. 1922

The light standard consists of a tall plinth, a fluted shaft, and a stylized capital that supports an entablature to which are attached two arms that each hold one suspended globe lamp. The eagle is attached to the central shaft,whereas short finials surmount the arms.
Source: National Register of Historic Places
Bangor man ends 40-year run remembering the USS Maine

By Eric Russell, BDN Staff
Posted Feb. 15, 2010, at 8:15 p.m.

BANGOR, Maine — Forty years ago, World War II veteran and Bangor native Paul Colburn had an idea to place a lone wreath at the base of a monument in Davenport Park.

The monument memorializes the USS Maine, a naval ship that exploded and sank in Havana Harbor on Feb. 15, 1898, killing 267 Americans and sparking the Spanish-American War. Remnants of the ship are incorporated into monuments throughout the country; its bow plate is right here in Bangor.

Colburn has been organizing Bangor’s “Remember the Maine” ceremonies since that first solemn wreath-laying in 1970. This year was his 40th event — and his last. The 85-year-old said his health has deteriorated to the point where he decided to turn over the planning to someone else.

“I enjoy doing it,” he said early Monday afternoon after a brief event commemorating the 112th anniversary of the ship’s sinking. “I think it’s important to remember.”

The event has changed during Colburn’s 40 years. The monument at the corner of Cedar and Main streets has been restored and refurbished, thanks in large part to the efforts of Colburn, other VFW members and the Battleship Maine Centennial Committee, which organized several events during the 1998 anniversary.

Now, instead of a handful of old veterans, the event draws dozens of past and present service members, community leaders and, this year, the Bangor High School band...

...The USS Maine, a new and premiere battleship of its time, was patrolling in supposedly peaceful waters of the Caribbean Sea during the Cuban revolt against Spain. The ship exploded and sank, prompting U.S. officials to blame the Spanish. War was declared about two months after the ship sank.

Although an investigation into the ship’s sinking didn’t reveal how it happened — some experts believe it was simply spontaneous combustion of coal — the event nevertheless rallied U.S. forces at the time with the battle cry, “Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain.”
From the Bangor Daily News
Type of publication: Newspaper

When was the article reported?: 02/15/2010

Publication: Bangor Daily News

Article Url: [Web Link]

Is Registration Required?: no

How widespread was the article reported?: regional

News Category: Society/People

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