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Do you know Benny?
After
visiting with some folks at dinner the other night, I told
them about this situation and then it dawned on me that
perhaps someone out there who reads this stuff of mine
might, just might be able to help me.
In May of 1942, I had an Uncle by the name of Mark Davis.
Mark was in the Merchant Marine and was assigned to serving
on oil and gasoline tankers coming up the east coast from
New Jersey to Texas. In May of 1942, he was on the SS
Virginia coming out of New Orleans when a German submarine,
the U-507 torpedoed the ship.
The Virginia went down and as I recall about 14 of the
crewmen lost their lives. I’ve never been able to find out
the exact details of what happened that day, since the
records are so old and scattered. But, in any event my Uncle
must have done something to help the survivors since as a
result of his actions, a Liberty ship was built and named
after him. My Mother and Grandmother were the sponsors and
when I was growing up, I remembered the pictures of them
christening the ship in Houston.
How does this relate to today?
Well, a couple of years ago, my oldest Aunt, knew I was
interested in my Uncle’s history and she sent me a number of
letters, newspaper clippings and other items that told about
the ship being sunk. She also sent me the telegrams from the
War Department that were sent to my Grandmother telling her
that her son had been killed. He was buried out in Odessa,
Texas.
I decided to contact a model ship maker and had a model made
of the Liberty Ship, Mark A. Davis. During the six months or
so while the model was being built I went back and reread
some of the letters that Mark had written.
In his last letter to my Grandmother, he told her he was
carrying a load of highly flammable aviation gasoline and
anything should happen to them, he would think it very
doubtful that he would survive. Of, course something did
happen to him and he was killed.
In looking at this last letter, I found a curious notation.
He writes…”Mom, I am worried about this trip…if, by chance
anything should happen to me, there is this girl, Benny
Goodenberger, in …………, and I’d like you to tell her what
happened to me.”
The problem with this letter is that no one can tell what
town he is telling us that Benny lived in. It looks like
Denver, but could be Dover. He wasn’t in Colorado at any
time, but he had been in Maine…is there a Dover, Maine or a
Dover anywhere on the east coast?
Now, what occurred to me is that knowing the capabilities of
the world in 1942, I am fairly certain my Grandmother made
absolutely no effort to find Miss. Goodenberger. If I can’t
read his writing 62 years later, I’m sure she couldn’t
either.
So, what do you think we have here?
Well, let’s suppose Miss. Goodenberger fell in love with my
Uncle Mark. He gets on a ship and sails away, never to
return. The ship was sunk off the coast of Louisiana during
the war. The newspapers weren’t too eager to publicize the
fact that German submarines were lurking just off our
coasts. Miss. Goodenberger might never have know what
happened to Mark, since no one knew how to contact her and
tell her. So, it’s possible she has spent all of this time
wondering why he never came back.
I went on line to Google and looked at the number of
Goodenbergers listed in the entire country. There were only
about 20 or so. None of them lived in any town or city that
resembled a Dover or Denver. I mailed each of them a letter
explaining what I was trying to do. A couple called me, but
sadly had no information or had ever heard of any
Goodenberger named Benny.
It’s possible that she is still alive somewhere. Of course
by now, she would have to be in her eighties, but could
certainly be alive. I’m wondering if the US Census for 1940
would have her listed and might be available?
Anyway, it’s a long story, but one that I’d like to resolve.
If anyone out there has any suggestions on what I might do
next or where to look….drop me a line. We might just solve
this thing yet…..wouldn’t that be nice?
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