I
wrote this column a
year or so ago and
got several
responses. I have
since gone back and
looked over the
letter my uncle
wrote (see info
in the article)
and it now looks
like he was trying
to write ‘Dover,
MANE’…Of course that
should be spelled
Maine, but I looked
up Dover, and found
there is a Dover,
New Hampshire right
on the border of
Maine and New
Hampshire. So, the
Benny he is
referring to may
have been from New
Hampshire. I thought
about running this
once more this year
on the off hand
chance someone new
might recall this
lady and perhaps she
is still alive. I
think it would make
a great ending to a
love story. Thanks.
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?
