MORRIS COUNTY, NJ – The Feb. 15, 1898 explosion that sank the U.S.S. Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba killed 268 of its crew and sparked hostilities between Spain and the United States, which had long supported revolts in Cuba and the Philippines to break from Spanish rule.
“Remember the Maine” became a call to arms in the Spanish-American War, and Morris County residents were among the heroes and casualties of a series of conflicts that began in Cuba and continued into the Philippines years later.
Morris County’s Office of Planning and Preservation has compiled a growing list of those soldiers and sailors, and hopes to fill in many blanks on their history, as well as find others who served.
“This release demonstrates Morris County’s continuing efforts to document her veterans’ histories. What may only be a name of a veteran today, in the future someone may be able to fill in that history,” said Jan William, a historian at Planning and Preservation. “We have compiled many names and even some old news clippings on our local sailors and soldiers who served in those conflicts, but we would love to learn of others and find any supportive documents as well as old news clippings about them. This was a notable and interesting era in our nation, as well as in Morris County, and we hope to document it as thoroughly as possible. We invite everyone to help us.”
Contributions can be emailed to jwilliams@co.morris.nj.us.
To view the Spanish-American and Philippine Wars website click here.
