DVIDS – News – Connecticut World War I Soldier posthumously receives Purple Heart

GUILFORD, Conn. – A Connecticut Nationwide Guard Soldier assigned to Firm M, 102nd Infantry Regiment, who perished in World Battle I posthumously obtained the Purple Coronary heart throughout a ceremony on the Guilford city inexperienced Could 24, 2024, greater than 100 years after his loss of life.

U.S. Military Sgt. Paul Maynard, of Torrington, Connecticut, was killed in motion on the final day of the warfare whereas serving in France and is documented because the final service member from Connecticut to be killed within the warfare.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) offered the Purple Coronary heart to Rick Maynard, Paul’s grandnephew.

Additionally in attendance had been a number of present members of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, which is without doubt one of the oldest lively items within the U.S. army, with a heritage that dates again to the colonial militia.

In keeping with Maynard, the ceremony introduced his household closure after their journey to be taught extra about their great-uncle’s life and army service started in 2010 after they found a package deal of letters he’d despatched dwelling from the warfare whereas cleansing out their father’s basement.

“I opened it up and noticed about three dozen letters written from Paul to my grandfather from the battlefields of France,” Maynard mentioned. “I began studying these letters and mentioned, ‘Oh my goodness! That is superb!’”

Since their discovery, Sgt. Maynard’s household has labored with historians to piece collectively his story. And, with the assistance of Christine Pittsley, the particular tasks curator on the Connecticut State Library, they had been even capable of pinpoint the precise coordinates of the place he died on the battlefield.

“I believe Paul was very proud to put on the American uniform and even prouder to serve his nation,” mentioned Lisa Ann Maynard in a 2015 documentary about Sgt. Maynard offered by the American Battle Monuments Fee. “All people put loads on the road, and I’m actually hoping that Paul would be the catalyst for folks to say, ‘let’s look extra into our historical past on this.’”

Through the ceremony, Maynard talked about how his great-uncle was a patriot and one of many first folks to enlist to serve within the warfare from his hometown. He described him as selfless, all the time sending dwelling his army pay to assist his household with their payments as he didn’t want the cash over there. And he shared excerpts from the letters, together with one from his final letter, dated Nov. 4, 1918, to his brother, only one week earlier than he was killed by a German artillery strike.

“Properly, Glen, I believed an excellent many occasions I by no means would be capable to write dwelling once more. We’ve got had a tough time on this entrance and we’ll be glad when it’s over with. Write typically and don’t neglect your outdated chum.”

Maynard was compelled to share this specific excerpt as a result of he felt the ultimate line encapsulated the true that means of Memorial Day, which People had been making ready to have a good time a couple of days later. “Don’t neglect your outdated chum”. Don’t neglect the women and men who’ve given their lives to guard our nation. Don’t neglect the brothers and sisters who by no means returned dwelling.

“Lots of people don’t notice that the Purple Coronary heart represents that you just spilled blood for the USA, and also you had been prepared to offer your life for it,” mentioned John Alberghini, a veteran and Purple Coronary heart recipient, in an interview with WTNH.

The 102nd Infantry Regiment has a storied historical past throughout World Battle I. They had been the primary American unit to see heavy fight within the Battle in the course of the battle of Seichprey. In addition they participated within the battles of Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and the Battle of Verdun, simply to call a couple of. Sergeant Maynard and Firm M fought in a few of the warfare’s most intense battles, such because the Battle of Belleau Wooden, the Saint-Mihiel Marketing campaign, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

He was killed on the final day of the warfare as he labored to drag his males again from the entrance line and is buried within the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Plot D Row 24, Grave 26.

He was 21 years outdated.