From the Newsletter of the Garden State Detachment, Marine Corps League:
by Rich Basile, PSC
Department of New Jersey
Marine Corps League
In the small town of Washington Borough (Warren County) New Jersey (there is more than one Washington in New Jersey), there is a monument to the USS Maine with a piece of steel from the ship, which has obviously been there for a number of years.
At 1100 on the morning of January 25, 1898 the battleship Maine sailed into Havana Harbor with the Marines paraded on the quarterdeck. Publicized as a courtesy visit, the ship’s Captain, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee, USN directed his Marine Detachment Commanding Officer, First Lieutenant Albertus W. Catlin to establish additional sentry posts while in port.
On the calm night of February 15, 1898 at 2140 the ship was rocked by two explosions, First Lt. Catlin immediately headed topside. Marine Private William F.Anthony, who was the orderly for the ship’s Captain began immediately to escort theCaptain below deck, the three men met in the smoke filled companionway and Captain Sigsbee was informed the ship was sinking. The ship went to the bottom of the harbor rapidly with nearly 250 men, including 28 Marines. Upon Captain Sigsbee’s report after the sinking, Private Anthony was acclaimed a hero and promptly promoted to Sergeant. It is interesting to note that, at Belleau Wood, now Colonel Albertus Catlin was wounded. Colonel Catlin had been awarded the Medal of Honor in 1914 at Vera Cruz, Mexico.
The United States shortly after declared war with Spain; but, most important to the Marine Corps was the fact that Congress increased the strength of the Corps to 119 officers and 4,713 enlisted men. Forty of the new officers were to be temporary second lieutenants and three –for the first time in the history of the Marine Corps – were to be meritorious promoted noncommissioned officers. Commandant Colonel Heywood was promoted to Brigadier General.
The Corps was on its way to becoming how we know it today. The war with Spain also united our country again, after the not too distant past war between the states.