EVERETT WINTHROP READ, FIREMAN FIRST CLASS USS , 1898 DAVID L, BECKMAN, OMSA #3488

I never actually met my great-grandfather as he died long before I was born. My introduction to Everett Winthrop Read was through hearing exotic tales of his life as a sailor during his travels in the Far East. My grandmother passed stories on to me that enthral- led her~as ayoung girl; stories that brought him back to life for both of us. While still living with my parents, I often admired the many art objects and fine displays of craftsmanship in pieces my great- grandfather had carried with him on his return to America from and in 1899. My grandmother used to show me some of her collection as she entertained me with the adventures of her father. There were delicately carved pipes that once held both opium and tobacco; delicately carved ivory figures embedded into photograph album covers inlaid with gold and sealed with a secret age-old lacquer; porcelain vases and bowls; and silken banners embroidered with gold leaf. But it was one item in particular that held my attention years ago, and which I since then possess with pride. The "" in its original case of issue. This medal was presented to Everett Winthrop Read, Fireman First Class, I began a personal collection of military medals and decorations about ten years before joining OMSA in 1982. Being an active-duty sailor myself I knew something about medals, but never seriously considered their history or the history of their recipients. My interest was solely in accumulating them for my collection. I knew that if one medal was issued for a particular campaign, chances are that others were authorized to be issued. The campaign medals of the Spanish-American War were no exception.

Thus began my research on great-grandfather Read’s naval career, as short as it was (one enlistment of four years). Several years have passed and much correspondence. I have tapped every available source I could find and have received bundles of information° The first snag I ran into was in trying to obtain a copy of his service record from the National Archives. After the traditional red tape, and my grandmother’s signature, I was finally successful in procuring a copy of his file folder. Included were documents of his entire naval career from enlistment contract through d~scharge and later pension requests. After reading "Your Own Back Yard" (Stephen F. Donoghue, The Medal ...... Collector, June 1984) I realized that I too had a valuable source of information in my own back yard. I recalled my grandmother and other family members talking of his adventures and the mementos he’d returned home with. A newspaper article was written about him when he returned from the Far East. This article appeared in the Council Bluffs Nonp=~Z on II June 1899. I obtained a copy through my parents.

4 TMC 6/86 SATIN BANNER WITH A PHOTOGRAPH OF EVERETT READ TAKEN IN HONG KONG 23 MAY 1897 5 TMC 6/86 Born 8 September 1870 in Buckley, Illinois, Everett Read moved to Arcadia, Iowa with his family. After a short stay they moved once again, to Council Bluffs, Iowa where he grew up working on his father’s farm° During his late teens and early twenties, Everett and his brother formed a partnership in several business ventures. It ~could have been boredom, or perhaps he was a victim of hard times, but he left the businesses in January 1895 and joined the . It was 30 September 1895~ at Mare Island, that he report- ed aboard the receiving ship USS Snd~p~nd~n~e. For the next 80 days he received personal gear, uniforms, shipboard training, and indoctrination into his new way of life. Three months later, 30 December 1895, Fireman Second Class Read reported aboard the pro- tected cruiser USS Bo~=. Little did he know at that time what part the men and the 3,000 ton ship would play in one of the great- est sea battles in naval history.

Everett’s first duties were as an oiler; his sea watches were to keep the main shaft gears and bearings well lubricated. When general quarters was sounded his battle-station was one of the ship’s guns located forward on the starboard side° He was the gun trainer. On 1 October 1896 Read was promoted to Fireman First Class. He was moved from the oiler gang to the coal gang in the main boiler room where he loaded and stored coalo When underway, it was his duty to keep the boiler stoked for the constant fires providing propulsion for the cruiser. It was during this time that he lost partial sight in his left eye because of the extreme furnace heat. The damage was irrepairable and he lost sight in that eye complete- ly in his later years. On 1 May 1898 Commodore George Dewey took the into Bay. Within six hours the squadron had destroyed the Spanish Fleet at anchor there. The 1,800 Navy and Marine Corps personnel who manned the ships that day made history° Fireman Read was by no means one of the famous men of that battle, but he was one of the many who had a part in that famous . Fire- man Read and others like him received the Dewey Medal. When Everett joined the Navy, the ~$ ~e~n had been in the Mare Island Shipyard for two years, since November 1893o Recommissioned on 18 November 1895, U~8 Bo~n joined the Asiatic Squadron at , Japan on 25 February 1896. Read was on board and remain- ed with the ship in the Orient, protecting America~ interests for the next four years. During the Spanish-American War, USS ~~ took part in the Battle of Manila Bay on 1 May 1898. She helped capture Manila on 13 August 1898. ~ ~ remained in the assisting in their pacification until 8 June 1899. It was on 31 March 1899 that Fireman Read was transferred to the U~ ~mi~Zo, then anchored in Manila Bay° U~ ~i~Zo weighed anchor and got under way for New York. At this time Fireman Read requested to remain aboard US~ Bu~¢~o for discharge at New York. Enroute for the next 103 days, Read stood watches and carried on normal shipboard routine, all the while preparing for separation from the Navy.

On 18 May 1899, while the U~S ~i~Zo lay at anchor in New York Harbor, Everett Winthrop Read, Fireman First Class~ Serial Number 527, was honorably discharged from the United States Navy.

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