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Veterans Day Honoring all who served November 11, 2019 ✶ Special Advertising Supplement ✶ Sunday, November 10, 2019 ✶ Kennebec Journal ✶ Morning Sentinel ✶ 2 Sunday, November 10, 2019 _________________________________________________________ Advertising Supplement • Kennebec Journal • Morning Sentinel Today, and every day, we honor our heroes. Kennebec Savings Bank is proud to support our veterans of the past, present, and future. www.KennebecSavings.Bank Advertising Supplement • Kennebec Journal • Morning Sentinel _______________________________________________________ Sunday, November 10, 2019 3 Command Historian discovers Maine veterans were very active in overseas wars Bratten visits tunnels, underground rooms with film crews BY VALERIE TUCKER When he saw the writings and drawings on the walls, he had years to build churches, forts and homes, Correspondent leaving vast miles of tunnels and rooms that a strong hunch that several symbols were put there by Native were used as hospitals, sleeping quarters aptain Jonathan Bratten, command and offices. The documentary, “Americans historian for the 133rd Engineer American soldiers who served in WWI, specifically the Passa- Underground: Secret Cities of WWI,” showed C Battalion of the Maine Army Nation- maquoddy tribe. many of the hundreds of writings, symbols al Guard, grew up in Ohio. Fortunately for and other graffiti Allied Forces soldiers had Maine, he has adopted this northern New CAPTAIN JONATHAN BRATTEN carved and written during their long days England state as his home. He and his wife underground. Since many were a mystery, met when they were in college and, in 2009, Bratten received an unexpected invitation to they moved to southern Maine, where she travel with the film crew on a whirlwind trip was raised. to France. While she studied for her law degree, he “One day, I was sitting at my desk, and I began his studies in the Master’s Degree in got a call from one of the writers, asking if I History from the University of New Hamp- knew of any battlefield archaeologists,” he shire. He said he has never regretted his said. “They wanted to know if I knew anything choice to settle in the Pine Tree state. about the 103rd Infantry Regiment.” “Moving into New England is like moving to He said he wasn’t sure what a battlefield the heart of history,” he said. archaeologist was, so he said he couldn’t Bratten said he’s always had strong inter- help. He got a second call five minutes later. est in military history, even as a boy. “Would you like to go to France as our bat- “I ran out of kids’ reading by the time I was tlefield archaeologist?” the writer asked. 11, so I started on the adult selections,” he That chance was one he said he would put said. at the top of his list of life experiences. He He was hooked permanently after he saw found the time he spent with the film crew the movie “Gettysburg” and the acclaimed down in the underground cities to be emo- Civil War series by Ken Burns. He also read tionally compelling, because he had spent about Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th so much time studying these Maine soldiers Maine Volunteer Regiment’s battle at Little and never expected to see where they lived Round Top and victory at Gettysburg. Fitting- and fought. ly, he attended a special presentation about When he saw the writings and drawings on the regiment and Chamberlain. The “Ballad the walls, he had a strong hunch that sever- of the 20th Maine,” written and performed al symbols were put there by Native Ameri- by the Ghost of Paul Revere, was declared can soldiers who served in WWI, specifically by Governor Janet Mills in June as Maine’s the Passamaquoddy tribe. Several young official anthem. men from the tribe had volunteered, even Today, Bratten combines that passion for though they didn’t become citizens until the history with his military career. He collab- Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. orates with other professionals at Maine’s “They couldn’t vote, they didn’t have the Photo contributed by Captain Jonathan Bratten, Maine National Guard State Library, State Museum and State same property rights, there were a whole Captain Jonathan Bratten serves as the command historian for the 133rd Engineer Bat- Archives. Most recently, he worked on the list of things they couldn’t do because they talion of the Maine Army National Guard. During the 100th year anniversary of Maine’s “Over There and Down Home: Mainers and weren’t American citizens,” according to the part in WWI, he was invited by a Smithsonian Institution film and research crew to pro- World War I” exhibits of extraordinarily rare film’s notes. “But they loved America; they vide his expertise on a documentary: “Americans Underground: Secret Cities of WWI.” photographs and film footage. were devoted to their country.” The time he spent in France visiting the “Allied Forces’ underground cities was emotion- Past generations of his family have served When he returned, Bratten traveled to the ally compelling, he said. He had spent so much time studying these Maine soldiers and in different wars, and he also continues that reservation at Pleasant Point in Washington never expected to see where they lived and fought. tradition, completing a non-combat tour in County, seeking family members related Afghanistan. to those volunteers. When he shared his He travels the entire state regularly to photos from the French underground cities, speak to historical societies, schools and he learned from the Passamaquoddy tribe veterans’ organizations, often during historian that ancient tribal symbols for evenings and weekends. Still, he considers peace and friendship in the caves dated his job “the best job in the world.” Although studying and speaking extensively about the “planned to make a documentary about the back thousands of years. he doesn’t seek the unusual opportunities 100th anniversary of World War I, especially underground cities in France discovered To request Capt. Jonathan Bratten for a tossed his way, he doesn’t turn away the about Maine’s contributions, and Smithso- after the war. speaking engagement, call (207)626-4429 chance to offer his assistance. He had been nian Institution researchers and filmmakers France had mined stone for hundreds of or visit www.me.ngb.army.mil/doms. 4 Sunday, November 10, 2019 _________________________________________________________ Advertising Supplement • Kennebec Journal • Morning Sentinel VA offers hope and help for veterans living with grief Wars leave U.S. troops struggling with pain, depression BY WANDA CURTIS seven to nine people on the trail watching one As soon as you have a Correspondent another’s backs. “When someone said ‘I got your back,’ it meant friend that gets killed, you ennebec County resident Ken Ainsworth they were willing to die for you,” said Ainsworth. hate them — a whole race was 18 years old when he signed up for “The point man was from Queens, New York. He K the U.S. Army. He had no idea what lay was like an idol, but when he went into the jungle, of people. ahead of him. It was 1968 and a fierce war was his whole body shook. He was so scared because KEN AINSWORTH raging in Vietnam. he was responsible for all of the people behind “I thought it must be better than the struggles him.” I was having with school,” said Ainsworth. “So I One of Ainsworth’s good friends, from the same ”How do you forgive yourself for doing some- ments, or triggered by anniversary dates. These quit high school and joined the army. It was the hometown, was shot in the head by a sniper while thing that you think is wrong?” said Ainsworth. are common and it is recognized that the process big thing back then—going in the service.” he was on R&R. “You have to find peace.” is very individual.” After spending seven or eight months in Ger- “I didn’t get to see him again,” said Ainsworth. “I Ainsworth said that he was finally able to find VA offers many services many, Ainsworth was notified that he was being didn’t get to say goodbye.” peace when he asked God to forgive him for to help veterans with grief transferred to Vietnam in 30 days. Like Ainsworth, many of America’s veterans things that he’d done. The VA offers many resources for active and “Back then, who even knew where Vietnam experience grief. It may be grief related to com- “I placed my faith in Christ and asked for for- retired military personnel experiencing grief. Clin- was—somewhere in Southeast Asia,” said rades who died in battle, grief caused by actions giveness of things that I’d done,” said Ainsworth. ical social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists Ainsworth. “I was from a rural town in Connect- they had to take while under fire, or grief related “I became a lot more sensitive and loving person and advanced mental health nurse practitioners icut.” to time lost with their families and missing out on then. I no longer had an intense hatred for an diagnose and treat complicated grief, depression Thirty days later, ready or not, Ainsworth was important events that took place while they were entire nation of people.” and stress disorders. The VA also has clergy headed for Vietnam. It was boiling hot outside away from home, realizing that their families’ lives Though he still struggles sometimes with bad available to assist with grief and a host of support when the plane landed. went on without them. memories, Ainsworth said since that experience groups and talk training that veterans may ac- “I remember not being able to breathe because Nurse Tracy Charette is a mental health staff he has a lot more control over his life.

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