Friday's Photo: The Rainbow Division

The “Rainbow Division” was the nickname of the 42nd Infantry Division, created in 1917 from National Guard units drawn from 26 states plus the District of Columbia. Douglas MacArthur played a key role in the division’s early organization and is credited with coining the “Rainbow Division” name, saying it stretched across the United States “like a rainbow.” He served as the division’s first chief of staff and later commanded a brigade.

The division took on the “Rainbow Division” name in 1917 while organizing at Camp Mills in Garden City on Long Island, New York (near Clinton Rd and Commercial Ave). By spring 1918, the Rainbow Division was on the front lines. It fought in several major American operations, including Champagne–Marne, Aisne–Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse–Argonne. The Rainbow Division spent more time in combat than any other American division in World War I and suffered casualties exceeding 50 percent. The 42nd Infantry Division still exists today as an active unit in the U.S. Army.

Charles William Giddens 1892-1972
Photograph circa 1914

My grandmother’s brother, Charles William Giddens, served as a sergeant in
Company A of the 149th Machine Gun Battalion. He arrived in France in November 1917 and returned home in April 1919. During his time overseas, he was wounded three times—one of them severely.

Uncle Charlie was very proud of his service. He made plaques to commemorate his World War I service and his Navy service in World War II. He also made plaques honoring others’ service—my family has one he made for my father, and I know there were more. My mother said Uncle Charlie made the plaques, and his wife, Louise, painted them.

Last month, my family donated two plaques made by Uncle Charlie to the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, Virginia. The plaque pictured above was donated, along with the plaque shown in my post “Friday’s Photo: Charles William Giddens.” I think he would be proud to know these pieces of his story are being preserved for the future.

The MacArthur Memorial is a museum and research center dedicated to
General Douglas MacArthur and the men and women who served with him
in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

Diana Quinn, photograph of the Douglas MacArthur statue in front of the MacArthur Memorial, Norfolk, Virginia, 11 August 2023; digital photograph; privately held by Diana Quinn, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 2026.

Janet Richardson (New York), digital image of photograph of Charles William Giddens, ca. 1914; privately held by Janet Richardson; digital copy provided to Diana Quinn (Virginia Beach, Virginia), 2026.

MacArthur Memorial, “From the Collection: The 42nd ‘Rainbow’ Division was established in August 1917 …,” Facebook post, 11 August 2025 (https://www.facebook.com/macarthurmemorial/posts/from-the-collection-the-42nd-rainbow-division-was-established-in-august-1917-a-y/1471443374416870/ : accessed 3 February 2026).

“Pennsylvania, U.S., World War I Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917–1919, 1934–1948,” database with images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 February 2026), entry for Charles W. Giddens (Army serial no. 112716), service/compensation card, p. 9, image 41744_182029006040_0891-00767 (front), (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/60884/images/41744_182029006040_0891-00767?ssrc=pt&usePUB=true&pId=1825992 : accessed 4 February 2026); citing “World War I Veterans Service and Compensation File, 1934–1948,” RG 19, Series 19.91, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg.

Richard Bryan, digital photographs of plaques made by Charles William Giddens (including Rainbow Division plaque and related items), MacArthur Memorial, Norfolk, Virginia, 17 January 2026, Chesapeake, Virginia; privately held by Richard Bryan, 2026. 

Wikipedia contributors, “42nd Infantry Division (United States),” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, last edited 17 November 2025, (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=42nd_Infantry_Division_(United_States)&oldid=1322664933 : accessed 3 February 2026).

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #5 Esther Thomson, Mother of John

Esther Thomson was born on 28 July 1652. Her given name is usually written as Esther, though I sometimes see it recorded as Hester. Her surname also appears in several spellings—Thompson, Thomson, Tompson, and Tomson. I’ve seen her father’s name most often as Thomson, so I will refer to her as Esther Thomson in all following posts.

Esther was the daughter of John Thomson and Mary Cooke. Mary is well known as the daughter of Francis Cooke, a Mayflower passenger. There is also a surprising amount written about John. He came to Massachusetts from Wales at about age six with his mother and stepfather. He was a farmer and a carpenter who built many houses. He was described as a kind friend and served as a command lieutenant for a small garrison formed to fight Indians.

Mary and John had eleven known children. Esther was the fourth child and the second daughter. Esther married William Read/Reed. I do not have documentation for the marriage itself, but The Reed Genealogy and other genealogies give a date of about 1675. Esther is named in her father’s will, and William Read appears under a list of heirs (apparently signing for Esther). She is also named in William Read's will.  Some older genealogies identify Esther’s husband as Jonathan Reed, but the information in both wills clearly places Esther with William Read/Reed. 

Both William and Esther were said to have died between the writing of William’s will dated 26 Oct 1705 and probate in the fall of 1706. More about Esther and William can be found at my post, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #4 William Reed, Father of John.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page , where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

Charles Hutchinson Thompson, A Genealogy of the Descendants of John Thomson of Plymouth, Mass.: Also Sketches of Families of Allen, Cooke and Hutchinson (Lansing: D.D. Thorp, printer, 1890), digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/genealogyofdesce00thom/page/n9/mode/2up?q=carpenter

 : accessed 2 February 2026).

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635 to 1902. Baltimore, Maryland: n.p., 1902, pages 5-14.

Massachusetts, Suffolk County Probate Court, Probate and Family Court Department File Papers, Box 18 (Cases 2961–3150), 1 January 1636–31 December 1894; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSXD-83GV-Q?view=explore : accessed 26 January 2026), image 164 of 1320; Image Group Number 102992159; citing Massachusetts Department of Archives, Boston.

Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, The Mayflower Descendant: A Quarterly Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy and History, vol. 4 (Boston: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899), 67 (transcription of John Thompson’s will and estate papers); digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/mayflowerdescendv4mass/page/n67/mode/2up : accessed 2 February 2026).

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #4 William Reed, Father of John

According to The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, From 1635 to 1902, William Reed (also spelled Reade/Read) lived in Weymouth, Massachusetts, was born 15 Oct 1639, and was the son of William and Avis (Deacon) Reade. He is the father of John Reed (#3) and quite possibly my seventh-great-grandfather.

Across several decades, William appears repeatedly in Weymouth town business—work connected to fences, roads, boundary lines, and other civic responsibilities—including service as constable and selectman. The Reed Genealogy also places him on Pleasant Street in South Weymouth and describes him as an active landholder involved in numerous land transactions.

 

William served in King Philip’s War (1675–1676)—a New England conflict between English colonists and several Native communities, led in part by the Wampanoag under Metacom (called “King Philip” by the English). William was in the Weymouth militia and was also a Trooper, meaning he was part of a mounted unit used for quicker movement and patrol-type duties. Records place him in the Mount Hope campaign, an early phase of the war focused around the Mount Hope/Bristol area (in what is now Rhode Island).

William married Esther (also written as Hester) Thompson by about 1675. The Reed Genealogy reported that William and Esther had the following children:

• John, b. 21 Oct 1680; d. young

• William, b. 24 May 1682; d. 3 Jun 1753; m. 1703 Alice Nash

• John, b. 10 Jul 1687; m. (1) Sarah Hersey;* m. (2) Mary Wheeler

• Jacob, b. 6 Nov 1691; d. 1766; m. (1) Sarah Hersey;* m. (2) Hannah Noyes (widow)

• Bashna, m. Nicholas Porter

• Mercy, m. [surname Whitmarsh—first name missing in excerpt]

• Mary (details not in excerpt)

• Hester, m. 1707 Joseph Allen

• Sarah, b. 21 Mar 1694; m. Hezekiah King

*Needs more investigation.

Both William and Esther (Hester) were said to have died between the writing of William’s will dated 26 Oct 1705 and probate in the fall of 1706. William's will is below. 

Click on the will to see it enlarged. If you have a free FamilySearch

account, you can view the will here. 

Will of William Reed (Weymouth), dated 26 Oct 1705; proved 12 Sep 1706. William provided his wife, Esther/Hester, a lifetime right to the home place (house and adjoining land/meadow), barn and orchard, and household goods, while directing his sons, William and John, to manage it for her benefit.

He then divided major landholdings among sons William, John, and Jacob, left each daughter £20 (with instructions for which sons paid which legacies), and ordered shared assets—such as a wharf interest, common lot, Bridgewater land, and a sawmill interest—to be divided among the three sons.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page , where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635 to 1902. Baltimore, Maryland: n.p., 1902, pages 5-14.

Massachusetts. Suffolk County Probate Court, Probate and Family Court Department File Papers, Box 18 (Cases 2961–3150), 1 January 1636–31 December 1894; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSXD-83GV-Q?view=explore : accessed 26 January 2026), image 164 of 1320; Image Group Number 102992159; citing Massachusetts Department of Archives, Boston.

Mathew Carey, The State of Massachusetts (Philadelphia: Mathew Carey, 1815), engraved hand-colored map, published in Carey’s General Atlas; digital image, David Rumsey Map Collection, List no. 16102.014 (https://www.davidrumsey.com/uv/index.html?manifestUrl=%2F%2Fwww.davidrumsey.com%2Fluna%2Fservlet%2Fiiif%2Fm%2FRUMSEY~8~1~363533~90131027%2Fmanifest#?: accessed 25 January 2026).

Philip Hildreth Reade, Ancestors of Captain Philip Reade, 3d Regiment of Infantry, U.S. Army: who, in a military capacity, aided to create, defend and preserve the colonies of North America between 1607 and 1776 (Fort Snelling, Minnesota: [publisher not identified], [1896]), unnumbered page, entry for “William Reade (Sometime Reed-Read-Reid.), 1633–1706”; print, Genealogy & local history series G5266; Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #3 John Reed born July 10, 1687

Even though John Reed wrote a will in March 1733, the Plymouth County probate court later settled his estate as intestate—meaning the judge treated him as if no valid will was in force. In the 1740 probate paperwork, Judge John Cushing issued guardianships for John’s minor children and then ordered the distribution of his estate under intestacy rules rather than under the terms of the will. This doesn’t necessarily mean the will never existed; it may not have been presented to the court, it may have been considered invalid, or it may not have covered the property that ended up being distributed.

John Reed is, without a doubt, the earliest ancestor I’ve ever written about. He was the father of Peter Reed, who is said to be the father of my fourth great-grandfather, Benjamin Reed. If that relationship holds, John becomes my sixth great-grandfather—exciting for me, because I’m seldom able to document a line this far back. And the best part? John wasn’t the beginning. The Reed line extends into earlier, identified generations, and ultimately reaches a Mayflower connection.

John was born on 10 July 1687 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, to William Reed and Esther Tompson (also seen as Thompson). Esther was a granddaughter of Francis Cooke, a Mayflower passenger. John is said to have moved to Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, in 1708, and The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, From 1635 to 1902 places him “opposite the burying ground” in the south part of town. He married twice—first Sarah Hersey,* with whom he had a son, John, and then Mary Wheeler in 1715. John and Mary are credited with nine children: James, Joseph, Mary, Ezekiel, Peter (my direct line), Squire, Silence, Betty, and Samuel.

This marriage record shows that John Read of Abington married Mary Wheeler of Rehoboth in 1715, a timeframe that fits well with the birth years of their children. In The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, From 1635 to 1902 by John Ludovicus Reed, John’s second wife is identified as Mary Whitmarsh—but so far I have not found any record of a marriage to a Mary Whitmarsh, or to any Mary other than Mary Wheeler, during this period.

John’s March 1733 will provides a rare and detailed look at his family and property. After debts were paid, he left his wife, Mary, all household and movable goods, and allowed her to use the homestead and a one-quarter share of a “Fourth Division” land right as long as she remained his widow. If she remarried, her rights were reduced: she would receive only one-third of the homestead’s income and would have no further right to the Fourth Division share. John intended his son James to become the principal heir of the homestead—receiving two-thirds immediately if Mary remarried and the remaining third at her death—while his other children, named in the will (John, Joseph, Ezekiel, Peter, Squire, Samuel, and Mary), were to share the remaining three-quarters of the Fourth Division right. Two children listed in the genealogy—Betty and Silence—are not mentioned in the will. Mary was also empowered to sell a small meadow lot if necessary to help pay debts.

It is still unclear exactly when John died, but the probate trail that follows his will helps narrow the timeframe. On 2 June 1740, guardians were appointed for his minor children, suggesting that John’s death likely occurred closer to that date than to the will he signed in 1733. One of the most revealing documents reproduced in The Reed Genealogy is the court order distributing John Reed’s estate, issued by Judge John Cushing and dated 12 July 1740 at the town of Scituate, which confirms that John was deceased by then and that his estate required formal division among his heirs.

*Note: So far, I have found no record—other than The Reed Genealogy—to document a first marriage for John Reed to Sarah Hersey. John’s younger brother, Jacob Reed, is also said to have first married a woman of the same name. Based on the dates involved, the most reasonable conclusion is that these were two different women named Sarah Hersey, rather than one Sarah who married both brothers. 

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

Abington, Massachusetts, Town Records, 1747–1856, vol. 2: 144, “John Read of Abington and Mary Wheeler married 1 December 1715” (recorded in section “Marriages from Leicester and Rehoboth”); digital image, image 40 of 207, Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620–1988, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com  : accessed 18 January 2026); citing Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Vital and Town Records (Provo, Utah: Holbrook Research Institute [Jay and Delene Holbrook]).

Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Court (Plymouth), Probate Files, nos. 16552–16632 (Reed, Betsey R.–Reed, Joseph), will of John Reed; digital image, image 1156 of 1409, “Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RYS-4CR?view=explore  : accessed 18 September 2024); citing Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, custodian; Image Group Number 005008236.

Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Court (Plymouth), Probate Records, 1738–1742, vol. 8; digital image, image 119 of 288, “Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-NKZ2?view=explore

 : accessed 18 January 2026); citing Plymouth (Massachusetts) Town Clerk, custodian; Image Group Number 007050977.

Reed, John Ludovicus, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635 to 1902. Baltimore, Maryland: n.p., 1902, pages 26-28.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #2 Lucy Hugens

This excerpt, written by Cyrus Nash (1780-1850) of Abington, Massachusetts, was found in The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635-1902 by John Ludovicus Reed. 

This week’s 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks prompt, “a record that adds color,” is a perfect fit for Lucy Hugens, the wife of Peter Reed and the presumed mother of Benjamin Reed. I did not expect to find much about Lucy. Given the time period and what appears to have been a modest economic status, she left few records of her own. What does add color to Lucy’s story is the above narrative by Cyrus Nash. In just a few paragraphs, Nash provided details that no town or land record ever could.

Nash identified Lucy’s father only as “Mr. Hugens,” an Irish immigrant who married a much younger woman, also from Ireland. According to the account, Lucy’s mother arrived in New England as a teenager, intending to meet an aunt in Pennsylvania. When her ship instead landed in Boston, she was indentured to pay her passage and later married Mr. Hugens in Abington—an experience that Nash’s description suggests contrasted with her earlier life in Ireland.

Nash names Lucy and three siblings: John Hugens, a sister married to Hosiah Porter of Weymouth, and another sister married to a man named Lot Randall. These brief references open valuable research paths.

What can be documented about Lucy comes from a small set of records. She and Peter Reed were married on 25 March 1748 in Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Later that same year, Peter and Lucy were warned to depart the town of Bridgewater. Lucy appears by name in the Abington birth records of two of her children—Sarah, born in 1757, and Samuel, born in 1760. In 1762 and again in 1763, while living in Bridgewater, Peter and Lucy were warned to remove to Abington. These records do not tell Lucy’s story outright, but together they place her firmly in time and place.

In additional remarks, Nash wrote that Peter died in 1780 and that Lucy removed to Cummington. This movement aligns with what is known about the family, as Benjamin Reed already lived in Cummington, and both of Lucy’s daughters married there in the 1780s.

When paired with marriage, birth, and town records, Nash’s narrative adds dimension to Lucy’s life and provides clues that help guide further research into a woman who otherwise appears only intermittently in the historical record.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page , where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635-1902 Vol. I  (no publisher named, 1901). 

Massachusetts, U.S., Marriages, 1633–1850, digital images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2495/images/40904_263574__0005-00142

 : accessed 10 January 2026), image 142 of 192, Abington marriages, marriage of Peter Reed and Lucy Hugens, 25 March 1748, Congregational Church, Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts; citing Massachusetts Vital Records, Abington, Family History Library microfilm 1,409,404.

Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620–1988, digital images, image 243, entry for the marriage of Sarah Reed and Joel Hill, 30 October 1782, Cummington, Hampshire County, Massachusetts; Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2495/records/58991557?tid=45260559&pid=412222903562&ssrc=pt  : accessed 16 May 2024).

Cummington, Hampshire, Massachusetts, United States records, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-8979-H9YZ?view=explore

 : accessed 11 January 2026), image 134 of 162, entry for the marriage of Jacob Nash and Joanna Reed, 27 November 1788, Cummington Town Clerk; Image Group Number 007009226.

Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS41-RST6-P?view=explore

 : accessed 11 January 2026), image 396 of 407, entry for Peter and Lucy Reed warned, 1748, Plymouth County Court of General Sessions of the Peace; Image Group Number 007902905.

Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States records, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9B2-G9G5-S?view=explore

 : accessed 11 January 2026), image 156 of 971, entry for Peter and Lucy Reed warned, 1762 and 1763, Plymouth County Court of General Sessions of the Peace, volumes 2–6; Image Group Number 007726241.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #1 Benjamin Reed

Benjamin Reed is my 4th great-grandfather and my DAR Patriot. His life followed the path of many New England men of his generation. Born in Massachusetts, he served during the American Revolution, married, raised a family, and eventually moved north to Vermont, where he became an early settler and a town officer in Woodford, Bennington County. He eventually left Woodford for Windham County, Vermont, where he first lived in Wardsboro and later in Putney. His life left traces in military records, land transactions, town books, and family memories—enough to outline his story, even when no single record tells it outright.

The timeline above tells much of his story, and far more than is known for many of my other 4th great-grandparents. The real challenge, however, was proving the generations on either side of him. No record states that Benjamin was the son of Peter and Lucy, and no document directly connects him to his daughter, Nancy, my third great-grandmother. 

Benjamin Reed’s story marks my return to 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, and in the posts ahead, I will share not only my ancestors’ stories but also the research that has helped connect their lives across generations.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499357/benjamin-read : accessed 04 July 2022), memorial page for Benjamin Read, Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499357, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont; Maintained by Cynthia Kaley (contributor 51056978).

   

Hampshire, Deeds 1789-1795, Book 3:550, Reed to Coock, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99Z8-29DJ?view=fullText : Mar 28, 2025), image 286 of 597; Massachusetts. County Court (Hampshire County).

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635-1902 Vol. I  (no publisher named, 1901). 

Lewis Cass Aldrich, History of Bennington County, Vt. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. (D. Mason & co, Syracuse, NY: 1889), 475-476; digital images, HathiTrust  (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yul.11775368_000_00&view=1up&seq=1&skin=2021 : accessed 25 June 2022).

“U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database and images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/49769:1995 : accessed 25 June 2022), for Benjamin Reed, images 266 to 320; citing "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files" (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Starting Again: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks — 2026

My mother, age five, and her sister, age four, sitting on a table in their home
at 92-43 214th Street in Queens Village, New York, in 1937.

My blog has been quiet for most of the last year. I’ve been busy as a full-time grandmother. Swim team, soccer, homework, piano lessons—and all the moments in between—required a change in priorities. 

As we move into 2026, I’m intentionally making room for genealogy again and committing time to learning and writing about my family through 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

This will be my third time taking part in this challenge, in which you write about an ancestor each week. In 2014, I used the challenge to document the collateral families of my second great-grandfather, John L. Hairston. A later round in 2018 followed the prompts more closely. This time, I’ll use the prompts as inspiration but expect to deviate as the research unfolds.

My focus in 2026 will be on my mother’s family. My mother and her sister—now 93 and 92—are faithful readers of this blog, making this a meaningful place to spend my research time. I will begin with my fourth great-grandfather, Benjamin Reed, and follow his parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren, allowing the story to move through the Reed, Glynn, and Harvey families and forward to my grandmother’s generation.

I’m looking forward to returning to regular writing and to spending this year reconnecting with these families and their stories.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2026

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: A Personal Connection

Whit Criswell Bryan 1920 - 2001

The Pearl Harbor Memorial (above) at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story honors local survivors and victims of the 1941 attack and is a site of annual remembrance ceremonies. My father’s name, Whit C. Bryan, is on the memorial. Right above his name is Robert R. Brunner, a fellow survivor who was also stationed at U.S. Naval Mobile Hospital Number 2. As of today, only 12 Pearl Harbor Survivors are living. 

Each year on December 7, we pause to remember the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and honor those who served and sacrificed. For most, it is a day of remembrance; for me, it is personal. My father, Whit Criswell Bryan, was a Pharmacist’s Mate 3rd Class assigned to Mobile Naval Hospital Number 2, then under construction in ʻAiea Heights in the hills north of Pearl Harbor.

Dad enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 10 January 1940 in Texas and served until retiring in 1969 as a Chief Petty Officer (HMC).  He never spoke much about his early service, but I often think about what life must have been like for a young recruit from the Texas Panhandle adjusting to the faraway Territory of Hawaii. I wish I had asked him more about those days. I began exploring our family’s history only a few years before his death in 2001, and since creating a blog in 2011, I’ve honored him each December 7th with a post of remembrance. Along the way, I’ve learned so much more.

Whit C. Bryan at the Mobile
Base Hospital No. 2

Dad shipped off to the Territory of Hawaii after completing basic training and Hospital Corps School in San Diego. He first served at the U. S. Naval Hospital, Pearl Harbor, and later transferred to the U.S.S. Argonne. In October of 1941, he was transferred from the Argonne back to the naval hospital, and on 1 December 1941, his duty station was named as US Naval Mobile Base Hospital No. 2. 

 

When the attack on Pearl Harbor began, Dad said he was delivering newspapers for a friend who had a paper route. He had driven the friend’s car and was at the top of a hill when he saw planes approaching, first thinking they were American. When the bombing started, he left the car and ran back to the Mobile Hospital. He told my brother that from the hill, he could see into the cockpits of the Japanese planes.

I don’t know exactly what he did after the attack, but oral histories, newspaper accounts, and other records help fill in the picture. Bernard Williams, another Pharmacist’s Mate, recalled that after the attack, they worked through the night clearing debris.  Robert Brunner and others from the mobile hospital crowded into trucks and rushed to the harbor to help transport casualties.  George Gorohoff’s obituary noted that he personally prepared more than 3,000 battle dressings while working in a sugar cane field near the hospital.

    

Dad said that only the sleeping quarters for those assigned to the hospital had been completed. Patients slept there, while medical personnel and others slept in trenches. Navy carpenter LeRoy Knurr recalled how his unit worked nonstop to finish the new medical wards.  Edward C. Kenny reported that as soon as each building was ready, it was filled with the wounded, many of them burn victims.

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is observed each year on December 7th to honor those who lost their lives during the 1941 attack. More than 2,400 Americans were killed and over 1,000 injured when aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy struck the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii. The following day, the United States entered the Second World War. 

Each December 7th, I pause to remember the events that shaped our nation and the generations who served with courage, duty, and quiet resolve, including my father, whose service became part of that history. 

This post brings together several earlier pieces I’ve written about my father’s time at Pearl Harbor. You can find links to those past posts below.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - 81 years ago today

Pearl Harbor 79th Remembrance

Friday's Photo: Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 2012

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - 2019

Thoughts of Dad on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 2014

Remembering Dad and Pearl Harbor: Naval Mobile Hospital # 2

Friday's Photo: Pearl Harbor 

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - Dad was stationed at the Mobile Naval Hospital #2 in Aiea Heights, Territory of Hawaii

#52ancestors Post Fifty-One: The Second Anniversary of Mobile Hospital No. 2, Pearl Harbor - August 1943 

Friday's Photo: Pearl Harbor Survivors, Whit Bryan and Bob Brunner - 1991

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2025

"Attack on Pearl Harbor." Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor : accessed 4 Dec. 2020).

“Last witnesses – Memories of Pearl Harbor attack,” The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.), 4 December 2011 (https://www.pilotonline.com/2011/12/04/last-witnesses-memories-of-pearl-harbor-attack/ : accessed 20 October 2025)

Meg Jones, “Film Shows Veterans Return to Pearl Harbor,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), 4 December 2012; archived article, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Archive (https://archive.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/film-shows-veterans-return-to-pearl-harbor-vk7skfi-182091441.html : accessed 20 October 2025).

Napa Valley Register (California), 9 February 2001, obituary for George Gorohoff, GenealogyBank.com (https://www.genealogybank.com/doc/obituaries/obit/13C7C709F1A0A2B8-13C7C709F1A0A2B8 : accessed 7 December 2019).

Navy Medicine Historical Files Collection, Facilities – Mobile Hospitals, image 12-0270-001, “Mobile Hospital No. 2, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.” Flickr: Photo Sharing, uploaded by NavyMedicine, n.d. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/navymedicine/8253012532/in/album-72157628320849325/ : accessed 6 December 2015).

St. Cloud Times, 5 December 1986, Page 9. Via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-cloud-times-mobile-naval-hospital/40093894/ : accessed 20 October 2025), clipped page for Mobile Naval Hospital – Bernard Williams by user dewquinn.

“Veterans of Pearl,” Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 8 December 1991 (https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1991/12/08/veterans-of-pearl/ : accessed 20 October 2025).

U.S. Navy, Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) for Whit Criswell Bryan, 1940–1969; Department of the Navy, National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, Missouri, copy held by Diana Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2002.

Friday's Photo: My Grandmother's Photo was NOT Restored by AI

In June, I set out to repair a badly damaged photograph of my grandmother, Myrtie Hairston Bryan. I uploaded the image to ChatGPT and asked it to restore the photo without altering the original coloring or her facial features. The result looked promising, and feeling satisfied, I labeled it “restored” and proudly shared it on my blog. My enthusiasm had been sparked after listening to Episode 25 of The Family History AI Show with Mark Thompson and Steve Little—though, in hindsight, I clearly missed an important point.

Restoration or Reconstruction? 

When I first ran my grandmother’s photo through Artificial Intelligence (AI), I thought I was seeing a careful repair job. The scratches and spots vanished, and her face appeared smoother and clearer than before. Only later did I realize the AI hadn’t really fixed the original image at all—it had recreated it.

AI studied the damaged image and generated new pixels to replace the missing details. The end result certainly looked like my grandmother, but it wasn’t the same photograph she carried home from the studio in the early 1900s. It was a modern, computer-generated version of that moment.

This difference matters. Just as we distinguish between an exact transcription and a “cleaned up” version of a document, we should be clear about whether a picture shows original evidence or an interpretation.

When we use AI to “improve” old photographs—whether by sharpening, recoloring, or filling in missing areas—we’re creating a new version. Those images should be clearly labeled, and the unaltered scan should always remain the authoritative copy. 

Moving Forward with AI 

I have removed the June 20th post because I don’t want someone to see that recreated image and upload it as a true restoration to sites such as Ancestry, where it would be copied and shared repeatedly.

I still appreciate what AI can do. It’s a tool I use daily for a wide range of tasks, including genealogy. However, when it comes to photographs, I’ll be much more cautious and look forward to the day when AI can truly repair a historical image rather than rebuild it.

My thinking about AI and photos has been shaped in part by conversations in the genealogy community—especially discussions from The Family History AI Show with Mark Thompson and Steve Little.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2025

Sources

“Episode 25: AI Image Generation Advances,” The Family History AI Show, (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep25-chatgpt-4o-transforms-image-generation-jarrett/id1749873836?i=1000712214261accessed 21 October 2025).

“Episode 27: Restoration or Recreation?” The Family History AI Show, (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep27-ai-image-restoration-concerns-perplexitys-future/id1749873836?i=1000717145783: accessed 21 October 2025).

Friday's Photo: Second-Great-Grandparents

William Moore Criswell and Mary Ann Evans Criswell

Second great-grandparents are ideal for genealogy research. Some vital records and census data usually exist for them. I have found marriage licenses, census records, a few birth records, directories, newspaper articles, and so much more! And even though they all were born between 1793 and 1850, I have photos of six of them.  

Julia Harvey Glynn and 
daughter, Carrie

Everyone has 16 second great-grandparents. Each generation back doubles the number of direct ancestors: 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, and 16 second great-grandparents. Of my 16 second great-grandparents, I know the first and last names of eleven. 

Olive Caroline Davis

The names of three of my maternal second great-grandparents are unknown. The remaining are listed below:

Olive Caroline Davis

George Lullen Giddens and Luellen Bradshaw

Joseph Allen Glynn and Julia Harvey

My paternal second great-grandparents include the following, along with one unknown second great-grandmother:

Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Span Regan

William Moore Criswell and Mary Ann Evans

Peter Albritton and Hollon (last name unknown)

John L. Hairston  

 

Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Span Regan Bryan

Five of my second great-grandparents are still a mystery to me. But each blank spot on my tree is a reminder that the search is never really over. How many of your 16 can you name?

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2025

Carrie Glynn and Julia Harvey Glynn, photograph, ca. 1885; scanned image, held in the photo collection of Diana Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2025. Location of the original photo is unknown. 

Mary Ann Evans, photograph, no date; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2025. 

Olive Caroline Davis, photograph, no date; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Brenda and Mike Parker, 2001.

Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth S. Regan, photograph, abt 1855; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2025. 

William M. Criswell, photograph, no date; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Lena Stone Criswell, NM, 2001.