by Seth Layne, Special to the Messenger
What can be found in a dumpster? About 12 years ago, my brother was working in Chattanooga. While throwing some trash out, he noticed a box in a dumpster. It was full of old books. He and I had often looked for old copyrights when we went to flea markets and yard sales.
In the box that day, he found several items that belonged to a U.S. serviceman named A.A. Lyman. Knowing that I was a huge history buff, he gave them to me. The items included a 1940 “Blue Jacket’s Manual,” two sets of licenses from the Merchant Marines, and a Continuous Discharge Book. All of the items had Lyman’s name on them.
Over the years, I treasured these items. I would look at them from time to time and admire everything that they were. The “Blue Jacket’s Manual” was essentially the textbook for new seamen. It taught recruits the basics of conduct, hygiene and procedures, as well as weapon systems, knot-tying first aid, and how to fight while swimming in water. The two licenses were also impressive.
I could see from the dates that Albie Alton Lyman had been in the service for a very long time. One document was from 1958 and another was from 1983. The final piece was my favorite. It was his Continuous Discharge Book. Upon opening its green cover, I saw a black-and-white picture of the man, his left thumbprint, his height, weight, address and the date that he signed his signature to the book—January 5, 1945. Turning the pages revealed page after page of the names of the vessels that carried him, whether the trip was foreign or “coast wise,” his rank while on board, the date he departed on the vessel and the date he returned. For 12 years after that first entry, A.A. Lyman made many journeys.
Reading these documents, the life and career of a man that I would never know became very real to me. For several years I enjoyed my collection and would show them to my history classes at Tracy City Elementary and to friends, relatives and other history buffs. Everyone was impressed, and everyone loved them. It was an honor for me to hold such a cool piece of history in my hand. They were some of my most treasured things.
About five years ago, I started to look for ways to get them to someone who would appreciate them as much as I do. At first I looked for Lyman’s family. I searched the Internet and found nothing. I contacted the National Archives. Nothing. I contacted the Coast Guard and the Navy, and I looked on Ancestry.com. Still nothing. I wanted to find somewhere to send these treasured pieces of history but with no luck, I gave up the search and tucked the things away for safekeeping.
Time passed and I decided to revisit my attempt to find Lyman’s family. Last year I contacted the History Department at Towson University in Maryland. I knew that Lyman was born in Towson, so I hoped someone there might know of a museum or local historical society that would be interested. Again, every attempt I made resulted in failure. Disheartened again, I stopped my search. I resolved to just keep the documents and continue to enjoy them.
Monday, Oct. 21, was not a special day. It was downright ordinary. Nothing interesting happened, nothing crazy, nothing remotely remarkable. My evening habit is to search the Internet for useless information to pass the time. It came across my mind that night to check again for information about Lyman. I started looking. I searched and searched. I looked up every name combination I could think of for Albie Alton Lyman. I searched for a good 45 minutes until I found a phone number for a residence in Dayton, Tenn. The website said that Martha Lyman was 89, and Alton Lyman was 86. Realizing that this could be the big break I was looking for, I bookmarked the page and went to bed.
The next day I completely forgot about the previous night’s discovery. While sitting at lunch, a little girl said something that reminded me of it. I went to my classroom as quickly as I could, found the number and called. After the phone rang several times, an elderly lady picked up the phone. She said her name was Martha Lyman. My heart pounded with excitement as I told her who I was and why I was calling. She told me that she and her husband, Alton, had been looking for the items for several years. She was so surprised. She couldn’t believe that this was really happening. Neither could I. They had never intended for any of his things to be thrown away. We talked for quite a while and decided to arrange a meeting so that I could give Lyman his belongings.
I hung up the phone and I was on cloud nine. So many times, I had thought my search was hopeless, and then all of a sudden it was resolved. I had never imagined that Lyman would still be alive. I quickly told the story to everyone I worked with, and they were all amazed. It thrilled me to be able to share it. I felt so honored to be a part of something so unique and improbable.
As the days came closer to deliver the goods to Lyman, I became more and more curious about the name of one of the ships on which he’d served. The first boat he was on was the Rockhill Victory. I knew that I had heard that name before but I couldn’t place it. I began to research the vessel. The Rockhill Victory was delivered to port on May 5, 1945. This was Alton Lyman’s first day on the boat and the boat’s first day on duty. Lyman was 18 years old when he became part of the crew. Less than a year into Lyman’s service, in mid-December, the Rockhill made a journey to Marseille, France, to pick up soldiers to bring home. Looking in Lyman’s Continuous Discharge Book, I could see that he was on the vessel at the time of its departure to France.
Before the Rockhill Victory could load up its cargo of soldiers, it was accidentally rammed by a cargo ship. The incident caused a gaping hole, about a 20-foot-square gash, in the side of the Rockhill. The hole was filled and patched with concrete. One first-hand account from a soldier on the Rockhill said, “Don’t these Frenchies know how to weld metal onto metal?”
The terrible journey home lasted two weeks, 13 days of which, was in violent storms. The journey home was riddled with fractured bones, bruises, a broken mast that crushed several lifeboats and a broken steel girder. The ship’s master, Captain N.D. Scull, said that the troops were, “the sickest bunch of men I have seen in three voyages as a troop transport commander.” The Rockhill Victory brought home 1,543 troops, including cannon company, headquarters and headquarters company 3rd Battalion, and companies G, H, I, K and L of the 104th Infantry Regiment; anti-tank company and cannon company of the 328th Infantry Regiment.
Albie Alton Lyman Jr. was a part of the crew that brought some of our bravest back home. He was just an 18-year-old boy who had less than a year’s experience. At the age of 18, it’s rare to see anyone with the maturity of an adult, but Albie Alton Lyman Jr., no matter how ready he was, traveled halfway around the world to bring his fellow patriots home.
We traveled to Dayton last week and delivered Lyman his things. I got to listen to him tell story after story about his adventures in the Navy and the Merchant Marines. His wonderful wife, Martha, was also full of stories.
Their journey is even more interesting when you consider they have been married only 26 years. She is 89, and he is 86. She had been married three times previously, all of which ended when each of her husbands died of a heart attack. She was 26 when she was married to her first husband. He died suddenly just three months into their marriage. Lyman had also experienced hardship. His first wife battled cancer for 16 years before passing away. This entire process has been one from a storybook. Unlikely, to impossible, to incredible. I feel very fortunate, blessed and honored to have been a part of it.
The Lymans will be joining us as honored guests at the Veteran’s Day assembly on Monday, Nov. 11, at Tracy City Elementary. Please join us in celebrating this amazing American hero and his bride.
Seth Layne teaches first grade at Tracy City Elementary and is a Tracy City councilman. He was raised in Palmer. He and his wife, Laura, have two children, Bella and Ezra.
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