What's Happening in Norwich, CT…

Susan Traynor from Oakdale and the American Legion Post 104 in Norwich have helped restore a local veteran's identity.

Laid to rest in St. Mary's cemetery in what was once an abandoned grave is Sgt. John Moorehead, who died November 3, 1933. According to Dennis Baptiste, the Junior Vice Commander of ALP 104, a man was cleaning out his newly purchased home when he came across various flag holders for graves. Three of them were for Jewish veterans and four were for American Legion veterans, including one with "John Moorehead/Sgt. USMC/Died 3 Nov. 1933" cast on it. It was now a matter of finding his grave.

After asking for help in locating Moorehead's location, the Legion was contacted by Traynor. She has a subscription to Ancestry.com, a popular website on family trees. This is how she was able to find Moorehead's grave. Traynor commented that a million people of the same name appeared in her search but she found the right entry through looking at the date of death and a database on Connecticut cemeteries. Finally, she contacted St. Mary's cemetery to confirm her results. AL officials said it is rare to find something this specific tied to the post. Traynor wished she could have discovered more about Moorehead such as his birth date or if he was married.

A newsletter printing company can help the American Legion tell the story of how they found Moorehead's grave.