Who is the Sylvester of Sylvester Road?
Who is the Sylvester of Sylvester Road? By Mary Ellen Cortellini and Ray Merriam
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First Edition published in 2013 by the Merriam Press First Edition Copyright © 2013 by Mary Ellen Cortellini Additional material copyright of named contributors. Book design by Mary Ellen Cortellini and Ray Merriam All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. WARNING The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. The views expressed are solely those of the author. Merriam Press Military Digital Library #L501 This work was designed, produced, and published in the United States of America by the Merriam Press 133 Elm Street Suite 3R Bennington VT 05201 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: merriam-press.com The Merriam Press publishes new manuscripts on historical subjects, especially military history and with an emphasis on World War II, as well as reprinting previously published works, including reports, documents, manuals, articles and other materials on historical topics.
This PDF file created by Merriam Press. Many more PDFs at merriam-press.com.
WHO IS THE SYLVESTER OF SYLVESTER ROAD? Everyday, hundreds of civilian employees and military personnel pass through the front gates of Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego on the way to their offices, classrooms and homes along Sylvester Road. It is one of the roads on the base running parallel to Rosecrans Street which runs along the length of the Point Loma peninsula, through the base, and ending at the water’s edge, the Pacific Ocean. Officers’ Row is located along Sylvester Road within the Fort Rosecrans Historic District. But who is the elusive Sylvester? Who is the mystery man behind this well-traveled road on the former post of Fort Rosecrans, now home to the Naval Submarine Base? As a resident in one of the beautiful military quarters along the tree-lined street bearing the Sylvester name, I posed the question but no one seemed to know. So I set out on a mission to find out. The answer was an unexpected surprise. As a Navy wife and budding historian I found myself uncovering a connection to the Coast Artillery Branch of the U.S. Army and the name of a young Army soldier to add to my research for my forthcoming book, “The Forgotten Soldiers of Fort Rosecrans.” I discovered yet another long-lost hero, killed in the line of duty, and forgotten over time, but an extremely important part of San Diego’s rich military history.
I first read about William Sylvester when his name was mentioned in Edwin Thompson’s The Guns of San Diego: “1st Lt. William G. Sylvester was the first Coast Artillery officer to lose his life in World War II when he was killed on December 7, 1941 at Hickam Air Force Base during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.”
This PDF file created by Merriam Press. Many more PDFs at merriam-press.com.
This PDF file created by Merriam Press. Many more PDFs at merriam-press.com.
First Edition published in 2013 by the Merriam Press First Edition Copyright © 2013 by Mary Ellen Cortellini Additional material copyright of named contributors. Book design by Mary Ellen Cortellini and Ray Merriam All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. WARNING The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. The views expressed are solely those of the author. Merriam Press Military Digital Library #L501 This work was designed, produced, and published in the United States of America by the Merriam Press 133 Elm Street Suite 3R Bennington VT 05201 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: merriam-press.com The Merriam Press publishes new manuscripts on historical subjects, especially military history and with an emphasis on World War II, as well as reprinting previously published works, including reports, documents, manuals, articles and other materials on historical topics.
This PDF file created by Merriam Press. Many more PDFs at merriam-press.com.
WHO IS THE SYLVESTER OF SYLVESTER ROAD? Everyday, hundreds of civilian employees and military personnel pass through the front gates of Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego on the way to their offices, classrooms and homes along Sylvester Road. It is one of the roads on the base running parallel to Rosecrans Street which runs along the length of the Point Loma peninsula, through the base, and ending at the water’s edge, the Pacific Ocean. Officers’ Row is located along Sylvester Road within the Fort Rosecrans Historic District. But who is the elusive Sylvester? Who is the mystery man behind this well-traveled road on the former post of Fort Rosecrans, now home to the Naval Submarine Base? As a resident in one of the beautiful military quarters along the tree-lined street bearing the Sylvester name, I posed the question but no one seemed to know. So I set out on a mission to find out. The answer was an unexpected surprise. As a Navy wife and budding historian I found myself uncovering a connection to the Coast Artillery Branch of the U.S. Army and the name of a young Army soldier to add to my research for my forthcoming book, “The Forgotten Soldiers of Fort Rosecrans.” I discovered yet another long-lost hero, killed in the line of duty, and forgotten over time, but an extremely important part of San Diego’s rich military history.
I first read about William Sylvester when his name was mentioned in Edwin Thompson’s The Guns of San Diego: “1st Lt. William G. Sylvester was the first Coast Artillery officer to lose his life in World War II when he was killed on December 7, 1941 at Hickam Air Force Base during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.”
This PDF file created by Merriam Press. Many more PDFs at merriam-press.com.
