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Joseph Hiner
Machinist Mate 2-C U.S. Navy WWI Joseph Eli Hiner had light hair, blue eyes and a light complexion. He was not tall, measuring a mere five feet seven and a half inches, and was slightly built at 146 pounds. Looking up at a brilliantly blue sky and taking a deep breath which tasted of tangy salt air, Joe was filled with hope. It was his last day aboard the USS Porter after having served the previous 28 months in the United States Navy. He had enlisted in April of 1917, shortly before his country declared war. While proud of the time he had served, he was ready to head state-side and was looking forward to a new life in Massachusetts with Helen. Just thinking of her brought a smile to his face. |
Joseph grew up in the same small town in Indiana in which he had been
born. He was the third child of Asa Hiner, and Asa’s second wife,
Georgia Wilson. Joe, who was born in 1895, was named after his
grandfather whose father John had emigrated from Germany in 1770.
John Hiner had settled in Virginia and married a woman named Magdalena,
whose grandfather had emigrated from Switzerland. John and
Magdalena had twelve children. They named their fifth child John.
He was born in Virginia in 1781. The younger John had served in
the Virginia Militia. His wife’s name was Rachel. His occupation
was both that of a blacksmith and a farmer. The family were
devout Methodists. John and Rachel migrated with their children
to Miami County, Indiana in 1836. One of their children was named
Joseph. After arriving in Indiana, Joseph married a woman named
Minerva Thomas. Joseph and Minerva had six children. They named
their third child Asa. Joseph and Minerva were married 22 years
when Joseph died after being thrown from a horse. Joseph Eli had
pride in his family legacy and loved his family. He grieved in 1906
when his grandmother Minerva died. But although he would
miss living close to his family, as he left the Navy, he was excited
about the new life he was beginning in Boston with Helen. While in the Navy Joe had been paid $264 a year. Joe apparently obtained a short leave in the spring of 1919 for on May 10, 1919 Joe and Helen were married in Boston. Upon completion of his enlistment with the Navy he would find his way into well-paying work with the railroad as a mechanic. Joe and Helen were living in Boston in April of 1920 when they had a son whom they named Hillard. By May of 1923 they were living in New Hampshire where they had a little girl they named Muriel. Tragically, less than a year later little Muriel died from uremic convulsions. It is not known whether their other daughter, Marilyn, was born before or after Muriel. No doubt Muriel’s death was heartbreaking for the family and cast a shadow over their lives. Joe and Helen’s marriage did not survive and by 1935 Joe was living alone. Joe did experience some luck though for he found love again and in August of 1940 married a woman named Gladys who was a barber’s daughter. She worked in the field of nursing. In 1942, they had a little girl named Judy and not long afterwards Joe adopted Gladys’ seven-year-old daughter Barbara. On May 25, 1960 Joseph Eli Hiner passed away in Manchester, New Hampshire. Gladys applied for a headstone from the government, commemorating Joe’s military service, to be placed at Pine Grove Cemetery in Manchester but there is no record of his grave, or the headstone at that cemetery. Joseph’s place of burial remains unknown. Although he did not live his adult life in Miami County, Joseph was born and raised here. He was a gift from Miami County and his family, loaned to the United States, and to the world, as a part of the defense of freedom during World War I.  John and Rachel Hiner Homestead, 1981 Information and images submitted by Mary Rohrer Dexter |
He
looked around at the ship. He had served on the USS Porter DD-59
since November 14, 1917. She was a Tucker Class Destroyer
which were the first US Destroyers that had the ability to lay
mines. Her entire crew qualified for the First World War Victory
Medal if they served on her between May 4, 1917 and November 11, 1918
and Joseph had served a portion of that time. When Joe first
boarded the USS Porter she was serving in waters at Queenstown,
Ireland, patrolling the Irish and Celtic Seas, and escorting convoys
from the United States as they entered the war zone. Joe was
especially proud to be a part of the events of April 28, 1918.
The Porter had been escorting a convoy when they spotted the periscope
of an enemy submarine preparing to attack. Dropping 27
depth charges they saved the convoy by severely damaging the German
Submarine U-108. The USS Porter was transferred to France in June
of 1918, so Joe spent his last summer aboard her in the waters off
Brest, France. The weather had been wonderful with
temperatures ranging from the upper 50’s to the upper 60’s.
Although the summer months had not been uncomfortable, Joe was excited
to be heading home. Prior to being a machinist mate 2C on the USS
Porter, Joe had been a fireman on the USS St Louis which had an 823-man
crew. The ship departed from San Diego not long after Joe was
sworn in and had headed for the Panama Canal Zone. There,
six companies of Marines were taken aboard and transported to
Philadelphia. The next month the USS St Louis left New York as an
escort to the American Expeditionary Force. In July of 1917
she was in port for repairs at Boston where Joe met Helen. Three
months later, Joe sailed away with the USS St. Louis which was carrying
members of a high-level U.S. Commission to confer with the European
Allies escorted by other ships. A short week later Joe boarded
the USS Porter for the duration of his enlistment. He had
certainly seen a lot of the world in the prior two
years.   |
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Works Cited
“Joseph Eli Hiner Obituary.” Unknown Newspaper, 1960."Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal: Kuhn, Jeff. History of the Hiner Family: Descendants of Our Ancestors John and Rachel Hoover Hiner Early Miami County Pioneers 1712-1981. Self Published , 1981. "Massachusetts State Vital Records, 1841-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/23R8-7VR : 4 December 2014), Joseph E in entry for Hillard Lee Hiner, 10 Apr 1920; citing Birth, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States, certificate number 5389, page 135, State Archives, Boston. NARA. “Military Record of Joseph Eli Hiner.” National Archives and Records Administration . St. Louis, Missouri “Naval Monument at Brest.” Naval Monument at Brest | American Battle Monuments Commission. “NavSource Online: Cruiser Photo Archive.” Cruiser Photo Index C-20/CA-18 USS ST. LOUIS - Navsource - Photographic History of the U.S. Navy. "New Hampshire Death Records, 1654-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FSNR-Z2C : 12 December 2014), Joseph E. Hines in entry for Muriel Arline Hines, 04 Mar 1924; citing Manchester, Hillsborough,New Hampshire, Bureau Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 2,080,191. "New Hampshire Marriage Records, 1637-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLD7-9MH : 4 November 2017), Joseph Eli Hiner and Gladys Lila Gilmette, 15 Aug 1940; citing Manchester, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 2,293,020. Tucker Class Destroyers "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M9M6-1XF : accessed 19 November 2017), Joseph Hiner in household of Asa Hiner, Erie & Peru Townships (excl. Peru city) North Peru town, Miami, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 97, sheet 18A, family 341, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,393. "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MK5Q-88H : accessed 19 November 2017), Joseph Hines in household of Asa M Hines, Pipe Creek, Miami, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 136, sheet 6B, family 123, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 371; FHL microfilm 1,374,384. "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFML-FS7 : accessed 19 November 2017), Joseph E Hiner, Boston Ward 10, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing ED 280, sheet 4B, line 51, family 86, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 734; FHL microfilm 1,820,734. "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X7NX-JN4 : accessed 19 November 2017), Joseph Hiner in household of D Ray Blanchard, Manchester, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 61, sheet 1B, line 84, family 14, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1302; FHL microfilm 2,341,037. "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VT93-3M8 : accessed 19 November 2017), Joseph E Hiner, Ward 5, Manchester, Manchester City, Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 6-54, sheet 7A, line 38, family 239, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2291. "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QKGS-ZK8Y : 26 October 2016), Joseph E Hiner in entry for Mr Hillard Lee Hiner, Manchester, New Hampshire, United States, 17 Feb 2011; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing New Hampshire Union Leader, born-digital text. "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/J5FB-7Y6 : 20 May 2014), Joseph E Hiner, 25 May 1960; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing). "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VKJV-327 : 7 April 2016), Joseph Eli Hiner, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). USS Porter (DD-59). “USS St. Louis C-20.” “WeatherSpark.com.” Average Weather in Brest, France, Year Round - Weather Spark |
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