ELEVENTH GENERATION

4186. Glenwood Thorne was born on 3 Apr 1896 in Marlboro, NJ. He died on 9 Jul 1966 in Lincroft, NJ. He resided in Lincroft, NJ. NOTES BY GRANDSON JAMES WILLIE JOHNSON II.
I remember my Grandfather, Glenwood Thorne, telling me about how he was torpedoed while on a troop transport ship during World War I and how the ship sank and he floated around on the ocean for a long time trying to either swim or grab on to floating debris. He said he finally got so tired he was ready to give up, but a school of dolphins came along and a dolphin kept pushing him to the surface until he was rescued.

In the fall of 1995, my Mom (Evelyn Thorne) brought back Grandpop's discharge papers from my Aunt Elizabeth Thorne which listed "None" for the category "Battles, engagements, skirmishes, expeditions." But there is also a note under "Remarks" written by Captain C.R. Perkins that adds "Torpedoed on S.S. Persic September 7th, 1918." I thought it was strange that this was listed and "None" listed for Battles, engagements, etc., although it did add some credence to the dolphin story.

Last night, January 23, 1996, I spoke with my Uncle Glenwood Thorne who confirmed that he heard the same story from Grandpop about the dolphins and ship being torpedoed and commented that he was told that the troops were on the Atlantic Ocean about 150 miles from Ireland on the USS Mesitania, which was supposed to be the sister ship to the Lucitania. He said he thought he had papers somewhere that he got from the Army that
talked about this. He also said his dad (Glenwood Thorne) was rescued by English gunboats. He said Grandpop said that when they threw him a rope he ran up the rope to the ship, he was so happy to get rescued.

According to Uncle Glen, Grandpop got influenza in France and almost died. He doesn't think Grandpop actually was involved in battle although he always seemed to have a lot of stories.

About the unusual name "Glenwood." Apparently William, Grandpop's father, was trying to come up with a name for his son and was at a complete loss. He looked over at the heating stove which was a Glenwood stove and the name stuck. Stranger than fiction!
(notes by J.W. Johnson)

He was married to Susan Elizabeth Kitzman on 27 Feb 1918 in Matawan, NJ. Susan Elizabeth Kitzman was born in Nov 1898 in Matawan, NJ. She died on 3 Jun 1993 in Keyport, NJ. Glenwood Thorne and Susan Elizabeth Kitzman had the following children:

+4885 i. Floyd (Hector) A. Thorne.
+4886 ii. Glenwood Thorne Jr..
+4887 iii. Elizabeth Thorne.
+4888 iv. Estella Thorne.
+4889 v. Madeline Thorne.
+4890 vi. Evelyn Ruth Thorne.