Article Contributed on: 11/26/2006 11:33:10 PM
Through the wars since Golden was established 42 of our own have made the ultimate sacrifice, most of whom will be remembered on the Colorado Freedom Memorial. Here are the known stories of three Goldenites:
Lyman F. Lovely
Known commonly as
Fred, he was a machinist's mate second class aboard the United States submarine U.S.S.
F-1 during World War I. When the call came for men to serve in the Navy when war was declared, he was one of the first from Golden to respond. He had earlier left Golden High School to learn the machinist's trade which he put to use to serve his country. Nearly 90 years ago at 7 p.m. on Dec. 17, 1917, the
F-1 was accidentally rammed and sunk by the
F-3, another U.S. submarine, in home waters off San Pedro, California during a heavy fog. Lovely was lost along with 18 other members of his crew, and their bodies were never recovered owing to the depth at which the submarine lay.
Fred Lovely was the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Lovely of Golden. He was born in Golden about 21 years before, and was raised there. Lovely was reportedly well known to the people of Golden, and the
Colorado Transcript wrote Lovely "was one of the most popular young men of this city. He was a big, splendid looking lad, and always had a smile and a pleasant word of greeting for everyone." He was the older brother of Navy World War I veteran Noble Lovely.
Arthur Bengson
Arthur Bengson (pronounced "Bengtson") was a native son of Golden who also made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War. He was killed in action in France on November 3, 1918, not long before the signing of the Armistice. He was the son of
Oliver and Anna Bengson of Golden, and was born and raised in the city. Later he lived at Telluride, and eventually moved with his parents to Petaluma, California where he was drafted to serve. He was the grandson of Nils Bengson, a tailor who was the spiritual leader of the Swedish Lutheran Church in Golden, the first Swedish congregation in Colorado. Nils and his daughter (Arthur's mother) were instrumental in helping establish Jefferson County's prominent Swedish population, of which Arthur was part of the first American-born generation.
Lorenzo Sherman Harris
"Lory" Harris served in World War II as a member of the Navy Seabees, serving in the south Pacific. He enlisted with the Seabees and left for service on October 8, 1942, and served for some 14 months as petty officer with carpenter's mate rating. According to the
Colorado Transcript newspaper, Harris "was killed in action serving with the Seabees somewhere in the South Pacific" in early March of 1944.
Harris was born in Eaton, Colorado, on April 20, 1905, the son of Mr. and Mrs. A.S. Harris. He was raised there and graduated from Eaton High School. Following his marriage to
Alice Meek in Trinidad on May 16, 1941, they moved to Golden, where Lory pursued his trade as a carpenter working in the shop of prominent contractor
Charles J. Buckman. Later Harris worked at Lowry Field during its construction. He was a member of the local carpenter's union, and he and his wife lived at 126 9th Street in Golden. Harris was the grandson of Civil War veteran
Alonzo S. Harris Sr., who died in Golden the same year Lory Harris was born.