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MECHANIC FALLS — The next Mechanic Falls Historical Society meeting will feature a talk by Capt. Jonathan D. Bratten, the command historian for the Maine Army National Guard.
The talk will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23,at the Anglican Church of the Transfiguration, 64 Elm St.
Bratten will present the history of the Maine National Guard in World War II, including contributions made by the 103rd Infantry Regiment, which was the largest Maine unit mobilized during World War II. Companies of the 103rd were called to duty from the Auburn, Augusta, Belfast, Biddeford, Dexter, Gardiner, Lewiston, Mechanic Falls, Millinocket, Newport, Norway, Portland, Rumford, Skowhegan, Waterville and Westbrook.
The historical society is in possession of an original photograph featuring members of the unit while at basic training in Camp Blanding, Fla., and two framed broadsheets of messages sent to the unit from townspeople at the time of their service.
Bratten has written for multiple publications and journals, including Army Magazine, the Bangor Daily News and the”Washington Post. He has also appeared the in the Smithsonian Channel documentary, “Americans Underground: Secret Cities of World War I.”
In addition, he is a drilling guardsman and veteran of Afghanistan. Bratten resides in Portland.
