Preserved by ink: one woman connects family to famous mystery

William S. Herndon

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The clippings contained a Daily Democrat-News article featuring Adcock's uncle, William S. Herndon. Among the bonds of family and the stories lost in generational cracks, the yellowed clip held a piece of history that continues to surprise her.

"I knew he was in the service ... the Merchant Marines, but he never said anything about it," Adcock said.

In 1937, Herndon aided in one of the country's most famous search operations. He participated in the USS Colorado's search for Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan after the aviators' attempt to fly around the world turned catastrophic. They vanished over the Pacific Ocean July 2, 1937, near remote Howland Island where they were expected to land.

A copy of the Daily Democrat-News reveals a Marshall native aided in the search for Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan in 1937. His niece, Barbara Adcock, recently came across the article in clippings saved by her mother. (Contributed image).

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"My daughter (Cathy Tolivar) is into genealogy ... and she found the article in this bag," Adcock said, referencing her mother's collection.

A modest amount of the USS Colorado's search was revealed in letters Herndon sent home, one of which was reprinted in the periodical.

"Early Saturday morning, July 3, the ship left Honolulu and went to Pearl Harbor for fuel," he wrote. "At 1300 we were under way for Howland Island."

Howland Island is an uninhabited coral island claimed by the United States in 1857. It lies nearly halfway between Hawaii and Australia.

According to Herndon's letter, crews fueled the Coast Guard Cutter Itasca, the Swan and the destroyers Cushing, Lamson and Drayton after crossing the Equator.

A correspondent aboard the ship later wrote: "As island after island was covered and the reports came in from the planes that no sign of human life existed on the islands, hope faded ... All land areas within 450 miles of Howland have been carefully combed" in addition to thousands of miles of open water.

Now, Adcock's unraveling family stories just as researchers prepare to unravel Earhart's disappearance.

Although Earhart and Noonan were never found, artifacts suggest they made an emergency landing and survived on a nearby island.

In early June, The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery announced a small cosmetic jar was found on a remote atoll called Nikumaroro, located 350 nautical miles south of Howland Island.

This jar joins artifacts such as a zipper, what appears to be a woman's compact and a button that were previously discovered on the island. The jar is similar to an anti-freckle cream popular in the 1930s.

Ric Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR, feels the disappearance and the findings are connected.

He recently told ABCNews.com: "We do know that Earhart had freckles and she was conscientious about them. It's not an unreasonable thing to think."

TIGHAR will sail to Nikumaroro this July to conduct a search for her aircraft in the island's surrounding water.

Closer to home, those studying their genealogy may see opposite ends of the spectrum. According to Judy Mark of Marshall Public Library's genealogy room, many people don't find something in their history as glamorous as a search for a cultural icon.

"I'd say it's rare that they (genealogy researchers) find something that interesting," she said. "But usually they find some things."

Mark encourages people to open up to family history, regardless of positive or negative results, and feels a black mark on lineage shouldn't hold a researcher back.

For Adcock and her daughter, the news article became a symbol of pride -- a forgotten story preserved by ink.

"It was a big surprise," Adcock said. "Every time they say something about Amelia Earhart, I always think about him."

Contact Sarah Reed at
sreed@marshallnews.com