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05/01/08 |
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July 19, 2001 The greatest generation If you haven't already done so, you ought to head down to the former Hingham Shipyard and buy a copy of the video, "The Hingham Shipyard Remembered". The 30-minute documentary is guaranteed to fill your heart with pride and bring tears to your eyes. The film, produced by Powderhouse Productions, features local people, who lived through World War II, telling the story of an incredible war effort launched right here in Hingham. For as long as most of us can remember, the Bethlehem Hingham Shipyard has represented a marina and an eclectic collection of other businesses and aging, rusting buildings- the centerpiece of which is massive 500,000 square-foot General Services Administration structure. To many commuters, the shipyard is just a place to park and catch the boat to Boston. But we certainly didn't realize- and suspect most of you did not- the scope of what took place there during the war years when no less than 227 ships were built at the site. In its heyday the shipyard employed some 25,000 workers. In the newspaper business, good journalists know when to get out of the way of a story and let it tell itself. What director Harry Gural has accomplished is just that. He allows the "stars", people like Ian Menzies, a British sailor at the time; local author Peg Charleton, and Stan Hersey, who worked in the steel mill there, and others talk about how Hingham, a small agricultural town with less than one-third the population it has today, rose to the occasion. The film also explains how the Navy "found" Hingham and how the ships- destroyer escorts and landing ship tanks- were assembled so quickly. "It was like a big family- a feeling I don't think will ever be realized again in America." recalls Mr. Hersey, about the shipyard era, "Freedom was at stake and everyone gave their all." The film captures the innocence of the times. An era when so many had suffered through the Great Depression but still had faith in their country and shared the values of hard work, determination and dedication. The documentary, which will be part of the curriculum in Hingham schools, deserves a wider audience. Now, the time has come to redevelop the shipyard and transform the waterfront once again into a new, vibrant, bustling place. The $150 million project includes 500 upscale residential units; improved marina facilities: 20 acres of private and public open space; an improved commuter boat facility and more. But thanks to the developers and the Hingham Shipyards Historical Foundation, area citizens including those who will some day occupy the shipyard condominiums, won't forget how local members of what Tom Brokaw calls "The Greatest Generation" made a contribution on that same piece of waterfront property that helped turn the tide of the war. Hingham Shipyard Remembered" is a wonderful story told by those who lived through a pivotal time in world history. Their legacy is captured for posterity in a documentary that leaves us filled with admiration and the hope that if duty calls we could live up to their example. Mary Ford, Editor Hingham Journal mford@cnc.com |
This site was last updated 05/01/08