THE SAILOR FROM ELDORADO
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We recently relayed the story of Annie Scott Bouchard, the single mother, school teacher in Malone, and a colourful character as told by Sandra Townsend. The following is a sequel - the amazing connection between Eldorado and the Antarctic - the story of Annie’s son, Arthur Scott Bouchard.
Arthur’s first memories would be conceived surrounded by the rolling hills of Marmora Township in Malone. He was born May 9, 1920. 53.5 km. away in Flinton, Lennox and Addington County. His father, Charles Louis Bouchard was 47 years old, a declared laborer; his mother a 41 year old school teacher. Arthur was still residing in Flinton on his 1st birthday, but his time there soon came to an end. His mother, the youngest of the Shanick, (Marmora Township,) pioneering Scott family had recently lost her sister Mary(Scott) Brown of Malone. She was left with only a sister, Kathryn Hallett of Clyde, NY, and a brother Joseph Scott of Marmora from what was originally a sibling group of seven. Anna (Scott) Bouchard took a teaching assignment with S.S.#6 Malone for the 1922-23 and 1923-24 years. She had forged a bold life for herself, forsaking traditional roles assigned to women of the time, choosing a career rather than dependence on father or husband.
Arthur begins his life as Scott Bouchard alongside his Scott-Brown-McCann cousins in Malone and Eldorado. and would only learn of the existence of the Bouchard family as a 38 year old man, after the death of his mother, Annie Bouchard, in 1958.
From Scott’s Citizenship Certificate we learn he claimed residence in the United States from March 2, 1931. He would have been two months lacking of his 11th birthday. Had a plan been made to have his future development placed in the hands of military endeavours? Was time spent in an American school setting deemed pivotal to that decision? His navy documents indicate that he had a grade 8 elementary education and 1 year of high school. My instincts are that he joined his Clyde NY cousins for the last half of his education, while at the same time avoiding any Bouchard contact in Ontario.
Aug. 4, 1937 – June 22, 1945 Naval Service including Training
Cousin Alice McCann and Arthur Scott Bouchard
According to papers offered to family after his death, Scott’s career in the Navy was as an Engine Man Chief, a rank equivalent of Chief Petty Officer, the highest rank available to an enlisted sailor. Unlike commissioned officer ranks, which are granted for life, enlisted sailor ranks require, re-enlistment after each enlistment period has been completed to maintain rank status. We see that occurring in Scott’s navy career dossier. He and the men that he supervised would have operated and repaired the Combustion Engines that kept running the large US Navy ships where he served. They would have worked in shifts night and day below deck to follow the Captain’s orders needed to complete the vessel and crew’s mission.
We note that Scott’s years of service occurred during WWII. He was granted with that service on his record
Fleet Bar
American Campaign Medal 1941 – 1945
Asia Pacific Campaign Medal 1941 – 1945
American Defence Medal – awarded for a Presidential Limited Emergency on September 8, 1939 and/or a Presidential Unlimited Emergency on May 27, 1941
United States Navy Medal
Veterans Helping Veterans 1993 Pin
But a most interesting part of his career was after WWII when Scott sailed as Engine Man Chief as part of the Navy South Pole Expedition Task Force 68 in 1946-47 a.k.a. Operation High Jump. He was on USS Philippine Sea (CV47) with Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, the highly decorated polar explorer and Aviator, famous for being the first to fly over the south pole.
sANDRA TOWNSEND
Feb.1, 1958 Scott was placed as permanently disabled Retired from the US Navy and credited with 15 active service years as an Engineman Chief for his pension. He was just 3 months from his 38th birthday. After leaving the Navy, Scott worked at the Volkswagen Plant in Jacksonville, Florida. He developed a life of work friends to share social time with at the local Bar. He later retired to a hobby farm in Tallahassee, Florida, and died on January 22, 2007. As per his wishes his ashes were returned to the sea, where much of his life had been spent.
