Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3278 and the Ladies’ & Men’s Auxiliary observed the sinking of the Battleship Maine on Wednesday, February 8th.  The USS Maine’s sinking on February 15, 1898 began the escalation to war with Spain over Cuban Independence and propelled the United States onto the world stage as well as liberating Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and The Philippines Islands.

Special memorial programs were held by the VFW to honor those comrades who served in our Nation’s cause in the Spanish-American War and especially those veterans of the Spanish-American War who formed the Veterans of Foreign Wars 113 years ago.

At the beginning of 1898, the United States and Spain were involved in a dispute over the liberation of the island of Cuba, which was a possession of Spain. The United States wanted Spain to grant independence to the island, especially because of the brutal treatment of the Cuban revolutionaries by the Spanish military.

In January 1898 there was a great deal of unrest and rioting in Havana. The United States feared for the lives of U.S. citizens who were in Cuba during this period. The U.S. decided to send the battleship USS Maine from Key West, Fla., to Havana to protect U.S. citizens from harm.

The Maine arrived on Jan. 25 in Havana Harbor, and the presence of the ship seemed to have a calming influence on the situation. However, on Feb. 15 the Maine was attacked in the harbor with a loss of 266 crewmen. The cause was thought to be a mine placed near the magazine of the ship. This incident was one of the chief causes of the Spanish-American War, which erupted on April 3, 1898, and ultimately resulted with the independence of Cuba.

Pictured Above are:  Pictured above (left to right) are VFW Commander Keith King and James Masters.  below is the USS “Maine” entering Havana Harbor on January 25, 1898, where the ship sank under unusual circumstances starting the Spanish American War.