JONAS H. HOLDEN, CDR, USN

Jonas Holden '96

Date of birth: April 5, 1873

Date of death: August 16, 1915

Age: 42

Lucky Bag

From the 1896 Lucky Bag:

Holden, Jonas Hannibal

Burlington, Vermont

"Yank" "Admiral Luce"

3 striper. 1st Class Buzzard (2). Buzzard (2).

Holden, Jonas Hannibal

Burlington, Vermont

"Yank" "Admiral Luce"

3 striper. 1st Class Buzzard (2). Buzzard (2).

Biography & Loss

"Naval Cadet Jonas H. Holden in civilian attire, taken by Hart, from the book THE "MAINE" - AN ACCOUNT OF HER DESTRUCTION IN HAVANA HARBOR: THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN CHARLES D. SIGSBEE, U.S.N. (New York: The Century Co., 1899), opp. p. 184."

From Find A Grave:

Born in Wallingford, Vt, Jonas Holden was the son of George B Holden of Burlington, VT. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1896. In 1904 he married Lillian Walker of Burlington, VT.

After graduating from the Academy, he served on the U.S.S. Columbia. He was on the Maine when she was blown up in Havana, Cuba and was the last sailor to leave the wreck. During the Spanish American War, Commander Holden took part in many engagements in the West Indies.

Commander Holden was a passenger on the S.S. Marowijne when the ship was wrecked during a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. All on board perished.

The inscription on his headstone:

Proceeding from duty in command of the U.S.S. Annapolis to duty as director of target practice he was lost with all hands on the S.S. Marowijne during a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico August 16, 1915.

He is buried in Vermont.

Class of 1896

Jonas is the only member of the Class of 1896 in Memorial Hall.