Who Do You Think You Are?
on NBC
By Ally Matteodo
Matthew
Broderick, the movie star who gained fame at the tender age of 24 for Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off, and went on to act in Glory, Election, and
Godzilla, searched out his ancestry on the Friday, March 26th
episode of NBC’s reality show Who Do You Think You Are? (8:00 p.m. ET),
our choice for Best TV Show of the Week. Broderick, originally
from New York City, explains that he knows a lot about his mother’s side of the
family, but far less about his father’s. As a jumping-off point, he journeys to
Jersey City, New Jersey to speak with his older sister Janet Broderick, whom he
hopes will be able to provide him with some clues to get started on his
investigation. Here, Janet relays that James Joseph Broderick worked as a
postman and served during World War I. Matthew then seeks out more information
at the National Archives in New York City, and then moves on to Verdun, France.
Once here, he elicits the assistance of Peter Barton, a World War I historian
and author who meets him at the Meuse-Argonne Battlefield. It’s revealed that
Joe, a private, was trained to save lives and followed the infantry into battle,
moving through shell fire and bullets to splint and mend the injured men.
Suffering an injury, Joseph Broderick was awarded a Purple Heart, in addition to
a Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest reward for gallantry.
Next, Matthew returns to the States to learn about his paternal grandmother,
Mary Martindale, his only knowledge of her being that she hailed from Hartford,
Connecticut. The census records reveal a sad story: Mary lived in a temporary
home for children after her father, William Martindale, who died in 1908, was
crushed by timbers while loading a railway car, and her mother perished from a
liver ulcer. Persevering, Matthew continues researching the Martindale side
through the census records, and discovers his great-great-grandfather in the
1850 census, Robert Martindale. However, in the 1860 and 1870 census Robert
does not appear again, implying he served as a soldier during the Civil War.
With the help of historians, Matthew uncovers Robert’s enlistment document from
1862. Muster rolls provide additional information: Robert fought in the Battle
of Gettysburg, and then travelled to Savannah, then Atlanta, where he perished
in the Battle of Peach Tree Creek on July 23, 1864. Matthew, wishing to pay his
respects, seeks out his great-great-grandfather’s grave with the know-how of
Civil War historian Brad Quinlan. At first, the two observe train tracks, where
soldiers initially created makeshift graves; but afterwards in 1866-1867, men
returned to bring the bodies of the fallen to a national cemetery. At the
Marietta National Cemetery, Quinlan tells Matthew that 3,000 graves still remain
unknown. However, there is only one unidentified soldier from Connecticut’s 20th
Infantry, and by cross-referencing documents, Brad and Matthew realize the
unmarked grave belongs to Robert Martindale.
Matthew’s
quest to uncover his roots exhibits an exciting investigation. Sometimes the
answers he finds are disappointing, but other times they are tremendously
uplifting. At the beginning of the episode, Broderick admits that since his
father died when he was only twenty, he didn’t have the time to get to know all
the answers he now seeks involving their ancestry. This program inspires us to
seek out the stories and history of our living relatives, to take advantage of
their memories, and in the process learn more about ourselves and them.
Furthermore, it encourages us to leap into action now—Matthew’s research allows
him to share his heritage more fully with those he loves, and in turn pass down
this information to his children, in case they ever want to give their respects
to the veterans of their family, who fought for the freedom we now enjoy, and
perhaps take for granted. In addition, historians and genealogists play the
role of guides and detectives in this series, showing a different perspective to
this important and sometimes neglected profession. Through atmosphere and
celebrity, this show makes the dry task of parsing through documents
exhilarating and enlightening.
Best TV Show
of the Week
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
