Who Do You Think You Are? (2010) s01e04 Episode Script
Matthew Broderick
Male announcer: This season, on who do you think you are, Seven of the world's most beloved celebrities Will embark on life-altering journeys Into their family history.
They will travel the world in search of their heritage.
- Ooh.
Announcer: Family mysteries will be revealed.
- I had always thought that she was dead.
- That's the only known picture of him? - That's the only known picture.
- How absolutely terrifying.
Announcer: And everything they thought they knew Will be rewritten.
- Oh, my god.
- What? - This is a story that's gettin' good.
- Yes.
- Gettysburg? - Gettysburg.
- That's history right there.
- It sure is.
Announcer: Lives will be changed.
- My name is lisa kudrow And--and I think we're related.
Announcer: Roots will be discovered.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
- This is it.
This is where it all began.
- All started here.
Announcer: Because to know who you are, You have to know where you came from.
- It's like learning that there's something different In your being than what you always thought.
- I have found what I was looking for.
- So do you know who you are? - Oh, yeah, I've always known who I am.
But now I know more.
- It's changed everything Abt who I thought I was.
Everything.
Announcer: Tonight, matthew broderick is on a mission To find out about his father's family.
- I never knew anything about him.
Announcer: He discovers heartache.
- So this is a bunch of kids living in a home With children? Oh, no.
Announcer: History.
- Gettysburg? Oh, my god.
Does this mean they fought in gettysburg? - That was a very violent bloody wound.
Announcer: And heroism.
- Your grandfather wasn't coming here to kill anybody.
He was here to preserve life.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
Announcer: He helps historians solve a 160-year-old mystery.
- I am speechless.
I am gobsmacked.
Announcer: Hollywood and broadway actor matthew broderick Found fame at the age of 24.
When he starred in the cult movie classic Ferris bueller's day off.
Since then, he's appeared in more than 40 film Including the civil war epic glory, The producers, and godzilla, As well as, winning many awards on broadway.
He's married to actress, sarah jessica parker.
They live in manhattan with their son james wilkie And their twin daughters tabitha and marion.
- I was born and raised in new york city Within about five blocks of where we are now, Pretty much my whole life.
I was very very attached to my parents.
My mom was raised in new york, as well.
She died in 2003.
That side of the family I knew and I love But my dad's side is the-- is the biggest mystery.
My father died when I was 20.
So I didn't have all that long with him But IAdored him.
Dad was in the navy during world war ii And then he became an actor.
In fact, I think I became an actor Because I grew up watching him.
I was as happy as anywhere, For me, was to just be in a dressing room While he was getting ready.
As close as we were, I know very little About where he came from.
He never talked about his parents And they passed away before I was born.
It is strange not to know who he comes from.
You know, I mean, what made him the way he is.
He was, uh, he was quiet about some things.
I think his father was extremely quiet with him.
I wanna use this opportunity To try and learn more about my father.
To learn something about his family That will help me understand him And myself So that when my kids ask me where we come from, I can tell them.
You start to lose these connections, Which you didn't bother to write down.
So even the little I did have Has--has sort of slipped away.
I'm gonna visit my older sister janet in jersey city.
To see if she knows anything that can Get me started on this journey.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- Good to see you.
- My sister remembers my dad's parents may and joe, But I never met them.
They were just gone by the time I came around.
- What--what do you wanna know? - Really, a big black hole, I think, Is our father's--I don't know anything about that-- That line of our family.
- Absolutely.
- His mother's name is may? - Yeah, may.
- Martindale? - Martindale was her maiden name.
I remember that may was-- seemed strict.
She was very catholic.
- Born in connecticut? - In connecticut.
But I've no idea who her parents where.
What her whole line was.
And what hardships did she have? - Yeah.
- I'd like to know how his parents Turned into the people they were.
If joe was quiet, why was he quiet? - I know.
I think he was--I heard he was quiet, That he could be bad-tempered, And that when he played cards, If he got a bad hand, he said "this is not a hand it's a foot," Which mom thought was an incredibly dumb joke.
- But used it her whole life.
- Her entire life, she used it, yeah.
- So that's joe.
- That's joe holding me.
You see that's a broderick nose and a broderick forehead.
Right? - Yep.
- Totally, with the little bulbs and everything.
- Yep.
And big feet.
- Yeah, that's right.
It's true.
Joe was a postman.
- Yeah.
- He was in the first world war.
And he apparently did something with germans-- Either captured them or he got gassed.
- Gassed.
- Mom said he got money because he'd been gassed.
- Wow, that's incredible.
- Did he-- - why? - Because I never knew anything about him.
- Yeah.
Right.
- Well, this I have to find out about.
I am very curious about that.
- I know.
I know.
He's a veteran of a foreign war, And we know it's the first world war.
- Yeah.
- We can contact the veteran's administration And tell them that our grandfather, here's his name, And we'd like to know if they can find out about that.
- We have to put some pressure on our congressman.
That's the only way to get answers on this kind of thing.
My best hope, you know-- I hope there's nothing really embarrassing.
But I'm very open to-- to learning anything.
I hope it's a good story.
But where it leads to, I am, uh, I'm ready for anything.
Announcer: Matthew's on his way to the national archives In new york city Where he's been told his grandfather joe broderick's Military records have been sent.
- James joseph broderick, private first class.
102 infantry.
M.
D.
Enlisted on June 1916.
Embarked from montreal September 26, 1917 And arrived at le harve.
Well.
So he was in France.
Transferred to medical, I think, department.
That I didn't know.
102nd infantry, 26th division, March 1918.
And uh, now, what happened there? It doesn't say.
Did he fight or see action? It's mysterious.
I don't know what he did over in France.
- This is my father's father, so, It's extremely close.
So I'm dying to know what happened.
I wanna see if I can find out any details About his, uh, his life there.
If I can, I'd like to walk in his footsteps And see where he served.
So I'm heading to France.
I know my grandfather served in the medical department.
But I have no idea what that entailed.
I'm meeting noted world war I author And historian peter barton, Who has my grandfather's service records from France.
I'm excited.
It's such a mystery to me what I'm going to find.
- This is the battle of meuse-argonne.
It was a colossal.
One of the greatest battles of the entire war.
Your grandfather's 26th division arrived here On the 18th of October 1918.
- Wow.
- It was their job to take the german defenses On the top of this ridge here.
And they were formidable defenses.
The germans knew that this attack was coming And they concentrated their best forces.
- Yeah.
- It was a devastating attack for them.
- Wow.
- Because they had machine gunfire Coming from the hills over here.
Machine gunfire coming from the hills over there.
And this is converging and crossing these fields.
So in order to reach the german trenches, You have to walk through a stream of bullets.
So if we have a look at your grandfather's duties - Mm-hmm.
- You know what he did? - Not really.
- Yeah.
- I mean See, he died right before I was born so-- - He was a private first class and specifically trained To save life on the field.
He'd follow the infantry, uh, into battle.
And he would be the first man on the scene of an injury.
Over the shells and machine guns, You wouldn't be able to hear yourself scream.
- Yeah.
- He couldn't hear the men shouting for help.
He would have to see them.
- Yeah.
- He is totally exposed.
His job was utterly, utterly critical, Because he had to stop hemorrhage From bullet wounds or shrapnel wounds And splint people if they had badly shattered legs or arms Before the stretcher bearers came.
It was a position of huge responsibility.
And the thing you have to know, matthew, Is that every single man in that company Would have totally depended upon your grandfather To save their lives.
And this is where certain things Happened to-- to your grandfather Which probably affected him for the rest of his life.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew makes an extraordinary discovery About what happened to his grandfather On the battlefield.
- I've got something here for you to look at.
- Wow.
That's amazing.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is searching back Into his father's family history.
- I don't know anything about that-- That line of our family.
- Absolutely.
Announcer: He's now in France Where his grandfather, james joseph broderick, Served in world war I when he was only 22 years old.
- It's amazing I really knew almost nothing about him.
Then I found out that he was a medic And he was the one who would rush right out, In enemy fire and friendly fire.
Extremely dangerous job.
He was right in the middle of it.
Learning what happened here, It's hard to imagine anyone escaping uninjured.
It's amazing anyone survived.
- The thing you have to know, matthew, Is that he wasn't coming here to kill anybody.
He was here to preserve life.
- Right.
- To preserve the life of his own pals.
And I've got something else to show you here.
I surely suspect you might not have seen before.
- Oh.
Purple heart.
Is that right? - Yep.
- Wow.
This is incredible.
So this is his-- he was wounded? - That's right.
It's this document that tells us where he was wounded And that's how we can place him here.
- Oh.
- By the date of this document.
- 'cause you know where his group was on 10-27-18.
- That's right.
- Broderick, james j, wounded in action Private medical department awarded purple heart.
Wounded in action October 27, 1918.
Boy, this is no small thing.
You know? Well, bless his heart.
I wonder how bad it was.
- 'cause, I mean, there's a rumor he may have been gassed But here, it's more likely to be shell fire Or a bullet wound.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
- Yeah.
- Wow.
Cause you never would have-- I never would have known.
Well, I found out, I guess, quite a bit about what his Experience in world war I was like.
How he was this very brave man who never spoke about it.
I didn't even know he had this purple heart.
It's shocking to me.
And, uh, I'm very proud of it.
My grandfather was wounded, but thankfully he survived.
Many others were not so lucky.
Peter and I are going to the meuse-argonne cemetery To pay our respects to his fallen comrades.
It's the final resting place For over 14,000 american military soldiers in europe.
And almost all of them died During the meuse-argonne offensive.
- Amongst these men are the, uh, Are the dead from the battlefield.
And here's some of them already.
These are all from your grandfather's division.
Same infantry regiment.
- Right.
- 102, 26th division And you can see the dates.
October the 24th.
- And he's from ohio.
- So this man here was serving with your grandfather.
- Hmm.
- The key thing here is these men could have been men Who your grandfather treated but who didn't make it.
- Right.
- And here's a man, john corder.
- Same day.
- Same day.
- Yeah.
So he was not as lucky as james joseph broderick.
- That's right.
That's right, he was very very lucky to be wounded On that day.
- Hmm.
- It's probably what-- what saved his life.
- I just can't imagine how it would have felt To be in his position.
To be responsible for so many lives.
And at risk at the same time.
- I've got something here for you to have a look at.
- Uh-huh.
- See what you find.
- Recommendations for distinguished service cross, Private first class james broderick, Being attached to company k as first aid man, Performed his duties to the utmost, Giving first aid to the wounded under heavy shell And machine gun fire fearlessly And with absolute disregard for personal safety.
Wow.
Distinguished service cross? - That's a big medal.
It's the second highest award for gallantry you can receive.
- Oh, my god.
That's amazing.
Wow.
- Noble act and probably a very noble man.
- Yeah.
- It's my father's name.
I always thought of him as joe.
Joe the postman.
After hearing all my grandfather went through, I can see why he didn't like to talk about it with my dad.
I'm very impressed.
Uh, that he would even be there So close to the front lines was enough, But that he's, uh Has performed his duties to utmost.
Giving first aid to the wounded under heavy shell And machine gunfire fearlessly and with absolute disregard For personal safety.
Which is a really lovely sentence too.
So I will cherish having that, you know? This was six days of absolute bravery In the worst possible conditions.
He didn't talk about it, But I now know about it.
He's been found out.
And I'm enormously proud of him.
If joe hadn't survived I wouldn't be here.
It's because of his service and all of these men That our family has the life we do today.
I have to take some time with this, Because it's, uh, it's like learning that your a different-- There's something different in your being Than what you always thought.
That something has been filled in That I didn't know was blank.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew uncovers tragic details About his grandmother's life.
- She was an orphan? Announcer: And later he discovers his grandfather Wasn't the only war hero in the family.
- Now, wait a minute.
That is absolutely fantastic.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is on a journey Into his father's family history.
He's just discovered that his grandfather, joe, Was a war hero.
Now, he's turning his attention to his grandmother, mary.
- I have no idea where she comes from.
Who her parents were.
What her whole line was.
And what hardships did she have? - Yeah.
I wanna know where she came from.
I wanna know where her parents came from.
I'm very excited.
So I'm heading to her home state of connecticut.
I'm starting in the state archives Where I'm meeting the head Of the history of genealogy unit, Richard roberts.
How would I find more out about mary martindale? - We could take a look at the census on ancestry.
Com On the laptop to see if we could pull her up.
- Okay.
- This is a listing of various censuses down here.
So we're gonna be looking for a 1910 census.
Martindale.
And then we know that she's in connecticut.
So for residence we're gonna put connecticut.
So if you click on search.
- Okay.
- Let's see if that pulls anything up.
- Mary martindale.
Household members.
That many - Look at that.
- Why would there be that many people in a house? - Let's see.
So let's scroll back up to the top again And let's see what this is all about.
- So this is a bunch of kids living in a home for For children, does that say? - Yeah, so it's really the new haven county Temporary home for children.
- Oh, no.
- And this is like a county orphanage Back at that time period.
- So she was an orphan? Really? - So it looks like she and then all these kids Are living in the temporary home as orphans.
- Oh.
Wow, that's amazing.
So we don't know when the parents Left the picture on these.
- Uh, actually, we do have some clues.
And in order to do that we have to look at a few other things.
- You have clues to that? - We do have some clues.
And if you wanna follow me, we need to go into the vault And take a look at some of the materials in there.
- I do want to follow you.
Yes.
- So this is the coroner's records.
- The mother of mary martindale is mary martindale.
She is not alive.
- From a liver ulcer.
- Wow.
So, um, william martindale, her father, Uh, west haven, same man.
Uh, and it says he was killed in 1908.
Uh, deceased was employed by the new york, New haven and hartford railroad company.
There was a spill of t--ten timbers-- Fell over onto him.
- So this whole big pile of timbers-- - He was crushed by a - Crushed by the timbers.
- You know, I've read novels where little girls Go to the state home and stuff, But it's my grandmother.
Sort of amazing.
It's a very hard-- unimaginably hard--life.
What it does is just these cold little facts, I guess you could say, get more and more human As you, uh, as you put them together.
You get a story of a life of a human being And it's fascinating.
My father was so close to such a hard life And I wonder if he knew all this too.
Did she tell him about the temporary home for children? 'cause I've never heard it before.
It's funny to know things about your parent's parents That maybe your parents didn't know.
My sister, janet, was curious about mary's whole family line.
So now I wanna see what kind of people she comes from.
I'm starting with mary's father william martindale.
I'm meeting mel smith, An expert in the history and genealogy unit.
- Back in the day before computers, Before even microfilm, people used census volumes.
The actual original records.
- Yeah.
- This is the 1870 census.
And we're trying to find william martindale as a child, Living in the new haven area, Perhaps with his family, brothers, sisters-- - So it might list his father or somebody who we can get to.
- Exactly.
- His whole family here.
- Okay.
And there's martindale.
- What--this is-- is that william? - That is a william.
- William martindale.
- Yes.
Along with his mother and all his brothers and sisters.
- Wow.
And now I know his mother is charlotte martindale.
And does it have his father? - It does not list his father.
- Hmm.
- But once again, using the census records, Perhaps we can leapfrog back in time To see if we can find the father.
Re's the 1850 census.
And once again, we're looking in the new haven area.
- Oh, there's a robert martindale.
And charlotte.
Wow.
Now wait a minute.
This man is 27? - Yes.
- So charlotte-- that's his wife? - Correct.
- She's 22, which works out properly 'cause it was 42 in the other one.
- That's right.
- He's my great great grandfather.
- Yeah.
- Wow.
Announcer: The entire family's missing From the next census in 1860.
But by 1870, the family is back, Only without robert.
His name isn't recorded.
- So what happened to robert martindale Between 1850 and 1870? - He was relatively young, right? - 27? - Yes.
If he was placed in the 1860 census, He'd be about 37.
- In 1860, so we're getting into the big event-- 1860--uh-oh.
Civil war, as that what we're - Exactly.
- Oh, my god.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew finds robert martindale In the middle of a defining moment for america.
- Gettysburg.
Oh, my god.
Does this mean they fought in gettysburg? Announcer: And later, matthew helps solve a mystery That has stumped historians for almost 160 years.
- I am speechless.
I'm gobsmacked.
Announcer: Matthew broderick's search Into his father's side of the family Has brought him to connecticut.
- There's a robert martindale.
He is my great great grandfather.
Announcer: He's found robert martindale in the 1850 census.
But after that, robert disappears from the records.
- If he was placed in the 1860 census, He'd be about 37.
- So we're getting into the big event in 1860.
Uh-oh, the civil war.
Is that what we're-- - Exactly.
- Oh, my god.
Announcer: After 40 years of intense political And economic debate, The conflict between the northern and southern states Over slavery, liberty, and state's rights Resulted in the succession of 11 southern states And soon thereafter, the civil war.
In 1861, both sides expected a short, painless war.
But it turned into the most devastating conflict On american soil.
The fighting continued for four years Resulting in more than 600,000 deaths.
- We do have an index here.
Individuals that served in the war, The civil war, by town.
- J, k, l Lee.
Oh, I just saw it.
Robert martindale.
Wow.
Private company b, 20th regiment, Connecticut volunteer infantry.
So what happened to him there? - Well, we have some, um, civil war records here For you to look at.
- Oh, my god.
That's amazing.
What are these things? - These are enlistment records.
- Robert martindale.
1862, that's when he went in to sign up? - Yes.
This is the actual document that when he walked in To a room somewhere and said, "I wanna be in the civil war.
" - That's the actual document.
- I robert martindale do solemnly swear that I will Bare true faith and allegiance To the United States of america.
Sworn and subscribed to at ansonia This 5th day of August That's his writing, I bet, right? - That's his signature.
- Wow.
- That's his very signature.
- Robert martindale.
That is absolutely fantastic.
This soldier has grey eyes, brown hair, Dark complexion, is 5'5" tall.
And so, we know a lot more about him than we did.
- Absolutely.
- We know a little bit what he looked like.
- It's a lot to, um, take in.
- Wow.
And, uh, so I am astounded that I have a relative Who was in the civil war.
- I'm--I'm shook up.
- Yeah.
- A lot of americans, if they were able to look back, Would find they had relatives in the civil war.
But it never, for some reason, Dawned on me that I was one of them.
I did a movie where I had a civil war uniform on.
So to find that I had A great great grandfather in the civil war, I should have thought of it, but I never did.
The character I played in glory Was from a new England regiment as well And his name was robert.
Robert shaw.
He was a colonel.
And, uh, apparently my grandfather was just a private.
So I imagine they had very-- That's the end of their similarities.
Is there a way to find out anything about his record During the war? - There is.
These are muster rolls.
.
- And muster meansathered and counted and-- - Exactly.
Exactly.
So this shows the strength of a company at a given time.
It follows the regiments throughout the war.
Each company.
- So each one of these should have him in it.
- Correct.
Let's take a peak.
July through August of '63.
And now are these-- oh, there's martindale.
Robert martindale.
- So there he is.
- Something here in gettysburg.
Oh, my god.
Um - And placed - And placed in the line of battle.
Does this mean they fought in gettysburg? - He was at gettysburg.
He survived gettysburg more importantly.
- Good.
Announcer: In July of 1863, Confederate general robert e.
Lee Decided to invade northern territory.
Believing a victory there would put pressure on the union To end the war.
Lee's plan brought his army to gettysburg In south central pennsylvania.
After three days of battle and 50,000 casualties, The confederate army was defeated And forced to return to virginia.
The battle would prove to be a turning point In the civil war.
And the future site of president lincoln's Historic gettysburg address.
- So we know they're in gettysburg.
Where are they going next? - This is June '64.
Okay.
Okay, 22nd.
Join the pursuit of the enemy to within three miles Of atlanta.
In at--in atlanta? - Atlanta, georgia.
- Yeah.
- Far from home.
- So I could probably, if I wanted, I could find out more about that battle.
And then, I might find a little more detail About what kind of fighting it was.
- Absolutely.
Absolutely.
- The muster rolls show that robert's regiment Moved through the south from tennessee to savannah, georgia.
But robert's trail ends in atlanta.
I'm on my way there to meet with gordon jones, Curator of the atlanta history center And civil war exhibit.
- All right, matthew.
Here's where your ancestor robert martindale fought.
And in the battle of peachtree creek, Which was on July 20th, The federal army continues its advance on atlanta.
And on the 23rd of July, robert martindale Is detailed as a skirmisher.
Now a skirmisher is basically like a guard.
I have a document here that will tell us what happened On July 23rd.
- Inventory of the effects of robert martindale, Company b of the 20th regiment connecticut.
He died on srmish line in front of atlanta, georgia On the 23rd day of July 1864 By reason of musket ball through the head.
- That would have been a very violent, bloody wound.
But would've been quick.
- Yes.
- It probably would have been painless.
- Right.
- And if you're gonna get it, That's the way you want it to happen.
- So that's it.
That's very, um, very final.
Damn.
I was, uh--I was pulling for him.
He had survived gettysburg and all these horrible battles, And then just took a shot in the head.
It's sad, but to follow in my own flesh and blood's footsteps Through, you know, the very field, It's amazing.
It's wonderful.
What would have happened to him, to his body? - I don't know that for sure.
Um, almost certainly the body was recovered.
But what happened after that, I don't know.
But I know a guy who does.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew unravels the clue surrounding robert's burial.
- This is not the end of the line.
- No? - For robert.
- It isn't? Announcer: And learns that his search Into his father's ancestry Has helped a historian solve a 160-year-old mystery.
- Wow.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is unraveling the mysteries That surround his father's side of the family.
- What do you wanna know? - I'd like to know how his parents Turn into the people they were.
Announcer: He's just found out That his great great grandfather Robert martindale fought in the civil war.
- He died by reason of musket ball through the head.
Announcer: He's trying to find out where robert was buried So he can pay his respects.
- What would have happened to his body? - I don't know that for sure, But I know a guy who does.
Brad quinlan.
- He's meeting brad quinlan, a civil war burial expert, Near marietta row north west of atlanta.
- The men that were killed on this line Were brought back to this area And taken to, um, a section of ground that was open And buried in makeshift graves.
- Uh-huh.
So this--this is here? Right around here is where they would--would take him? - Right--right in here is where he was buried.
- So-- - Immediately after he was killed.
- Wow.
- But this is not the end of the line.
- No? - For robert.
- It isn't? - No.
- Why is that? - In 1866 and 1867, Over the entire area of the atlanta campaign, Men came down and they very carefully And very meticulously went to these makeshift cemeteries They would take these men and reinter them.
- Is that right? So he might be-- have been moved? - He might have been moved from this area And placed into a national cemetery.
- Where, in washington or something? - About 20 minutes up the road Is where many of these men were taken.
- Is that right? - The marietta national cemetery.
- Can we go there? - We sure can.
- Oh, my god.
- I know.
Announcer: The marietta national cemetery Was established after the civil war.
It is the final resting place For around 10,000 union soldiers Killed during sherman's atlanta campaign.
Although great care was taken in moving the bodies, 3,000 marietta graves remain unidentified.
- When they came back in 1866 and 1867 to reinter these men, They documented every grave they went to.
And then way they brought them here and reinterred them, They put all the documentation together And they are in books in the national archives.
- Okay - Now this morning we talked about robert being buried In a cemetery downtown.
- Near the train track.
- Yes.
And I've compiled a complete listing Of every single man Who was killed with the 20th connecticut In the atlanta campaign.
The next thing we had to do, Is we had to prove, one at a time, All the burials of the 20th connecticut.
- So you're trying to eliminate the ones you know? - Yes.
- Right.
- We've only one man we have not accounted for 100%.
Robert martindale.
- Okay.
- This is the documentation that shows the men Who were pulled up from that cemetery and brought here.
- Wow.
Uh-huh.
- Okay.
- We're looking for a 20th connecticut.
- If you might, take a look, this says - Oh, my gosh.
Yep.
Unknown.
- Okay.
- Supposed to be a member of 20th connecticut.
- Buried two miles north of the car shed Down at the marietta row.
- Where we were this morning.
- Yes, and he was brought here into this cemetery.
- Into where we're sitting now.
- Exactly.
So we have eliminated every single man In the 20th connecticut except for - Robert martindale.
- Yep.
We've proved that that grave today Is section d grave 2469.
- Wow.
Good job.
Good job.
- Pretty amazing.
- Yeah.
- That the documentation still exists.
- Yeah and the, uh, and the smarts to know how to use it.
Yeah.
- He's just down the hill.
- Let's go see him.
- Okay, let's go.
- I am speechless.
I'm gobsmacked.
To think if I hadn't contacted brad when I did, He might not have put the missing pieces together To finally find my great great grandfather.
It's nice that somebody bothered to find And make unanonymous robert martindale.
Announcer: Coming up - I wish my father was-- I wish my whole family was here.
- The past and present come together As matthew puts a name to an unmarked soldier's grave.
- Amazing.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is At the marietta national cemetery in atlanta, Trying to find his great great grandfather Robert martindale's civil war grave.
- He's just down the hill.
- Well, let's go see him.
Announcer: He's just put together the clues To give a name to the final unknown soldier's grave From the 20th connecticut, His great great grandfather robert martindale.
- Section d in front of us.
- Section d.
And we're looking for 2469.
- Yes.
- So we just start looking? Is that what you do? - Just start looking.
Yes.
- 72.
Is that a 6? I think that's it.
- 2469.
- Amazing.
Just an ordinary soldier, you know? - Mm-hmm.
Simple little stone after a long journey.
- That's a nice little stone.
- Yeah.
- I kinda like it.
Well, that is great to have.
It's a great thing to have.
Yeah, I wish my father was-- I wish my whole family was here.
5'5", brown hair, Grey eyes.
Well, bless his little heart.
It will be noted, what you came up with? - It is gonna be noted.
- Wow.
- I'm gonna submit all the paperwork To the va and the cemetery, And it will be noted for all future generations.
- He deserves it.
I'm amazed.
What a--what a complete journey it turned out to be.
It all gets to here, you know, And now to have his great great grandson stand on his grave.
I'm overwhelmed.
I've been lucky enough to be born in a time Where I didn't have to make these sacrifices myself.
And I hope my son doesn't or my daughters.
I can't even express how much I admire People brave enough to do that.
I wish my father was here to watch me do this journey, Because I know he would-- He would have been fascinated to learn these things.
I always felt extremely close to my father, But now there's, uh, much more of a context for him.
[goo goo dolls' better days.]
- I need someplace simple where we could live and something only you can give and that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive - I think my grandfather and great great grandfather Helped make a world that my kids Can be so comfortable in now.
We're all related to the generations That happened before us.
What they went through shaped our time.
- so take these words and sing out loud cause everyone is forgiven now - I am very excited to have learned So much that I didn't know about my family.
It's such a joy to be able to share it With my sisters and my wife and my children.
It's a wonderful gift.
- cause tonight's the night the world begins again
They will travel the world in search of their heritage.
- Ooh.
Announcer: Family mysteries will be revealed.
- I had always thought that she was dead.
- That's the only known picture of him? - That's the only known picture.
- How absolutely terrifying.
Announcer: And everything they thought they knew Will be rewritten.
- Oh, my god.
- What? - This is a story that's gettin' good.
- Yes.
- Gettysburg? - Gettysburg.
- That's history right there.
- It sure is.
Announcer: Lives will be changed.
- My name is lisa kudrow And--and I think we're related.
Announcer: Roots will be discovered.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
- This is it.
This is where it all began.
- All started here.
Announcer: Because to know who you are, You have to know where you came from.
- It's like learning that there's something different In your being than what you always thought.
- I have found what I was looking for.
- So do you know who you are? - Oh, yeah, I've always known who I am.
But now I know more.
- It's changed everything Abt who I thought I was.
Everything.
Announcer: Tonight, matthew broderick is on a mission To find out about his father's family.
- I never knew anything about him.
Announcer: He discovers heartache.
- So this is a bunch of kids living in a home With children? Oh, no.
Announcer: History.
- Gettysburg? Oh, my god.
Does this mean they fought in gettysburg? - That was a very violent bloody wound.
Announcer: And heroism.
- Your grandfather wasn't coming here to kill anybody.
He was here to preserve life.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
Announcer: He helps historians solve a 160-year-old mystery.
- I am speechless.
I am gobsmacked.
Announcer: Hollywood and broadway actor matthew broderick Found fame at the age of 24.
When he starred in the cult movie classic Ferris bueller's day off.
Since then, he's appeared in more than 40 film Including the civil war epic glory, The producers, and godzilla, As well as, winning many awards on broadway.
He's married to actress, sarah jessica parker.
They live in manhattan with their son james wilkie And their twin daughters tabitha and marion.
- I was born and raised in new york city Within about five blocks of where we are now, Pretty much my whole life.
I was very very attached to my parents.
My mom was raised in new york, as well.
She died in 2003.
That side of the family I knew and I love But my dad's side is the-- is the biggest mystery.
My father died when I was 20.
So I didn't have all that long with him But IAdored him.
Dad was in the navy during world war ii And then he became an actor.
In fact, I think I became an actor Because I grew up watching him.
I was as happy as anywhere, For me, was to just be in a dressing room While he was getting ready.
As close as we were, I know very little About where he came from.
He never talked about his parents And they passed away before I was born.
It is strange not to know who he comes from.
You know, I mean, what made him the way he is.
He was, uh, he was quiet about some things.
I think his father was extremely quiet with him.
I wanna use this opportunity To try and learn more about my father.
To learn something about his family That will help me understand him And myself So that when my kids ask me where we come from, I can tell them.
You start to lose these connections, Which you didn't bother to write down.
So even the little I did have Has--has sort of slipped away.
I'm gonna visit my older sister janet in jersey city.
To see if she knows anything that can Get me started on this journey.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- Good to see you.
- My sister remembers my dad's parents may and joe, But I never met them.
They were just gone by the time I came around.
- What--what do you wanna know? - Really, a big black hole, I think, Is our father's--I don't know anything about that-- That line of our family.
- Absolutely.
- His mother's name is may? - Yeah, may.
- Martindale? - Martindale was her maiden name.
I remember that may was-- seemed strict.
She was very catholic.
- Born in connecticut? - In connecticut.
But I've no idea who her parents where.
What her whole line was.
And what hardships did she have? - Yeah.
- I'd like to know how his parents Turned into the people they were.
If joe was quiet, why was he quiet? - I know.
I think he was--I heard he was quiet, That he could be bad-tempered, And that when he played cards, If he got a bad hand, he said "this is not a hand it's a foot," Which mom thought was an incredibly dumb joke.
- But used it her whole life.
- Her entire life, she used it, yeah.
- So that's joe.
- That's joe holding me.
You see that's a broderick nose and a broderick forehead.
Right? - Yep.
- Totally, with the little bulbs and everything.
- Yep.
And big feet.
- Yeah, that's right.
It's true.
Joe was a postman.
- Yeah.
- He was in the first world war.
And he apparently did something with germans-- Either captured them or he got gassed.
- Gassed.
- Mom said he got money because he'd been gassed.
- Wow, that's incredible.
- Did he-- - why? - Because I never knew anything about him.
- Yeah.
Right.
- Well, this I have to find out about.
I am very curious about that.
- I know.
I know.
He's a veteran of a foreign war, And we know it's the first world war.
- Yeah.
- We can contact the veteran's administration And tell them that our grandfather, here's his name, And we'd like to know if they can find out about that.
- We have to put some pressure on our congressman.
That's the only way to get answers on this kind of thing.
My best hope, you know-- I hope there's nothing really embarrassing.
But I'm very open to-- to learning anything.
I hope it's a good story.
But where it leads to, I am, uh, I'm ready for anything.
Announcer: Matthew's on his way to the national archives In new york city Where he's been told his grandfather joe broderick's Military records have been sent.
- James joseph broderick, private first class.
102 infantry.
M.
D.
Enlisted on June 1916.
Embarked from montreal September 26, 1917 And arrived at le harve.
Well.
So he was in France.
Transferred to medical, I think, department.
That I didn't know.
102nd infantry, 26th division, March 1918.
And uh, now, what happened there? It doesn't say.
Did he fight or see action? It's mysterious.
I don't know what he did over in France.
- This is my father's father, so, It's extremely close.
So I'm dying to know what happened.
I wanna see if I can find out any details About his, uh, his life there.
If I can, I'd like to walk in his footsteps And see where he served.
So I'm heading to France.
I know my grandfather served in the medical department.
But I have no idea what that entailed.
I'm meeting noted world war I author And historian peter barton, Who has my grandfather's service records from France.
I'm excited.
It's such a mystery to me what I'm going to find.
- This is the battle of meuse-argonne.
It was a colossal.
One of the greatest battles of the entire war.
Your grandfather's 26th division arrived here On the 18th of October 1918.
- Wow.
- It was their job to take the german defenses On the top of this ridge here.
And they were formidable defenses.
The germans knew that this attack was coming And they concentrated their best forces.
- Yeah.
- It was a devastating attack for them.
- Wow.
- Because they had machine gunfire Coming from the hills over here.
Machine gunfire coming from the hills over there.
And this is converging and crossing these fields.
So in order to reach the german trenches, You have to walk through a stream of bullets.
So if we have a look at your grandfather's duties - Mm-hmm.
- You know what he did? - Not really.
- Yeah.
- I mean See, he died right before I was born so-- - He was a private first class and specifically trained To save life on the field.
He'd follow the infantry, uh, into battle.
And he would be the first man on the scene of an injury.
Over the shells and machine guns, You wouldn't be able to hear yourself scream.
- Yeah.
- He couldn't hear the men shouting for help.
He would have to see them.
- Yeah.
- He is totally exposed.
His job was utterly, utterly critical, Because he had to stop hemorrhage From bullet wounds or shrapnel wounds And splint people if they had badly shattered legs or arms Before the stretcher bearers came.
It was a position of huge responsibility.
And the thing you have to know, matthew, Is that every single man in that company Would have totally depended upon your grandfather To save their lives.
And this is where certain things Happened to-- to your grandfather Which probably affected him for the rest of his life.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew makes an extraordinary discovery About what happened to his grandfather On the battlefield.
- I've got something here for you to look at.
- Wow.
That's amazing.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is searching back Into his father's family history.
- I don't know anything about that-- That line of our family.
- Absolutely.
Announcer: He's now in France Where his grandfather, james joseph broderick, Served in world war I when he was only 22 years old.
- It's amazing I really knew almost nothing about him.
Then I found out that he was a medic And he was the one who would rush right out, In enemy fire and friendly fire.
Extremely dangerous job.
He was right in the middle of it.
Learning what happened here, It's hard to imagine anyone escaping uninjured.
It's amazing anyone survived.
- The thing you have to know, matthew, Is that he wasn't coming here to kill anybody.
He was here to preserve life.
- Right.
- To preserve the life of his own pals.
And I've got something else to show you here.
I surely suspect you might not have seen before.
- Oh.
Purple heart.
Is that right? - Yep.
- Wow.
This is incredible.
So this is his-- he was wounded? - That's right.
It's this document that tells us where he was wounded And that's how we can place him here.
- Oh.
- By the date of this document.
- 'cause you know where his group was on 10-27-18.
- That's right.
- Broderick, james j, wounded in action Private medical department awarded purple heart.
Wounded in action October 27, 1918.
Boy, this is no small thing.
You know? Well, bless his heart.
I wonder how bad it was.
- 'cause, I mean, there's a rumor he may have been gassed But here, it's more likely to be shell fire Or a bullet wound.
- Amazing.
This is incredible.
- Yeah.
- Wow.
Cause you never would have-- I never would have known.
Well, I found out, I guess, quite a bit about what his Experience in world war I was like.
How he was this very brave man who never spoke about it.
I didn't even know he had this purple heart.
It's shocking to me.
And, uh, I'm very proud of it.
My grandfather was wounded, but thankfully he survived.
Many others were not so lucky.
Peter and I are going to the meuse-argonne cemetery To pay our respects to his fallen comrades.
It's the final resting place For over 14,000 american military soldiers in europe.
And almost all of them died During the meuse-argonne offensive.
- Amongst these men are the, uh, Are the dead from the battlefield.
And here's some of them already.
These are all from your grandfather's division.
Same infantry regiment.
- Right.
- 102, 26th division And you can see the dates.
October the 24th.
- And he's from ohio.
- So this man here was serving with your grandfather.
- Hmm.
- The key thing here is these men could have been men Who your grandfather treated but who didn't make it.
- Right.
- And here's a man, john corder.
- Same day.
- Same day.
- Yeah.
So he was not as lucky as james joseph broderick.
- That's right.
That's right, he was very very lucky to be wounded On that day.
- Hmm.
- It's probably what-- what saved his life.
- I just can't imagine how it would have felt To be in his position.
To be responsible for so many lives.
And at risk at the same time.
- I've got something here for you to have a look at.
- Uh-huh.
- See what you find.
- Recommendations for distinguished service cross, Private first class james broderick, Being attached to company k as first aid man, Performed his duties to the utmost, Giving first aid to the wounded under heavy shell And machine gun fire fearlessly And with absolute disregard for personal safety.
Wow.
Distinguished service cross? - That's a big medal.
It's the second highest award for gallantry you can receive.
- Oh, my god.
That's amazing.
Wow.
- Noble act and probably a very noble man.
- Yeah.
- It's my father's name.
I always thought of him as joe.
Joe the postman.
After hearing all my grandfather went through, I can see why he didn't like to talk about it with my dad.
I'm very impressed.
Uh, that he would even be there So close to the front lines was enough, But that he's, uh Has performed his duties to utmost.
Giving first aid to the wounded under heavy shell And machine gunfire fearlessly and with absolute disregard For personal safety.
Which is a really lovely sentence too.
So I will cherish having that, you know? This was six days of absolute bravery In the worst possible conditions.
He didn't talk about it, But I now know about it.
He's been found out.
And I'm enormously proud of him.
If joe hadn't survived I wouldn't be here.
It's because of his service and all of these men That our family has the life we do today.
I have to take some time with this, Because it's, uh, it's like learning that your a different-- There's something different in your being Than what you always thought.
That something has been filled in That I didn't know was blank.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew uncovers tragic details About his grandmother's life.
- She was an orphan? Announcer: And later he discovers his grandfather Wasn't the only war hero in the family.
- Now, wait a minute.
That is absolutely fantastic.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is on a journey Into his father's family history.
He's just discovered that his grandfather, joe, Was a war hero.
Now, he's turning his attention to his grandmother, mary.
- I have no idea where she comes from.
Who her parents were.
What her whole line was.
And what hardships did she have? - Yeah.
I wanna know where she came from.
I wanna know where her parents came from.
I'm very excited.
So I'm heading to her home state of connecticut.
I'm starting in the state archives Where I'm meeting the head Of the history of genealogy unit, Richard roberts.
How would I find more out about mary martindale? - We could take a look at the census on ancestry.
Com On the laptop to see if we could pull her up.
- Okay.
- This is a listing of various censuses down here.
So we're gonna be looking for a 1910 census.
Martindale.
And then we know that she's in connecticut.
So for residence we're gonna put connecticut.
So if you click on search.
- Okay.
- Let's see if that pulls anything up.
- Mary martindale.
Household members.
That many - Look at that.
- Why would there be that many people in a house? - Let's see.
So let's scroll back up to the top again And let's see what this is all about.
- So this is a bunch of kids living in a home for For children, does that say? - Yeah, so it's really the new haven county Temporary home for children.
- Oh, no.
- And this is like a county orphanage Back at that time period.
- So she was an orphan? Really? - So it looks like she and then all these kids Are living in the temporary home as orphans.
- Oh.
Wow, that's amazing.
So we don't know when the parents Left the picture on these.
- Uh, actually, we do have some clues.
And in order to do that we have to look at a few other things.
- You have clues to that? - We do have some clues.
And if you wanna follow me, we need to go into the vault And take a look at some of the materials in there.
- I do want to follow you.
Yes.
- So this is the coroner's records.
- The mother of mary martindale is mary martindale.
She is not alive.
- From a liver ulcer.
- Wow.
So, um, william martindale, her father, Uh, west haven, same man.
Uh, and it says he was killed in 1908.
Uh, deceased was employed by the new york, New haven and hartford railroad company.
There was a spill of t--ten timbers-- Fell over onto him.
- So this whole big pile of timbers-- - He was crushed by a - Crushed by the timbers.
- You know, I've read novels where little girls Go to the state home and stuff, But it's my grandmother.
Sort of amazing.
It's a very hard-- unimaginably hard--life.
What it does is just these cold little facts, I guess you could say, get more and more human As you, uh, as you put them together.
You get a story of a life of a human being And it's fascinating.
My father was so close to such a hard life And I wonder if he knew all this too.
Did she tell him about the temporary home for children? 'cause I've never heard it before.
It's funny to know things about your parent's parents That maybe your parents didn't know.
My sister, janet, was curious about mary's whole family line.
So now I wanna see what kind of people she comes from.
I'm starting with mary's father william martindale.
I'm meeting mel smith, An expert in the history and genealogy unit.
- Back in the day before computers, Before even microfilm, people used census volumes.
The actual original records.
- Yeah.
- This is the 1870 census.
And we're trying to find william martindale as a child, Living in the new haven area, Perhaps with his family, brothers, sisters-- - So it might list his father or somebody who we can get to.
- Exactly.
- His whole family here.
- Okay.
And there's martindale.
- What--this is-- is that william? - That is a william.
- William martindale.
- Yes.
Along with his mother and all his brothers and sisters.
- Wow.
And now I know his mother is charlotte martindale.
And does it have his father? - It does not list his father.
- Hmm.
- But once again, using the census records, Perhaps we can leapfrog back in time To see if we can find the father.
Re's the 1850 census.
And once again, we're looking in the new haven area.
- Oh, there's a robert martindale.
And charlotte.
Wow.
Now wait a minute.
This man is 27? - Yes.
- So charlotte-- that's his wife? - Correct.
- She's 22, which works out properly 'cause it was 42 in the other one.
- That's right.
- He's my great great grandfather.
- Yeah.
- Wow.
Announcer: The entire family's missing From the next census in 1860.
But by 1870, the family is back, Only without robert.
His name isn't recorded.
- So what happened to robert martindale Between 1850 and 1870? - He was relatively young, right? - 27? - Yes.
If he was placed in the 1860 census, He'd be about 37.
- In 1860, so we're getting into the big event-- 1860--uh-oh.
Civil war, as that what we're - Exactly.
- Oh, my god.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew finds robert martindale In the middle of a defining moment for america.
- Gettysburg.
Oh, my god.
Does this mean they fought in gettysburg? Announcer: And later, matthew helps solve a mystery That has stumped historians for almost 160 years.
- I am speechless.
I'm gobsmacked.
Announcer: Matthew broderick's search Into his father's side of the family Has brought him to connecticut.
- There's a robert martindale.
He is my great great grandfather.
Announcer: He's found robert martindale in the 1850 census.
But after that, robert disappears from the records.
- If he was placed in the 1860 census, He'd be about 37.
- So we're getting into the big event in 1860.
Uh-oh, the civil war.
Is that what we're-- - Exactly.
- Oh, my god.
Announcer: After 40 years of intense political And economic debate, The conflict between the northern and southern states Over slavery, liberty, and state's rights Resulted in the succession of 11 southern states And soon thereafter, the civil war.
In 1861, both sides expected a short, painless war.
But it turned into the most devastating conflict On american soil.
The fighting continued for four years Resulting in more than 600,000 deaths.
- We do have an index here.
Individuals that served in the war, The civil war, by town.
- J, k, l Lee.
Oh, I just saw it.
Robert martindale.
Wow.
Private company b, 20th regiment, Connecticut volunteer infantry.
So what happened to him there? - Well, we have some, um, civil war records here For you to look at.
- Oh, my god.
That's amazing.
What are these things? - These are enlistment records.
- Robert martindale.
1862, that's when he went in to sign up? - Yes.
This is the actual document that when he walked in To a room somewhere and said, "I wanna be in the civil war.
" - That's the actual document.
- I robert martindale do solemnly swear that I will Bare true faith and allegiance To the United States of america.
Sworn and subscribed to at ansonia This 5th day of August That's his writing, I bet, right? - That's his signature.
- Wow.
- That's his very signature.
- Robert martindale.
That is absolutely fantastic.
This soldier has grey eyes, brown hair, Dark complexion, is 5'5" tall.
And so, we know a lot more about him than we did.
- Absolutely.
- We know a little bit what he looked like.
- It's a lot to, um, take in.
- Wow.
And, uh, so I am astounded that I have a relative Who was in the civil war.
- I'm--I'm shook up.
- Yeah.
- A lot of americans, if they were able to look back, Would find they had relatives in the civil war.
But it never, for some reason, Dawned on me that I was one of them.
I did a movie where I had a civil war uniform on.
So to find that I had A great great grandfather in the civil war, I should have thought of it, but I never did.
The character I played in glory Was from a new England regiment as well And his name was robert.
Robert shaw.
He was a colonel.
And, uh, apparently my grandfather was just a private.
So I imagine they had very-- That's the end of their similarities.
Is there a way to find out anything about his record During the war? - There is.
These are muster rolls.
.
- And muster meansathered and counted and-- - Exactly.
Exactly.
So this shows the strength of a company at a given time.
It follows the regiments throughout the war.
Each company.
- So each one of these should have him in it.
- Correct.
Let's take a peak.
July through August of '63.
And now are these-- oh, there's martindale.
Robert martindale.
- So there he is.
- Something here in gettysburg.
Oh, my god.
Um - And placed - And placed in the line of battle.
Does this mean they fought in gettysburg? - He was at gettysburg.
He survived gettysburg more importantly.
- Good.
Announcer: In July of 1863, Confederate general robert e.
Lee Decided to invade northern territory.
Believing a victory there would put pressure on the union To end the war.
Lee's plan brought his army to gettysburg In south central pennsylvania.
After three days of battle and 50,000 casualties, The confederate army was defeated And forced to return to virginia.
The battle would prove to be a turning point In the civil war.
And the future site of president lincoln's Historic gettysburg address.
- So we know they're in gettysburg.
Where are they going next? - This is June '64.
Okay.
Okay, 22nd.
Join the pursuit of the enemy to within three miles Of atlanta.
In at--in atlanta? - Atlanta, georgia.
- Yeah.
- Far from home.
- So I could probably, if I wanted, I could find out more about that battle.
And then, I might find a little more detail About what kind of fighting it was.
- Absolutely.
Absolutely.
- The muster rolls show that robert's regiment Moved through the south from tennessee to savannah, georgia.
But robert's trail ends in atlanta.
I'm on my way there to meet with gordon jones, Curator of the atlanta history center And civil war exhibit.
- All right, matthew.
Here's where your ancestor robert martindale fought.
And in the battle of peachtree creek, Which was on July 20th, The federal army continues its advance on atlanta.
And on the 23rd of July, robert martindale Is detailed as a skirmisher.
Now a skirmisher is basically like a guard.
I have a document here that will tell us what happened On July 23rd.
- Inventory of the effects of robert martindale, Company b of the 20th regiment connecticut.
He died on srmish line in front of atlanta, georgia On the 23rd day of July 1864 By reason of musket ball through the head.
- That would have been a very violent, bloody wound.
But would've been quick.
- Yes.
- It probably would have been painless.
- Right.
- And if you're gonna get it, That's the way you want it to happen.
- So that's it.
That's very, um, very final.
Damn.
I was, uh--I was pulling for him.
He had survived gettysburg and all these horrible battles, And then just took a shot in the head.
It's sad, but to follow in my own flesh and blood's footsteps Through, you know, the very field, It's amazing.
It's wonderful.
What would have happened to him, to his body? - I don't know that for sure.
Um, almost certainly the body was recovered.
But what happened after that, I don't know.
But I know a guy who does.
Announcer: Coming up, Matthew unravels the clue surrounding robert's burial.
- This is not the end of the line.
- No? - For robert.
- It isn't? Announcer: And learns that his search Into his father's ancestry Has helped a historian solve a 160-year-old mystery.
- Wow.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is unraveling the mysteries That surround his father's side of the family.
- What do you wanna know? - I'd like to know how his parents Turn into the people they were.
Announcer: He's just found out That his great great grandfather Robert martindale fought in the civil war.
- He died by reason of musket ball through the head.
Announcer: He's trying to find out where robert was buried So he can pay his respects.
- What would have happened to his body? - I don't know that for sure, But I know a guy who does.
Brad quinlan.
- He's meeting brad quinlan, a civil war burial expert, Near marietta row north west of atlanta.
- The men that were killed on this line Were brought back to this area And taken to, um, a section of ground that was open And buried in makeshift graves.
- Uh-huh.
So this--this is here? Right around here is where they would--would take him? - Right--right in here is where he was buried.
- So-- - Immediately after he was killed.
- Wow.
- But this is not the end of the line.
- No? - For robert.
- It isn't? - No.
- Why is that? - In 1866 and 1867, Over the entire area of the atlanta campaign, Men came down and they very carefully And very meticulously went to these makeshift cemeteries They would take these men and reinter them.
- Is that right? So he might be-- have been moved? - He might have been moved from this area And placed into a national cemetery.
- Where, in washington or something? - About 20 minutes up the road Is where many of these men were taken.
- Is that right? - The marietta national cemetery.
- Can we go there? - We sure can.
- Oh, my god.
- I know.
Announcer: The marietta national cemetery Was established after the civil war.
It is the final resting place For around 10,000 union soldiers Killed during sherman's atlanta campaign.
Although great care was taken in moving the bodies, 3,000 marietta graves remain unidentified.
- When they came back in 1866 and 1867 to reinter these men, They documented every grave they went to.
And then way they brought them here and reinterred them, They put all the documentation together And they are in books in the national archives.
- Okay - Now this morning we talked about robert being buried In a cemetery downtown.
- Near the train track.
- Yes.
And I've compiled a complete listing Of every single man Who was killed with the 20th connecticut In the atlanta campaign.
The next thing we had to do, Is we had to prove, one at a time, All the burials of the 20th connecticut.
- So you're trying to eliminate the ones you know? - Yes.
- Right.
- We've only one man we have not accounted for 100%.
Robert martindale.
- Okay.
- This is the documentation that shows the men Who were pulled up from that cemetery and brought here.
- Wow.
Uh-huh.
- Okay.
- We're looking for a 20th connecticut.
- If you might, take a look, this says - Oh, my gosh.
Yep.
Unknown.
- Okay.
- Supposed to be a member of 20th connecticut.
- Buried two miles north of the car shed Down at the marietta row.
- Where we were this morning.
- Yes, and he was brought here into this cemetery.
- Into where we're sitting now.
- Exactly.
So we have eliminated every single man In the 20th connecticut except for - Robert martindale.
- Yep.
We've proved that that grave today Is section d grave 2469.
- Wow.
Good job.
Good job.
- Pretty amazing.
- Yeah.
- That the documentation still exists.
- Yeah and the, uh, and the smarts to know how to use it.
Yeah.
- He's just down the hill.
- Let's go see him.
- Okay, let's go.
- I am speechless.
I'm gobsmacked.
To think if I hadn't contacted brad when I did, He might not have put the missing pieces together To finally find my great great grandfather.
It's nice that somebody bothered to find And make unanonymous robert martindale.
Announcer: Coming up - I wish my father was-- I wish my whole family was here.
- The past and present come together As matthew puts a name to an unmarked soldier's grave.
- Amazing.
Announcer: Matthew broderick is At the marietta national cemetery in atlanta, Trying to find his great great grandfather Robert martindale's civil war grave.
- He's just down the hill.
- Well, let's go see him.
Announcer: He's just put together the clues To give a name to the final unknown soldier's grave From the 20th connecticut, His great great grandfather robert martindale.
- Section d in front of us.
- Section d.
And we're looking for 2469.
- Yes.
- So we just start looking? Is that what you do? - Just start looking.
Yes.
- 72.
Is that a 6? I think that's it.
- 2469.
- Amazing.
Just an ordinary soldier, you know? - Mm-hmm.
Simple little stone after a long journey.
- That's a nice little stone.
- Yeah.
- I kinda like it.
Well, that is great to have.
It's a great thing to have.
Yeah, I wish my father was-- I wish my whole family was here.
5'5", brown hair, Grey eyes.
Well, bless his little heart.
It will be noted, what you came up with? - It is gonna be noted.
- Wow.
- I'm gonna submit all the paperwork To the va and the cemetery, And it will be noted for all future generations.
- He deserves it.
I'm amazed.
What a--what a complete journey it turned out to be.
It all gets to here, you know, And now to have his great great grandson stand on his grave.
I'm overwhelmed.
I've been lucky enough to be born in a time Where I didn't have to make these sacrifices myself.
And I hope my son doesn't or my daughters.
I can't even express how much I admire People brave enough to do that.
I wish my father was here to watch me do this journey, Because I know he would-- He would have been fascinated to learn these things.
I always felt extremely close to my father, But now there's, uh, much more of a context for him.
[goo goo dolls' better days.]
- I need someplace simple where we could live and something only you can give and that's faith and trust and peace while we're alive - I think my grandfather and great great grandfather Helped make a world that my kids Can be so comfortable in now.
We're all related to the generations That happened before us.
What they went through shaped our time.
- so take these words and sing out loud cause everyone is forgiven now - I am very excited to have learned So much that I didn't know about my family.
It's such a joy to be able to share it With my sisters and my wife and my children.
It's a wonderful gift.
- cause tonight's the night the world begins again