Local News

Cove historian’s columns preserved for posterity

History and writing have been at the forefront of Navy veteran James Wentz's career, as he's spent a lifetime serving his country and telling stories.

Following his years of service around the world as a Senior Naval Officer, Wentz spent decades as a columnist, writing articles on local history, trailblazers and personal commentaries, in hopes of connecting others to central Pennsylvania's past.

Now, with roughly 880 articles under his belt writing for the Altoona Mirror and Morrisons Cove Herald, Wentz's 30-year collection of newspaper columns is being preserved by the

Blair County Historical Society for future generations to discover.

"These articles offer a glimpse into just the extraordinary insight that James has had over the years and a lot of his passion for learning local history," said Dustin Smith, executive director of the Baker Mansion Museum. "I think his chief goal when he was writing these articles was educating local individuals on Blair County history and some of the forgotten pieces of our past."

Through decades of research, interviews and learning, Wentz crafted columns spotlighting central Pennsylvania's history, world events, biographies and human interest stories.

For a number of years, Wentz has been a member of the Blair County Historical Society and decided to donate his columns after talking with Smith about his legacy. At the society's research library, eight binders worth of Wentz's stories are available for the public to view and the staff is working on digitizing the articles for instant access.

"I hope that my articles are preserved for hundreds of years and I hope that researchers find them useful in reconstructing what was going on in Central Pennsylvania during the 20th and 21st century," Wentz said.

Growing up in Hollidaysburg and Morrisons Cove, Wentz's connection to history and the journalism industry started at a very young age. He was a paperboy for the Mirror and recalls several patriotic memories that led to his 27-year military tenure.

In 1957, Wentz was commissioned ensign in the Navy to escape being drafted into the Army. He said he never wanted to pull the trigger of a gun and kill people.

"When somebody either serves just their enlistment of a couple of years or whether they do a career like I did for 27 years, national defense is a worthy cause to give yourself to," Wentz said.

Advancing his rank to Captain, Wentz served overseas on assignments in Italy, England, Japan, Greece, South America, Vietnam, the Middle East and the United States Navy headquarters in Washington, D.C.

While serving as Commander with the Sixth Fleet, Wentz directed the Navy's public relations efforts during the 1973 Middle East War and U.S. Navy Mine clearing operations in the Suez Canal. He also directed the Navy's public affairs program in 1975 during the first visit of the U.S. Navy warships to Leningrad since World War II.

"Self-preservation is the strongest human emotion. I was never put in a situation where I had to fight my way out," Wentz said. "As a public affairs officer, I just made sure that the people who did pull the triggers got their credit for doing their duty in such a good way."

Prior to entering the Navy, Wentz received his bachelor of science degree from Penn State University. While in the Navy, Wentz went on an academic assignment where he earned his master's degree in journalism. Returning to civilian life, Wentz later received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of London.

The military gave Wentz life-changing experiences and notable accomplishments that shaped the direction of his future after retiring from the Navy in 1984.

Needing something to keep him busy, Wentz found himself writing stories about noble people in the community, wanting to highlight the sacrifices and efforts they made. His favorite part about his journalism career has been sitting down and talking with individuals to hear their stories.

In 1999, Wentz published a book, "Cove Giants of the 20th Century," about the hundreds of men and women in the area "who shaped the 20th century economy and cultural values." This book earned him an Excellence in Preservation and Heritage accolade from the Blair County Historical Society.

"It's important for the people in the area to know what has gone on in the past and who the civic leaders were that made a difference in their communities," Wentz said. "I'm very proud of that, I hope that it lives on way beyond me."

From a senior naval officer to a columnist writing for local newspapers, Wentz said he's loved every moment of his career. To this day, Wentz writes monthly columns for the Mirror. However, his work life is coming to an end at 92 years old.

"As I look back on my 27 years of service in the United States Navy, I have come to the conclusion that I was one of the luckiest men who ever entered the service. Luck in that, without knowing it, to escape being drafted into the U.S. Army, I embarked on a career that I thoroughly enjoyed," Wentz said in an autobiography of his Navy experience.

The preservation of his columns isn't just to educate future generations on the history of central Pennsylvania, it's also a testament to Wentz's dedication, passion and interest in telling the stories of local people and history. His legacy lives on through these stories.

"That's what we aim for here, to continue his legacy here. I think that's what Jim wants out of this too. Although he may not reside here in Blair County anymore, he wanted to leave a piece of himself here," Smith said.

At the historic society, Smith is focused on circulating Blair County's entire story rather than just bits and pieces. He invites the public to explore Wentz's articles and the other knowledgeable individuals in the research library who contributed their work to maintain the rich history of central Pennsylvania.

Mirror Staff Writer Jayla Nartatez is at 814-946-7535.