[[File:MartinEdwardTrench.jpg|thumb|'''Martin Edward Trench''']] '''Martin Edward Trench''' (November 30, 1869 – January 6, 1927) was a [[Captain (United States)|Captain]] of the [[United States Navy]] and [[Governor of the United States Virgin Islands]] from 1925 until his death in 1927. He is the first Governor of the territory to have died while in office. His service in the navy included active duty during the [[Spanish–American War]] and [[World War I]].
== Early life and naval career == Born the son of an immigrant farmer from Ireland in [[Dennison, Minnesota]] in November 1869.<ref name=existing1/><ref name=existing2/> He entered the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1889 and captained [[Navy Midshipmen football|their football team]].<ref name=adams/> Trench graduated from the academy in 1893.<ref name=existing1/><ref name=existing2/> He was appointed to the engineering division at the [[Brooklyn Navy Yard|New York Navy Yard]] in 1895 and afterwards served aboard the battleship [[USS Maine (1890)|''Maine'']]. He left the ''Maine'' shortly before she exploded and sank in harbour at Havana, an incident that led to the [[Spanish–American War]] in which Trench served aboard the auxiliary cruiser [[SS Yorktown|''Resolute'']].<ref name=adams/>
In 1912 Trench served with the Bureau of Navigation and afterwards commanded in turn the protected cruiser [[USS Denver (CL-16)|''Denver'']], the armored cruiser [[USS Colorado (ACR-7)|''Colorado'']] and the protected cruiser [[USS St. Louis (C-20)|''St. Louis'']]. Afterwards he became assistant superintendent of the gun factory at [[Washington Navy Yard]].
During [[World War I]], he commanded {{USS|Charleston|C-22|6}}.<ref name=existing1>"New Virgin Islands Governor Sworn In." Associated Press. ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Sep 13, 1925. pg. 18, 1 pgs</ref><ref name=existing2>"VIRGIN ISLES' GOVERNOR, CAPT. TRENCH, IS DEAD." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Jan 7, 1927. pg. 10, 1 pgs</ref> For most of the US involvement in the war he commanded the [[Naval Torpedo Station]] for which duty he won the [[Navy Cross]] for meritorious service. He afterwards commanded naval facilities in Washington, Philadelphia and Charleston.<ref name=adams/>
== Governor == Trench was selected by US President [[Calvin Coolidge]] to become Governor of the United States Virgin Islands following the end of [[Philip Williams (United States Navy)|Philip Williams]]'s term. He was sworn in on September 11, 1925.<ref name=adams>{{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Alton Augustus |title=The Memoirs of Alton Augustus Adams, Sr.: First Black Bandmaster of the United States Navy |date=2 April 2008 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-93381-1 |page=147 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Memoirs_of_Alton_Augustus_Adams_Sr/zt_2caV4u7IC |language=en}}</ref> Trench accepted the post on the insistence that the usual 2-year tenure be waived to allow him to see through major reforms and development projects.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Alton Augustus |title=The Memoirs of Alton Augustus Adams, Sr.: First Black Bandmaster of the United States Navy |date=2 April 2008 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-93381-1 |page=151|url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Memoirs_of_Alton_Augustus_Adams_Sr/zt_2caV4u7IC |language=en}}</ref>
During his tenure he agreed to sponsor the visit of musician [[Maud Cuney Hare]] to the islands to give concerts, arranged by bandmaster [[Alton Adams]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Alton Augustus |title=The Memoirs of Alton Augustus Adams, Sr.: First Black Bandmaster of the United States Navy |date=2 April 2008 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-93381-1 |page=148 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Memoirs_of_Alton_Augustus_Adams_Sr/zt_2caV4u7IC |language=en}}</ref> He died of pneumonia in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]] on January 6, 1927 while spending the holidays with his friend Rear Admiral [[Ralph Earle (American naval officer)|Ralph Earle]]. A memorial service was held for Trench at the [[Emancipation Garden]] in [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands]] on January 8. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Alton Augustus |title=The Memoirs of Alton Augustus Adams, Sr.: First Black Bandmaster of the United States Navy |date=2 April 2008 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-93381-1 |page=154|url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Memoirs_of_Alton_Augustus_Adams_Sr/zt_2caV4u7IC |language=en}}</ref> After his death a request Trench had made for $100,000 of government funding for highways improvements on the Virgin Islands was passed by Congress in a bill introduced by [[Hiram Bingham III]]. He had also set in motion measures to provide for a permanent system of government to replace the naval administration and for imrpoving the edcuational system.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Alton Augustus |title=The Memoirs of Alton Augustus Adams, Sr.: First Black Bandmaster of the United States Navy |date=2 April 2008 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-93381-1 |page=156|url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Memoirs_of_Alton_Augustus_Adams_Sr/zt_2caV4u7IC |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}}
{{s-start}} {{succession box|title=[[Governor of the United States Virgin Islands|Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands]]|before=[[Philip Williams (United States Navy)|Philip Williams]]|after=[[Waldo A. Evans]]|years=1925–1927}} {{s-end}} {{Governors of the U.S. Virgin Islands}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trench, Martin Edward}} [[Category:1869 births]] [[Category:1927 deaths]] [[Category:People from Dennison, Minnesota]] [[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]] [[Category:Military personnel from Minnesota]] [[Category:Governors of the United States Virgin Islands]] [[Category:United States Navy officers]] [[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]