And as long as we're doing family members from WWII, here's my granddad. Right before he shipped overseas. He's holding his first grandchild, my 1st Cousin. He and my uncle served in WWII. My uncle was a B-24 aircrew in the Pacific theater. My granddad served in the European theater and was at Bastogne. My other grandfather was a WW1 Marine. My granddad in the picture (Grandma Stovebolt's dad) graduated from Princeton University about 1926 with an architecture degree. He was one of those few (and interesting, if not slightly tragic) people for whom WW2 was the best thing that ever happened to him. He failed in his profession and became an alcoholic. His marriage failed. He was able to enlist when the war came and distinguished himself in combat (as an "old guy"), won a battle field commission after the Bulge. When the war ended, he reverted to his enlisted rank of SSgt and worked for European Stars and Stripes. He ended his days as a groundskeeper at the Connecticut VA home where he lived (and died) not too long after my parents were married.
My cousin, the baby in the photo, is a Vietnam veteran and retired from the Air Force as a LtCol. His younger brother, my other male cousin, is a two-tour SEA veteran and Little Bird pilot who retired from the U.S. Army as a CWO-5. I was born about 10 years after my grand dad (in the photo) died. As my cousins actually got to know him, they retain most of his memorabilia. I have his casket flag and fly it on special occasions.
~ John
A kid raised on Hotwheels, Matchbox and Tonka cannot be reasonably expected to own only one vehicle as an adult.
1949 Chevrolet 3804 In the Legacy Gallery | In the Gallery Forum 1973 IH 1310 Dump 1963 Kaiser M38A1 2001 International/AmTran RE3000 "Skoolie" 2014 Ford E-350 4x4 (Quigley)
