This year is the 65th Anniversary of the End of World War II. It was the deadliest war in the history of the world. There were a total of 60 million people killed. There were 418,000 US military casualties.
The American men and women who fought in that war have been called “The Greatest Generation.” Without them and their contribution to the victory over Germany, Italy and Japan, the world would likely have descended into a second Dark Age.
Several years ago, actor and director Tom Hanks appeared on a talk show to promote the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. He perhaps said it best when describing the American men and women soldiers of the war: “They saved the world.”
A month ago, I asked staff who had relatives that served in World War II to share their stories. On Veterans Day, November 11, I organized the stories and emailed them to the Tech staff. Most of the staff agreed to have their stories placed on my blog.
Thanks to the thirteen staff members who proudly shared their stories about their relatives who were members of “The Greatest Generation.”
Barbie Schoenleben—Principal’s Secretary
My dad, Roger Lee Barrett was drafted into the Unites States Air Force in 1942. He had just started colle
ge when he was called. He was a great musician and decided to try out for the Air Force Band. B 24 Liberator
He had such great rhythm that they placed him as a radio operator! (Morse code needed rhythm, I guess.) Not what he hoped. He flew 37 bombing missions over Germany. (He initially was to only fly 25 missions.) He flew in a B24 bomber and was enlisted from 1942-46.
One story he shared with me was while flying, the enemy would shoot underneath the plan. He would sit on his helmet! (Not much protection).
Dad earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. I’m very proud of my dad and the service he did.
["Heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight."
The Distinguished Flying Cross, created by Congress 80 years ago, is America’s oldest military aviation award.]
Loren Terlisner—Math Teacher
Edward Ritter is Loren’s father-in-law. He was born on April 19, 1924, and is 86 years old today.
On December 28, 1944, at the age of 20, Edward Ritter was sworn into the United States Army at Fort Snelling. After basic training at Camp Walters in Mineral Springs, Texas (west of Fort Worth), they were given some time on leave.
The he and his unit were sent to Fort Mead, Maryland, for six weeks to prepare to go to Germany. During their leave, Germany had surrendered, ending the war in Europe. So instead of going to Germany, they went to the Vancouver Barracks at Vancouver, Washington. This took a week by train.
On July 4, 1945, they left by ship for Okinawa, which is in the Sea of Japan. After a brief stop in Hawaii, they continued on and had a layover in the Caroline Islands, specifically the island of Mog Mog.
They continued, in convoy, to Okinawa, landing August 14, 1945. While on Okinawa, supplies were short. Each soldier had less than a hand grenade and a clip of bullets to defend the air strip.
They were scheduled to be replacements for the 32nd Infantry Division and be part of the invading and occupying forces in Japan. But, while on rout to Okinawa, the first A-bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, Monday, August 6th. Three days later, August 9th, the second A-bomb was detonated over Nagasaki. These events were the only active deployments of nuclear weapons in war.
On August 15th Japan announced its surrender to the Allied Powers and signed the Instrument of surrender on September 2nd, officially ending the Pacific War and therefore World War II. Germany had signed its Instrument of Surrender on May 7th, ending the war in Europe. With the war ending, Edward and his unit went on to South Korea as Occupational Forces.
Edward returned to the United States in early October 1946 and was discharged. His Honorable Discharge was finalized in November 1946.
He had given his future wife, Alberta Schuster, a diamond engagement ring for Christmas in 1944. They were married November 27th, 1946.
Angie Haus—Science Teacher
Here is some information about two people who are very dear to me and the service they have done for our country.
My Grandpa Nestor Sybilrud served in World War II. In 1942 he enlisted in the Army and served with the 5th Armored Division for four years. He saw duty in Europe, including Normandy. He was awarded the Bronze Star. He was always very active in the VFW. Even into his early 90’s he would play “Taps” at military funerals. He passed away at the young age of 93. He was an amazing person.
My Grandpa Ken Gayken enlisted in the Army in 1943. He was on a grain full of soldiers on their way to Normandy. Some officers came aboard the train and picked four soldiers to be military prison guards at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Grandpa was one of them. He stayed there for the remainder of his duty. What a lucky twist of fate for our family.
[The Bronze Star Medal (or BSM) is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award (including both combat and non-combat awards) in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations.]
Tori Baker-Spanish Teacher
My great uncles Kelly and Glen Gardner served in World War II. They were the youngest of my great grandmother Ida’s surviving eight children (four children died in childbirth). Glen and Kelly were both fighter pilots. Glen flew for four years with a squadron stationed in England, while Kelly (the youngest) was assigned to the Pacific theater of war.
During a mission over the Philippines, Kelly’s plane was shot down. Grandma Great (as we all called her) was notified that his plane had disappeared somewhere over the Pacific and all contact had been lost. Kelly was declared “missing in action.”
For many months Grandma Great and others prayed that he would be found alive and safe. Nearly three months had passed when a Red Cross agent came to the door of my Grandma Great’s house and informed her that Kelly was in a Red Cross hospital in Hawaii.
He had received serious head injuries in the crash and had been unconscious for weeks. It wasn’t until he had regained consciousness that doctors were able to figure out who he was and who to contact. Kelly remained in the hospital for several months before he was discharged and returned home.
Today Kelly lives near his children in Salt Lake City. He still suffers from the injuries caused from the crash. My great uncle Glen and his wife are residents of Arizona.
Jeanne Bower—Special Ed Teacher
P-70 Night Fighter
My dad, Arthur Hansen, proudly served as a pilot and captain in the Unites States Air Force during World War II. While attending the University of Minnesota in December of 1941, Arthur made a patriotic decision to postpone the remaining year of his college education and enlist in the Air Force.
He was selected to receive the training required to operate newly developed radar interception techniques and participate in the second class of all-weather trainees. Arthur was stationed in Hawaii where he piloted P-70s and P-61s, which were the first air craft designed to use radar. He and his crew regularly guided B-24 bombers to islands in the Pacific Ocean during the night and inclement weather.
P-61 Black Widow
My dad rarely spoke of his war experiences and I was only occasionally able to coax him into recalling and sharing some of his memories. Dad easily expressed himself in writing, so I urged him to record his life experiences. His journal, which I greatly cherish, includes many references to his experiences.
He wrote of frightening, exhausting missions and the loss of many men who had become his close friends. However, he most often wrote of his positive experiences and personal relationships during the war.
For as many years as I can remember, a photograph of Dad piloting a U. S. Air Force airplane hung by his chair in the den. Dad was buried at the Fort Snelling Cemetery two years ago, but the photo still hangs on the wall and triggers happy memories and feelings of pride.
Marcy Kickhafer—Math Teacher
My grandfather Milo E. Reber (1919-2005) served in World War II. He was part of the 20th Armored Division in the Army. He was drafted on June 30, 1942 and sent to Fort Crook, Nebraska. He was a Dental Technician with the medics. After basics he went through 12 weeks of dental school. He departed February 6, 1945, to go to France.
During this time he served in central Europe (Austria, France, and Germany). The 20th Armored Division was the division that liberated Dachau Concentration Camp. He left Europe July 25, 1945, arriving back in the states on August 2.
The 20th Armored Division was supposed to invade Japan, but on August 6 the first atomic bomb was dropped and they were no longer needed. Milo was discharged on December 19, 1945.
In March 1946 he married my grandmother (Lovera) and started their live together. They had 6 children, 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren (as of now). They made their home in Naper, Nebraska.
Milo was always very proud of serving his country. He was proud to be an American, flying an American flag every day.
Jackie Peterson—ELL Teacher
Both of my grandpas served in World War II.
Herman Ulrich, my maternal grandfather, was involved on the front lines for most of his time in the war. He fought in New Guinea and the Philippines as a front line machine gunner. He was responsible for freeing American POWs and personally rescued many POWs in the Philippines. He received the Bronze Star for bravery.
While fighting in the Philippines, he found a beautiful ring with precious gems that he took from a deceased Philippine General who was serving with the Japanese. Grandpa still has it today.
Clarence Peterson, my paternal grandfather was part of the police force in Japan after the atom bomb was dropped. He policed both Hiroshima and Nagasaki to keep order in the cities.
Both spend time in Australia after the war, as was required by the military as a debriefing period before going back to the USA.
Mattea Decker—ELL Teacher
My grandfather, Mitchell Abraham Bloom, stated serving in the MN National Guard in 1941: Viking Division, 1st Infantry Division. He was in the invasion of Africa and Sicily. During the invasion of Sicily he was wounded. He did not serve for, but met General Patton while he was in the hospital in Italy. After that, he was sent to England to have a steel plate put in his left arm.
He was then sent to the invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 1944. They were sent on barges and the men were terrified because they didn’t know if they would be blown away by the Germans on the shore.
After freeing France and marching through Paris, they went on to Belgium and stayed there until the war ended on VE Day, but he didn’t come home until December. While in Belgium they had a foxhole dug in the garbage dumps and rats were everywhere.
At one point, four German soldiers, including their general, surrendered to my grandpa and his comrades. My grandpa spoke five languages, one of them German, so he was able to translate the German soldiers intentions.
My grandpa received a Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple Heart with Four Oak Leaf Clusters.
It was necessary to leave the bullet that was lodged in his brain. Eventually tissue grew around it and a tumor developed. This caused my grandpa to become blind. That’s how I knew him. I remember going to the VA to visit, and he always knew when I was coming because he could just see my shadow.
[The Silver Star is the third-highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces. "Gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.]
He had such great rhythm that they placed him as a radio operator! (Morse code needed rhythm, I guess.) Not what he hoped. He flew 37 bombing missions over Germany. (He initially was to only fly 25 missions.) He flew in a B24 bomber and was enlisted from 1942-46.
One story he shared with me was while flying, the enemy would shoot underneath the plan. He would sit on his helmet! (Not much protection).
Dad earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. I’m very proud of my dad and the service he did.
["Heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight."
The Distinguished Flying Cross, created by Congress 80 years ago, is America’s oldest military aviation award.]
Loren Terlisner—Math Teacher
Edward Ritter is Loren’s father-in-law. He was born on April 19, 1924, and is 86 years old today.
On December 28, 1944, at the age of 20, Edward Ritter was sworn into the United States Army at Fort Snelling. After basic training at Camp Walters in Mineral Springs, Texas (west of Fort Worth), they were given some time on leave.
The he and his unit were sent to Fort Mead, Maryland, for six weeks to prepare to go to Germany. During their leave, Germany had surrendered, ending the war in Europe. So instead of going to Germany, they went to the Vancouver Barracks at Vancouver, Washington. This took a week by train.
On July 4, 1945, they left by ship for Okinawa, which is in the Sea of Japan. After a brief stop in Hawaii, they continued on and had a layover in the Caroline Islands, specifically the island of Mog Mog.
They continued, in convoy, to Okinawa, landing August 14, 1945. While on Okinawa, supplies were short. Each soldier had less than a hand grenade and a clip of bullets to defend the air strip.
They were scheduled to be replacements for the 32nd Infantry Division and be part of the invading and occupying forces in Japan. But, while on rout to Okinawa, the first A-bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, Monday, August 6th. Three days later, August 9th, the second A-bomb was detonated over Nagasaki. These events were the only active deployments of nuclear weapons in war.
On August 15th Japan announced its surrender to the Allied Powers and signed the Instrument of surrender on September 2nd, officially ending the Pacific War and therefore World War II. Germany had signed its Instrument of Surrender on May 7th, ending the war in Europe. With the war ending, Edward and his unit went on to South Korea as Occupational Forces.
Edward returned to the United States in early October 1946 and was discharged. His Honorable Discharge was finalized in November 1946.
He had given his future wife, Alberta Schuster, a diamond engagement ring for Christmas in 1944. They were married November 27th, 1946.
Angie Haus—Science Teacher
Here is some information about two people who are very dear to me and the service they have done for our country.
My Grandpa Nestor Sybilrud served in World War II. In 1942 he enlisted in the Army and served with the 5th Armored Division for four years. He saw duty in Europe, including Normandy. He was awarded the Bronze Star. He was always very active in the VFW. Even into his early 90’s he would play “Taps” at military funerals. He passed away at the young age of 93. He was an amazing person.
My Grandpa Ken Gayken enlisted in the Army in 1943. He was on a grain full of soldiers on their way to Normandy. Some officers came aboard the train and picked four soldiers to be military prison guards at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Grandpa was one of them. He stayed there for the remainder of his duty. What a lucky twist of fate for our family.
[The Bronze Star Medal (or BSM) is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. Armed Forces and the ninth highest military award (including both combat and non-combat awards) in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations.]
Tori Baker-Spanish Teacher
My great uncles Kelly and Glen Gardner served in World War II. They were the youngest of my great grandmother Ida’s surviving eight children (four children died in childbirth). Glen and Kelly were both fighter pilots. Glen flew for four years with a squadron stationed in England, while Kelly (the youngest) was assigned to the Pacific theater of war.
During a mission over the Philippines, Kelly’s plane was shot down. Grandma Great (as we all called her) was notified that his plane had disappeared somewhere over the Pacific and all contact had been lost. Kelly was declared “missing in action.”
For many months Grandma Great and others prayed that he would be found alive and safe. Nearly three months had passed when a Red Cross agent came to the door of my Grandma Great’s house and informed her that Kelly was in a Red Cross hospital in Hawaii.
He had received serious head injuries in the crash and had been unconscious for weeks. It wasn’t until he had regained consciousness that doctors were able to figure out who he was and who to contact. Kelly remained in the hospital for several months before he was discharged and returned home.
Today Kelly lives near his children in Salt Lake City. He still suffers from the injuries caused from the crash. My great uncle Glen and his wife are residents of Arizona.
Jeanne Bower—Special Ed Teacher
P-70 Night Fighter
My dad, Arthur Hansen, proudly served as a pilot and captain in the Unites States Air Force during World War II. While attending the University of Minnesota in December of 1941, Arthur made a patriotic decision to postpone the remaining year of his college education and enlist in the Air Force.
He was selected to receive the training required to operate newly developed radar interception techniques and participate in the second class of all-weather trainees. Arthur was stationed in Hawaii where he piloted P-70s and P-61s, which were the first air craft designed to use radar. He and his crew regularly guided B-24 bombers to islands in the Pacific Ocean during the night and inclement weather.
P-61 Black Widow
My dad rarely spoke of his war experiences and I was only occasionally able to coax him into recalling and sharing some of his memories. Dad easily expressed himself in writing, so I urged him to record his life experiences. His journal, which I greatly cherish, includes many references to his experiences.
He wrote of frightening, exhausting missions and the loss of many men who had become his close friends. However, he most often wrote of his positive experiences and personal relationships during the war.
For as many years as I can remember, a photograph of Dad piloting a U. S. Air Force airplane hung by his chair in the den. Dad was buried at the Fort Snelling Cemetery two years ago, but the photo still hangs on the wall and triggers happy memories and feelings of pride.
Marcy Kickhafer—Math Teacher
My grandfather Milo E. Reber (1919-2005) served in World War II. He was part of the 20th Armored Division in the Army. He was drafted on June 30, 1942 and sent to Fort Crook, Nebraska. He was a Dental Technician with the medics. After basics he went through 12 weeks of dental school. He departed February 6, 1945, to go to France.
During this time he served in central Europe (Austria, France, and Germany). The 20th Armored Division was the division that liberated Dachau Concentration Camp. He left Europe July 25, 1945, arriving back in the states on August 2.
The 20th Armored Division was supposed to invade Japan, but on August 6 the first atomic bomb was dropped and they were no longer needed. Milo was discharged on December 19, 1945.
In March 1946 he married my grandmother (Lovera) and started their live together. They had 6 children, 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren (as of now). They made their home in Naper, Nebraska.
Milo was always very proud of serving his country. He was proud to be an American, flying an American flag every day.
Jackie Peterson—ELL Teacher
Both of my grandpas served in World War II.
Herman Ulrich, my maternal grandfather, was involved on the front lines for most of his time in the war. He fought in New Guinea and the Philippines as a front line machine gunner. He was responsible for freeing American POWs and personally rescued many POWs in the Philippines. He received the Bronze Star for bravery.
While fighting in the Philippines, he found a beautiful ring with precious gems that he took from a deceased Philippine General who was serving with the Japanese. Grandpa still has it today.
Clarence Peterson, my paternal grandfather was part of the police force in Japan after the atom bomb was dropped. He policed both Hiroshima and Nagasaki to keep order in the cities.
Both spend time in Australia after the war, as was required by the military as a debriefing period before going back to the USA.
Mattea Decker—ELL Teacher
My grandfather, Mitchell Abraham Bloom, stated serving in the MN National Guard in 1941: Viking Division, 1st Infantry Division. He was in the invasion of Africa and Sicily. During the invasion of Sicily he was wounded. He did not serve for, but met General Patton while he was in the hospital in Italy. After that, he was sent to England to have a steel plate put in his left arm.
He was then sent to the invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 1944. They were sent on barges and the men were terrified because they didn’t know if they would be blown away by the Germans on the shore.
After freeing France and marching through Paris, they went on to Belgium and stayed there until the war ended on VE Day, but he didn’t come home until December. While in Belgium they had a foxhole dug in the garbage dumps and rats were everywhere.
At one point, four German soldiers, including their general, surrendered to my grandpa and his comrades. My grandpa spoke five languages, one of them German, so he was able to translate the German soldiers intentions.
My grandpa received a Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple Heart with Four Oak Leaf Clusters.
It was necessary to leave the bullet that was lodged in his brain. Eventually tissue grew around it and a tumor developed. This caused my grandpa to become blind. That’s how I knew him. I remember going to the VA to visit, and he always knew when I was coming because he could just see my shadow.
[The Silver Star is the third-highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces. "Gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States.]
[The Purple Heart differs from all other decorations in that an individual is not "recommended" for the decoration; rather he or she is entitled to it upon meeting specific criteria. In general, it is awarded when a soldier is wounded or killed in action. A Purple Heart is authorized for the first wound suffered but for each subsequent award (wound/injury) an Oak Leaf Cluster will be awarded to be worn on the medal or ribbon.]
A final thought that I think is interesting is that my grandfather was Jewish. He fled Lithuania before the Nazis invaded and later fought as a United States soldier. None of his family members that stayed in Lithuania were ever found.
My step-grandpa, George Clinton Westra, was in the Navy. He was in the air core division and joined February 2, 1942. He was First Class Airman, flew PBT’s and guarded the coastline of Panama and Galapagos Islands.
My grandmother, Marylou Westra, formerly Marylou Bloom (maiden name Marylou Maile) was part of the Civil Air Patrol # G16. She was part of the first group of civil Air Patrol in the United States.
Lastly, my great uncle Sylvester Decker was a POW in 1944 in Germany. He spoke German so they used him as a translator. He received the Silver Star.
I think there is more, but this is what I know about.
Joyce Terwey—Health Assistant
I don’t know anybody specific that served in WWII; however, my great aunt (whom I currently care for) resides in a nursing home in Melrose. She will be 101 on November 11. She did not serve in the military; however, she did live in California during the war and worked as an inspector in a factory called Eldon Industries.
Back then they made office supplies. However, during the war their company stopped producing office supplies and started making gas masks for the troops. She still recalls it clearly to this day. Eldon Industries is owned by Rubbermaid. I always found this to be fascinating.
Raymond Skelly—Ray’s Room
I was named after my dad’s cousin’s son. He was a pilot who was KIA in WW2. He was a bomber pilot on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. He was shot down during a raid on the Philippines in 1944. I’ve seen his tombstone. Weird to see one’s name on a tombstone.
David Schorn—Social Studies Teacher
My Uncle Hutch was stationed in the South Pacific and his job on the aircraft carrier was to bulldoze the fallen Japanese Kamikaze planes into the ocean. Uncle Hutch was never allowed to tell his story on orders from my Aunt Margie.
After her death, Hutch brought a few nephews together and told the story to us of the battle of the Pacific. At the close of the war, Uncle Hutch was stationed on the USS Missouri where the Japanese signed the surrender in 1945. Hutch is in the picture alongside General MacArthur.
An interesting side note: Hutch served with the youngest person in WWII. He was 13 years old and in the 7th grade. After his captain found out, the boy was sent home and lost all of his military rankings and benefits.
Leanne Klett—Spanish Teacher
My grandpa, Ralph A. O. Klett, entered military service on Jan. 28, 1944. He went via ship to England. Since he did not get seasick, he was chosen to clean up after the poor people who became ill. He was in the unit of BIG RED ONE. He landed in France on Normandy Beach.
On December 29, 1944, he got shot in the leg from a German sniper while running wire to an outpost. (Ironically, he is 100% German!) The doctor who saw him happened to be his family doctor from Minnesota. Since he knew him, he was luckily able to go to a hospital in Michigan for rehabilitation.
While on the way to head back to take a ship to England, the ambulance driver stopped in Paris and opened the back doors so that the wounded men could see the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph.
They used maggots on his leg during the trip to fight infection. Only when he could walk into the doctor’s office without crutches would he send him home. His buddies stood outside the door so he could lean on them as soon as he walked out. He was discharged on December 13, 1945.
My grandpa has the following awards: Purple Heart Fleur de Guerre, two Bronze Campaign Stars, Combat Infantry Badge, American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon and Victory Medal.
He was originally told he would never walk again. He was a mail man (on foot!) for over 40 years. He is now 94 years old and can still walk, quite slowly however.
[World War II Victory Medal. Service in US Forces WW II.]
[African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon. Service in US Forces in WW II in Africa, Middle East]
Roger Ziemann--Principal
My Aunt Doreen and Uncle Ron both served in the Army Air Corp during World War II. They met sometime during the war and were married shortly after the war ended.
Doreen, my mom’s sister, was a dietician/nurse. Earlier in the war she had been engaged to a Navy officer named Wendell. His ship was sunk in the South Pacific and he was forever “missing in action.” Somewhere, I have letters that Doreen wrote to my mother. In them you can see that Doreen had a very difficult time accepting his death. She finally did after talking to an officer on a nearby ship that saw Wendell’s ship go down. Until the day she died at age 85, she wore the engagement ring on her right hand that Wendell had given her in 1941.
Uncle Ron Snowden was a pilot on a B-24 Bomber (Liberator) during the war. He was stationed in England and made bombing runs over France, Germany and other parts of Europe. He rarely talked of his war experiences but did share some that I remember.
He talked about how he hated being one of the first B 24’s to take off as the bombing formation formed up. If you were one of the first planes, you had to circle and circle until all the planes were in the air. Of course, that meant that you had gallons of less fuel to get back home than a later plane to join the formation.
He told about the time that his copilot, sitting next to him, was killed by flack. (Ron was slightly injured.) The plane was almost unflyable. Ron had to “hedge hop” through France and England in order to reach the airfield. “Hedge hopping” meant that you touched down every mile or two to gain enough lift and speed to go on.
Of course, his war experiences influenced him for the rest of his life—as they did all the men and women who served in World War II. But something very strange began to happen to Ron around 1960.
After the war Ron had finished his mechanical engineering degree and became a design engineer for General Motors. Ron and Doreen settled in upstate New York in a beautiful little village near Lake Ontario called Lyndonville, where Ron grew up. (Our family visited Ron and Doreen when I was six. I still remember feeding the swans bread as they swam in the village pond.) Later, Doreen went back to school for her teaching degree and became a health/home economics teacher.
Back to 1960. For no obvious reasons, Ron began to have “spells.” He would become weak and act strangely—uptight, angry, and nervous. (By the way, Ron could have coined the word “cool”--always calm and quick with a dry, humorous, educated comment.) So, for him to act like this was worrisome for the whole family.
Ron’s brother was a doctor, and with those connections, he went to various specialists throughout New York, including New York City. No one could find a reason why this guy was suddenly acting this way—not all the time—but periodically.
Finally, at his wits end, a specialist asked if Ron had been to Africa. At first Ron said no, but after a minute he told the doctor, “Well, a few times to North Africa during the war.”
Why was Ron in North Africa during the war? After a bombing run in southern Europe, it was too far from England to get back with the fuel they had. So, Ron and his fellow airmen would fly on to an airstrip in North Africa. They would refuel, and in a couple of days, fly back over the Atlantic, out of harm’s way, to their base in England.
Then the light went on. It turns out that Ron was suffering from chronic trpanosomiasis—a form of African sleeping sickness. It can take years for symptoms to develop after an individual has been bitten by an infected tsetse fly. On one or more of those stops in North Africa, Ron had become infected.
For the rest of his life, Ron dealt with his symptoms. One of the symptoms was that he had trouble with his balance at times. He was cautioned not to ride is motorcycle (which he loved). In tempting fate one day, shortly after his early retirement from General Motors, he decided he would just take a little ride. When he didn’t come home after an hour, Aunt Doreen became concerned.
He had fallen off the cycle and suffered a severe spinal injury. For the rest of his live, 20 years, he was confined to a wheel chair with Aunt Doreen caring for him each day.
Roger Ziemann--Principal
My Aunt Doreen and Uncle Ron both served in the Army Air Corp during World War II. They met sometime during the war and were married shortly after the war ended.
Doreen, my mom’s sister, was a dietician/nurse. Earlier in the war she had been engaged to a Navy officer named Wendell. His ship was sunk in the South Pacific and he was forever “missing in action.” Somewhere, I have letters that Doreen wrote to my mother. In them you can see that Doreen had a very difficult time accepting his death. She finally did after talking to an officer on a nearby ship that saw Wendell’s ship go down. Until the day she died at age 85, she wore the engagement ring on her right hand that Wendell had given her in 1941.
Uncle Ron Snowden was a pilot on a B-24 Bomber (Liberator) during the war. He was stationed in England and made bombing runs over France, Germany and other parts of Europe. He rarely talked of his war experiences but did share some that I remember.
He talked about how he hated being one of the first B 24’s to take off as the bombing formation formed up. If you were one of the first planes, you had to circle and circle until all the planes were in the air. Of course, that meant that you had gallons of less fuel to get back home than a later plane to join the formation.
He told about the time that his copilot, sitting next to him, was killed by flack. (Ron was slightly injured.) The plane was almost unflyable. Ron had to “hedge hop” through France and England in order to reach the airfield. “Hedge hopping” meant that you touched down every mile or two to gain enough lift and speed to go on.
Of course, his war experiences influenced him for the rest of his life—as they did all the men and women who served in World War II. But something very strange began to happen to Ron around 1960.
After the war Ron had finished his mechanical engineering degree and became a design engineer for General Motors. Ron and Doreen settled in upstate New York in a beautiful little village near Lake Ontario called Lyndonville, where Ron grew up. (Our family visited Ron and Doreen when I was six. I still remember feeding the swans bread as they swam in the village pond.) Later, Doreen went back to school for her teaching degree and became a health/home economics teacher.
Back to 1960. For no obvious reasons, Ron began to have “spells.” He would become weak and act strangely—uptight, angry, and nervous. (By the way, Ron could have coined the word “cool”--always calm and quick with a dry, humorous, educated comment.) So, for him to act like this was worrisome for the whole family.
Ron’s brother was a doctor, and with those connections, he went to various specialists throughout New York, including New York City. No one could find a reason why this guy was suddenly acting this way—not all the time—but periodically.
Finally, at his wits end, a specialist asked if Ron had been to Africa. At first Ron said no, but after a minute he told the doctor, “Well, a few times to North Africa during the war.”
Why was Ron in North Africa during the war? After a bombing run in southern Europe, it was too far from England to get back with the fuel they had. So, Ron and his fellow airmen would fly on to an airstrip in North Africa. They would refuel, and in a couple of days, fly back over the Atlantic, out of harm’s way, to their base in England.
Then the light went on. It turns out that Ron was suffering from chronic trpanosomiasis—a form of African sleeping sickness. It can take years for symptoms to develop after an individual has been bitten by an infected tsetse fly. On one or more of those stops in North Africa, Ron had become infected.
For the rest of his life, Ron dealt with his symptoms. One of the symptoms was that he had trouble with his balance at times. He was cautioned not to ride is motorcycle (which he loved). In tempting fate one day, shortly after his early retirement from General Motors, he decided he would just take a little ride. When he didn’t come home after an hour, Aunt Doreen became concerned.
He had fallen off the cycle and suffered a severe spinal injury. For the rest of his live, 20 years, he was confined to a wheel chair with Aunt Doreen caring for him each day.
