The PG-HQ Oral History Project

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My familial $0.02...

My paternal Grandfather trained and shipped out with the AEF, in Spring 1918. He was furious when held back from the front, as a rifle instructor. The descendents are correspondingly pleased he survived the conflagration far from battle.

He passed away in 1981... left behind his diaries and family letters of the Great War... he had a neat code, of letting the folks on the home front know where he was once over in Europe... the first letter of the first few words would spell out the town or province he was in at the time.

I have his helmet (you may have seen it on BGG), my brother holds his service medal. His uniform, pack, gas mask and other equipment are in the library museum of Saltsburg, PA. Close-up of his helmet inscription:

Cpl J R Stear, Co. C, 330 Inf, AEF France, July 1918



My Dad joined the AAF in 1945, trained as a pilot, unfortunately was washed out of the flight program within the year, and went on to complete his service as a crew chief. No action in WWII or Korea (he got out in 1947 and wasn't recalled). After school at Spartan and completing his pilot's license, he joined United Airlines in 1956, and retired as a DC10 captain in 1987 (he loved that ship, despite the 1970-80's mishaps... never moved up to the 747). Died in an accident in 1991.

His older brother was drafted in 1944, and arrived in France after D-Day. As a private, took part in the battles depicted in the APL game Alsace 1945. Was shot in the leg, carrying ammo up to the platoon's machine guns. Purple Heart, back to the States, rest and recovery, war ended, college on the GI Bill, and petroleum engineering after that. Not called up for Korea. Still alive today (88), and writing his memoirs of his youthful war experiences. Update: I have linked some of the story here:

My Uncle's story

My mother's brother was called up in 1944, Navy, and spent the remainder of the war in the "training ship welded to the pier" in Long Beach. Out in '46, and went to work for Douglas (later, McDonnell-Douglas... makers of the DC10, that my Dad loved).

None of my generation elected to serve. I alone tried NROTC in the 1980's, but that's a story for another day.

My father's family has much history in military service going back to the Revolutionary War. My mother's family has a similar history, however after the Civil War, they tended to avoid Federal service (until my Uncle was called up)... they came off on the losing side, and had rather particular feelings about that. From their perspective, my Mom married a Yankee (although he was from Pennsylvania), while from my Granddad's view, his son married into a den of poverty-stricken traitors! Ah, such were the times.

-Jim