Grenier - Central Floridas World War II Veterans

IMAGES
of America

CENTRAL FLORIDAS
WORLD WAR II VETERANS

This illustration of the Iwo Jima Memorial was sketched exclusively for Central Floridas World War II Veterans by renowned illustrator and Korean War veteran Norval E. Packwood Jr. Born in Chicago in 1928, Packwood entered the Marine Corps on June 23, 1948. He was a combat artist for the Marine Corps Gazette and is the creator of the humorous cartoon character Leatherhead. (Courtesy of artist Gene Packwood.)

ON THE COVER: Bernie Devore, standing on the far left, recalled, We got into formation and headed to Germany. Our 18th mission had begun. I was scared that our luck had run out and this would be our last. I remembered my mother always praying, but I didnt know how. If there is a God, please reveal Yourself to me, I said. Then a voice spoke to me, Relax my son, I will take care of you. We finished the mission and returned safely. (Courtesy of Bernard Devore.)

IMAGES
of America

CENTRAL FLORIDAS
WORLD WAR II VETERANS

Bob Grenier

Copyright 2016 by Bob Grenier
ISBN 978-1-4671-1679-4
Ebook ISBN 9781439656679

Published by Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, South Carolina

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015959216

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With gratitude, honor, and love, I dedicate this book to my dad, a member of the 33rd Division, 121st Tank Battalion, Illinois National Guard, from 1947 to 1957.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am very grateful to everyone who made this photographic journey through Central Floridas history possible. As you venture through Central Floridas World War II Veterans, you will see the names of the many people who have contributed to this work. I am grateful to all these individuals and families, as well as the many fine organizations, for their kind contributions.

Also, there are many honorable mentions, including Maria Trippe, Lois Murphy, Carolyn McGraw, Sheila Tindle, Kay McGee, Myrtice Young, Patrick Lombardi, Leila and Angel Luis Mendoza, Bernie Devore, Frank Clark, Jean Witherington, Olive Horning, Bill Cumbaa, Rebecca Williams, Sandy Mott, Judy Rainey, Edward Quigley, Glenn Christians, Mary Booth, Ray Burtoft, Ric Baysinger, Howard King, Carolyn Sender, Miriam Butler, Don Fuller, Jim McGee, Mary Jo and Mal Martin, Shirley Cannon, Harold Bradeen, Gene Storz, Chuck Downey, Elmer Pegram, Juaneta and Clarence Hershberger, Prof. Wenxian Zhang and Darla Moore of Rollins College, Bob Gasche, Fred Donaldson, Florence McCann, George Hausold, Bob Moody, Betty Lou Forbes, Sam Scott, Carolyn and Claude Mills, Pennie and Leon Olliff, Desta Horner, Lynn Mays, Robert Redd, Margorie Grinnell, Arthur Dreves, Shirley Meade, John Thrasher, Sam Barber, Carey Baker, Jeff Hosterman, Richard Keith, Gene Packwood, Zelia Sweett, David Porter, my sister Dina Peterson, and Rick Brumby of the Museum of Military History.

There are many outstanding organizations to thank, including Polk County History Center, St. Cloud Heritage Museum, Greater Dunnellon Historical Society, Micanopy Historical Society Archives, Geneva Historical Society, Oviedo Historical Society, New Smyrna Museum of History, Zellwood Historical Society, East Lake Historical Society, Leesburg Heritage Society, Lake County Historical Society, Pine Castle Historical Society, Veterans Memorial Center, DeLand Naval Air Station Museum, and the State Archives of Florida.

I thank Liz Gurley at Arcadia Publishing for her patience, support, and faith in me; Alma Grenier for her invaluable research, creative photography, and sound suggestions; and Tavares Public Library reference librarian Marli Wilkins for her extensive, in-depth research, photography, editing, proofreading, and her veteran library skills.

This book was made possible by the support and encouragement of my mom and dad, Wahine, Flash, Capt. Melton Haynes, and of course, God!

INTRODUCTION

I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.

Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, following the attack on Pearl Harbor

As an author, my main focus was writing about the Florida frontier and the War Between the States. So when I began my quest to write this book, I immediately realized I knew very little about World War II and that period of timeexcept that I love movies from the 1940s. I knew with each passing day, we are losing more and more of our World War II veterans. So I wanted to pay tribute to them by writing this book, Central Floridas World War II Veterans.

I traveled throughout Central Florida to visit with veterans, many of whom are in their nineties, to interview them about their experiences. Each veteran had their own unique story. While in their homes scanning photographs and taking notes, their heartfelt reminiscences began to touch me deeply. I did my very best to stay strong in front of them, but on many occasions, I found myself with tears in my eyes on my drive home.

When I sat down to write about these incredible people, I remembered those interviews, and emotions once again filled my senses, including fear of the possibility that I may never see them again. I had these same deep, patriotic feelings when I visited monuments, memorials, and gravesites.

Unlike the veterans I wrote about in my Central Floridas Civil War Veterans book, with this work, I actually had the opportunity to meet and talk with people who stormed beaches, dive-bombed enemy ships, nursed the wounded, fought in the trenches, were prisoners of war, and who raised our flag in liberation. I shall never forget them!

Celebrated international figures, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight David Eisenhower, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur, Chester Nimitz, and Winston Churchill, as well as infamous international figures, such as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Showa Hirohito, were topping the headlines as they commanded armies all over the world, while the names of our sons and daughters, neighbors and friends, such as Bernie Devore, Eugene Olliff, George Hausold, Arthur Dreves, Angel Mendoza, Florence Chromulak, Chuck Downey, Marcus McDilda, and USS Indianapolis survivor Clarence Hershberger, gave their last full measure without national fanfare. The following is from Hershbergers unpublished book, The USS Indianapolis CA-35 Tragedy: As Seen by One Survivor, and is a brief recollection of his five nights at sea:

Sitting down on my blanket, which is now stretched out on the deck, I proceeded to take off my shoes. Then stretching out on my blanket, I thought to myself, now for some well-deserved sleep. Sleeping topside that night would prove to be a blessing in disguise, for a full nights sleep this Sunday night was not to be.

Shortly after midnight, I and everyone else that had been sleeping were awakened. The explosions threw me several feet in the air. As I opened my eyes, while still in mid-air, the very first thing that I noticed was this pillar of smoke and flame shooting straight up into the night sky. Upon hitting the deck of the ship about half stunned, and soaking wet, I sat upright. Why I was wet I can only imagine. So I headed aft to my quarters, two decks down, whereupon I changed out of my wet clothes, hanging them over some pipes to dry. I wonder if they are still there.