WWII

ROBERT L. COOK

ROBERT L. COOK

Mar 1, 2008 | ,

Robert L. Cook was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1919. He grew up there and graduated from William Penn High School in the Class of 1937. He then attended Gettysburg College, participating in the Army ROTC program, and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry, upon graduation in June 1941. Bob entered active duty on August 13, 1941 and was posted to 3rd Armored Division at Camp Polk, Louisiana for about six weeks, during all of which time the division was in the field engaged in “war game” maneuvers along the Texas and Louisiana borders. He was next sent to Fort Knox, Kentucky for several training courses in the Armored Forces School, following which he was assigned to...

RALPH D. ERICKSON

RALPH D. ERICKSON

Feb 1, 2008 | ,

The following story was derived from a story written by Karina Erickson about her father Ralph Erickson as a class project at Lago Vista High School. Read Karina's original paper at the end of this Patriot Story In 1922, RALPH D. ERICKSON was born to parents of Swedish heritage in Benesford, South Dakota. At the age of nine, in order to survive the great Depression, his family moved to Sweden for a year and upon returning decided to start over in Chicago, Illinois, where his mother had been offered a nursing position. Erickson was very proud of his heritage, spoke fluent Swedish, and he grew up to be a big six-foot-one, blond headed athlete. Erickson was on a swimming...

WALLACE E. (PETE) SNELSON

Jan 1, 2008 | ,

Texas State Senator, Retired Wallace E. Snelson was born in Grandfalls, Texas in 1923, into a pioneer farm and ranch family (He was one of 5 brothers to serve overseas during WWII, and a sixth brother served in the Korean War). “Pete,” a long-time small town nickname, graduated from Grandfalls High School in 1939 and then worked for the next year as news editor of the Grandfalls Gazette. In 1940, having secured a scholarship, he enrolled in the Texas College of Mines in El Paso (now the University of Texas at El Paso). Soon after America entered the war, “Pete” enlisted in the Army’s Enlisted Reserve Corps, a program for college students. A nationwide call-up for active duty...

WILLIAM C. (BILL) LANE

Oct 1, 2007 | ,

Bill Lane was a WWII Glider Pilot who flew two combat missions into German held territory. His tow planes were shot down both times when he was still short of his landing zones and he was wounded when his glider was hit during the second mission. His experience carrying 101st Airborne Division troops into Eindhoven on Operation Market Garden closely mirrored scenes from the movie “A Bridge Too Far.” This is his story. William C. Lane was born in Greer, in the middle of “the Upcountry” of South Carolina in 1920. He grew up and attended public schools there and then enlisted in the Army, entering active duty May 27, 1938. He was assigned to the 4th Coast Artillery Regiment,...

THOMAS W. MATTHEWS

Sep 1, 2007 | ,

Thomas W. Matthews was born in 1922 in Luling, Texas. He grew up on a farm and as a student he was active in the Future Farmers of America. He graduated from Luling High School in 1939 and then got a job at the Luling Demonstration Foundation Farm where he worked rotating shifts between the dairy, poultry and livestock demonstration units. After just a few months there, he found the $17 monthly pay just wasn’t enough to live on, even with room and board furnished, so he went to San Antonio and went to work for Rath Meatpacking Company. He had been with the Rath company for about a year and a half when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Tom volunteered for Aviation Cadet...

DONALD C. MORRISON

Apr 1, 2007 | ,

Donald Morrison was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin in 1926 and in his early childhood years he attended the Brick Church Grade School in Walworth County. In March 1935, his family moved to Sharon Township and they were living on a farm there in 1944 when Donald graduated from High School in Darien. He wanted to go into the Navy right after high school, but didn’t pass the physical. Donald’s father told him that if he really wanted to get into military service he would have to leave the farm and take a job in town, because the draft board would not take farmers because of their importance to the war effort. He took his father’s advice, got a job, and immediately got drafted....

ROBERT S. DALTON

ROBERT S. DALTON

Feb 1, 2007 | , , ,

Wounded in Three Wars WWII 94th INFANTRY DIVISION PATCH KOREA 3rd INFANTRY DIVISION THE “MARNE DIVISION” PATCH VIETNAM 1st INFANTRY DIVISION THE “BIG RED ONE” Robert S. Dalton was born in Alpine, Texas in 1926. His father was a cowboy and Bob grew up on the Dalton Ranch in Palo Pinto County and in the nearby city of Graham, Texas (Young County) where he attended public schools. After 10th grade he had stayed out of school in anticipation of being called into the Merchant Marines, but; his Draft Notice came first. He reported to the Induction Station in Dallas, Texas on August 28, 1944 where he was sworn into service and immediately entered active duty in the Army. After his...

ABRAM A. MILLAR

Dec 1, 2006 | ,

Abram A. Millar was born in Eden, Texas (Concho County) in 1923. He passed away in September 2006, at age 83, in San Angelo and was buried on the Millar Ranch in Eden in the ranch cemetery. He served in the Army Air Forces during WWII, received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in the air over Germany during a bombing mission and was also decorated for gallantry in action, receiving the Silver Star for having saved his badly damaged aircraft from destruction on that same mission. This is his story. Abe was the son of Abraham Millar and Cora Tisdale Millar and he grew up in Eden, going through Live Oak School there and then graduating from High School in Eldorado (Sleicher...

HENRY A. PAPKE

Oct 1, 2006 | ,

Henry A. Papke was born in Kenney, Texas (Austin County) in 1923. He attended Sempronious School and New Wehdem School, but; as the oldest son in the family he left school to help provide a livelihood on their farm. After his father died in 1942, Henry trained as a welder and took a job in the Brown Ship Yard in Houston in order to send money home to support the family. When his draft notice came, he took a deferment as the family’s oldest child and only wage earner. However, he wanted to do his part in the war and, after six months, when the time came to renew his status, Henry turned down the deferment and was sworn into service in the Army at the Induction Station in...

CLYDE S. CARMAN

CLYDE S. CARMAN

Sep 1, 2006 | ,

Clyde S. Carman was born in Schenectady, New York in 1924. His family lived in Saugerties when he was in grade school and then moved to Poughkeepsie where he was a senior in High School when America was attacked at Pearl Harbor. He enlisted as soon as he turned eighteen, signing up with the understanding that he would not be called to active duty until after graduation in the Spring of 1942. However, he reported, as ordered, to the induction station in New York City and was sworn in on April 28, 1942, less than two weeks before the rest of his class graduated at Poughkeepsie High School without him. Clyde went through basic and advanced individual training in Miami, Florida....

TOM F. PRIDDY

Jul 1, 2006 | ,

Tom Frank Priddy was born in Iredell, Texas (Bosque County) in 1924, and died in Austin, Texas on June 27, 2006. His parents, Lee and Ruby Priddy were living in Priddy, Texas (Mills County) during WWII when Tom reported in to Induction Station, Dallas, Texas, where he was sworn into the Army on December 21, 1943. After his individual Infantry training and leave, he departed from home on May 25, 1944 and traveled to Fort Meade, Maryland where replacements were being assembled in anticipation of casualties expected to result from the impending invasion landings in Normandy. Tom was shipped out on June 15, 1944 and arrived in Europe on June 27th. He was quickly assigned to...

KENNETH R. KASSNER

Jun 1, 2006 | ,

**Ken Kassner was wounded during the assault to liberate the Iraqi city of Fallujah in November 2004. He returned to full duty this past January in order to deploy again with his battalion to Iraq.** Fellow Patriots: As a brief introduction, my name is Ken Kassner. A native Texan and Major in the Marine Corps, I currently serve as the Executive Officer of 3d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, which is home based at Twentynine Palms, California. Earlier this year, I was inducted into your esteemed and historic organization after a dear friend of mine and fellow Marine—John Gilligan—presented me with a gift of membership into the MOPH and Chapter 1919. John, who proved his...