Frankly, I have only a binder that is 1/2-inch thick to represent my Dad's life and career. This is difficult research because I happen to have loved my Dad and he stood 10 ft. tall in my eyes. To see his "whole career" reduced to a folder of that size makes me feel that he was greatly underestimated (as are many people who touch our lives).
It's a painful journey. He was born in 1910 but in order to fulfill his dreams of joining the Navy, he simply changed his birth date to 1908 (as he would have been underage to join the Navy). In those days, one could simply add or detract a few years - no one checked. In one paper he lists that he graduated from a certain high school in Cleveland, OHIO. Later, I wrote to that High School to "correct" his alumni information only to find out he had indeed attended (under a name that would puzzle me and open up a whole new sphere to explore) but left as a sophomore (probably to join the Navy). He did finish high school (not same one he started) studying nights and even went on to earn a college degree in electronic engineering at "Western Reserve University" in Cleveland (now Case-Western).
To TOUCH these pages is a sacred journey. I am not only a time-traveler by looking through these pages, but suddenly I become a detective, perhaps even an intruder. It's also painful because of "hearsay" from my late Mum - about my Dad, and I don't know how much of that to believe. Each page I touch speaks to me.
I seem to be the only one in the family with interest in pursuing this (to such depths). On the other hand, to be fair, I am the only one who was LEFT with his papers. My sister in Florida encouraged me by telling me I resemble "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (I take it as a compliment, although I've not seen the film). There are many helping hands along the way....a nice chap named Martin in U.K. who tried to help and even sent photos of where Griffis Bushy Park Teddington, London (plaques, etc. - the base is no longer there). Then there is the OSS Society that I recently joined - such nice, nice people encouraging me with all sorts of ideas how to research my Dad's WWII records....great group of people!
I might add there was a horrible fire in the 1970's in St. Louis, Missouri (where most military records are kept) that destroyed many WWII records. Depending upon whom one speaks to - some say it destroyed files beginning with letter A-H, others (and I've heard this more often) P-Z. So five requests to National Personnel Records came up with "nothing" on my Dad.
It's a journey that is painful in many other ways. I look through the yellowed, stained pages in a file - this is ALL my Dad's life, basically. My HERO'S life fits into a file only 1/2-inch wide.
He was "larger than life" (isn't that the phrase so many use when a person is grander than an explanation and definitely can't be begged into a box).
He died in 1981 but reached out to me in the year 2000 in a way that can only be described as "supernatural", and it came from my late sister in Washington State. She called me in April 2000 and screamed that a telex had just "appeared" under her door. It was from my Dad (not written to either of us) from August 5th, 1979. She felt he was trying to reach me (she was psychic) and wondered if I would like to have the telex - of course I would! She mailed it pronto, after making a copy for herself. The bulk of the telex (to a fellow HAM operator named Mort) was jibberish, but the ending was what hit us most: "I will be looking forward to hearing from you if you can get anything figured out for me" - regards, "Duke" (Oh yeah, he was the DUKE after John Wayne and people just called him that....it's not a name he asked to be called). It is just too mysterious as to how this telex (dated 1979, written in Florida....two years before my Dad died) landed under the door of my sister in Washington State in the year 2000. Sadder still, just a year after my sister sent this to me, she died in her sleep (way too young) "hardening of the arteries" was the official cause of death. I still have the telex if anyone out there doubts my words (I'll simply scan it).
When I say "larger than life" - he was such a character FULL of life.....animated, active, intelligent....all these adjectives come to mind. He would've given his very last shirt to clothe someone who needed it, and he was always on the side of the "underdog" (he loved that word) - if the "underdog" in question was Jewish, Tamil, African-American, Hispanic, Chinese - he was ALWAYS on their side and would fight their battles!! He planned things (sometimes one would say with too much rigidity) for the family vacation-wise, and did things of great generosity to help the family. He went through a bad period in the 1960's but I really don't want to bring that up here - as far as I'm concerned, he was our family HERO; we are all human.
There are so many genealogy sites but I am determined not to PAY to join any clubs....I don't think that's fair....public documents are public documents. People shouldn't charge others to see their ancestral documents.
I just want to warn anyone going down that "road" of ancestral discovery that it is indeed a labyrinth and may take some very unexpected turns.
Will write when I hear more. Meanwhile - here is my Popi (Dad) in his uniform in WWII: wasn't he a handsome soul???
IF you embark on a journey to learn more about your family's ancestry, please be prepared for some BUMPS along the way!
My husband, Nando (as I call him) is a good guy....a guy my Dad would've loved had he been alive to meet him. Gee, I hope that whatever "file" Nando and I leave for our daughter is MORE than 1/2-inch file.
REVERE your ancestors - they are all you have (really) to give to your offspring.
Nighty-night,
CD
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