"Chum" as he was known to his family, was my Dad's younger brother. He was a great man. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, serving on Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima (Mount Sarabachi), Guam, etc. He said he was on all but one island in the South Pacific, but none of his kids seem to remember which island that was. He spent 36 months in the service and 32 of them were in the South Pacific.
When he was a toddler, he contracted bronchial pneumonia. It caused him to lose all of his hair. Throughout his childhood, he was given shots in an attempt to stimulate hair growth to no avail. After boot camp, he was sent to New Caledonia. Within a very short time, his hair grew back, quite thick. He always figured it was the tropical climate that caused it.
When he was on Guam, he befriended a local family and did what he could to help them. They had a young son who really took to Uncle Chum. They lost contact over the years. When he went back for the 50th reunion, my cousin, Sue, got in touch with someone with the government there. They tracked down this boy, now an older gentleman. He met them at the airport when Uncle Chum and Sue arrived. This was a pleasant surprise for Uncle Chum, who had always wondered what had happened to his young friend.
He and Sue also went to the 50th Guadalcanal reunion. The interesting thing about his Guadalcanal service was that my Dad was in the first wave of Marines there and Chum was in a replacement group. Dad shipped out they figured about 15 minutes before Chum's group arrived. He knew his brother had been there and looked and asked for him to discover that they'd missed each other by minutes. Of course, my Dad had no way of knowing that his brother was in an incoming unit. Dad died of a heart attack in 1981, so when Chum went to the 50th reunion, he went for both of them.
He was employed by General Motors at Fisher Body #1 for 38 years as a tool and die maker, retiring in 1983.
He married Elizabeth Jane Snow on November 30, 1946 in Flint, Michigan. They met at a dance. He said "I don't know who she came with, but she left with me." They had four children: Tom, Sue, Holly, and Chris. After Betty's death in 1980, he marred Bethany Jeanne (nee Moss) Farrar on July 6, 1981.
When he was a toddler, he contracted bronchial pneumonia. It caused him to lose all of his hair. Throughout his childhood, he was given shots in an attempt to stimulate hair growth to no avail. After boot camp, he was sent to New Caledonia. Within a very short time, his hair grew back, quite thick. He always figured it was the tropical climate that caused it.
When he was on Guam, he befriended a local family and did what he could to help them. They had a young son who really took to Uncle Chum. They lost contact over the years. When he went back for the 50th reunion, my cousin, Sue, got in touch with someone with the government there. They tracked down this boy, now an older gentleman. He met them at the airport when Uncle Chum and Sue arrived. This was a pleasant surprise for Uncle Chum, who had always wondered what had happened to his young friend.
He and Sue also went to the 50th Guadalcanal reunion. The interesting thing about his Guadalcanal service was that my Dad was in the first wave of Marines there and Chum was in a replacement group. Dad shipped out they figured about 15 minutes before Chum's group arrived. He knew his brother had been there and looked and asked for him to discover that they'd missed each other by minutes. Of course, my Dad had no way of knowing that his brother was in an incoming unit. Dad died of a heart attack in 1981, so when Chum went to the 50th reunion, he went for both of them.
He was employed by General Motors at Fisher Body #1 for 38 years as a tool and die maker, retiring in 1983.
He married Elizabeth Jane Snow on November 30, 1946 in Flint, Michigan. They met at a dance. He said "I don't know who she came with, but she left with me." They had four children: Tom, Sue, Holly, and Chris. After Betty's death in 1980, he marred Bethany Jeanne (nee Moss) Farrar on July 6, 1981.
"Chum" as he was known to his family, was my Dad's younger brother. He was a great man. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, serving on Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima (Mount Sarabachi), Guam, etc. He said he was on all but one island in the South Pacific, but none of his kids seem to remember which island that was. He spent 36 months in the service and 32 of them were in the South Pacific.
When he was a toddler, he contracted bronchial pneumonia. It caused him to lose all of his hair. Throughout his childhood, he was given shots in an attempt to stimulate hair growth to no avail. After boot camp, he was sent to New Caledonia. Within a very short time, his hair grew back, quite thick. He always figured it was the tropical climate that caused it.
When he was on Guam, he befriended a local family and did what he could to help them. They had a young son who really took to Uncle Chum. They lost contact over the years. When he went back for the 50th reunion, my cousin, Sue, got in touch with someone with the government there. They tracked down this boy, now an older gentleman. He met them at the airport when Uncle Chum and Sue arrived. This was a pleasant surprise for Uncle Chum, who had always wondered what had happened to his young friend.
He and Sue also went to the 50th Guadalcanal reunion. The interesting thing about his Guadalcanal service was that my Dad was in the first wave of Marines there and Chum was in a replacement group. Dad shipped out they figured about 15 minutes before Chum's group arrived. He knew his brother had been there and looked and asked for him to discover that they'd missed each other by minutes. Of course, my Dad had no way of knowing that his brother was in an incoming unit. Dad died of a heart attack in 1981, so when Chum went to the 50th reunion, he went for both of them.
He was employed by General Motors at Fisher Body #1 for 38 years as a tool and die maker, retiring in 1983.
He married Elizabeth Jane Snow on November 30, 1946 in Flint, Michigan. They met at a dance. He said "I don't know who she came with, but she left with me." They had four children: Tom, Sue, Holly, and Chris. After Betty's death in 1980, he marred Bethany Jeanne (nee Moss) Farrar on July 6, 1981.
When he was a toddler, he contracted bronchial pneumonia. It caused him to lose all of his hair. Throughout his childhood, he was given shots in an attempt to stimulate hair growth to no avail. After boot camp, he was sent to New Caledonia. Within a very short time, his hair grew back, quite thick. He always figured it was the tropical climate that caused it.
When he was on Guam, he befriended a local family and did what he could to help them. They had a young son who really took to Uncle Chum. They lost contact over the years. When he went back for the 50th reunion, my cousin, Sue, got in touch with someone with the government there. They tracked down this boy, now an older gentleman. He met them at the airport when Uncle Chum and Sue arrived. This was a pleasant surprise for Uncle Chum, who had always wondered what had happened to his young friend.
He and Sue also went to the 50th Guadalcanal reunion. The interesting thing about his Guadalcanal service was that my Dad was in the first wave of Marines there and Chum was in a replacement group. Dad shipped out they figured about 15 minutes before Chum's group arrived. He knew his brother had been there and looked and asked for him to discover that they'd missed each other by minutes. Of course, my Dad had no way of knowing that his brother was in an incoming unit. Dad died of a heart attack in 1981, so when Chum went to the 50th reunion, he went for both of them.
He was employed by General Motors at Fisher Body #1 for 38 years as a tool and die maker, retiring in 1983.
He married Elizabeth Jane Snow on November 30, 1946 in Flint, Michigan. They met at a dance. He said "I don't know who she came with, but she left with me." They had four children: Tom, Sue, Holly, and Chris. After Betty's death in 1980, he marred Bethany Jeanne (nee Moss) Farrar on July 6, 1981.
Inscription
MARRIED
NOV. 30, 1946
Corporal
U.S. Marine Corps
World War II
Family Members
Siblings
Half Siblings
Children
