Alvin Joseph Aulger was born February 6, 1920 in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada where his parents were six years into farming thousands of rental acreages. At the time of his birth, "Al" had two brothers, Aulton age 12, Sam age 6, and a sister, Iola, who was three. In 1924 Canada experienced an economic depression and the farm went broke. Afterwards he and his family moved briefly back to Council Bluffs, Iowa--where earlier his parents had met and married in 1907--and where Al's baby sister, Eva, was born. They soon settled in Lincoln, Nebraska where Al spent his school years. When Al was eight years old his mother, Cora Elizabeth Vallier Aulger, was killed in a car crash. Everyone—including Al—was injured in the crash except for four-year old Eva who said she “landed on top of my Dad’s tummy.” In 1930 his father, Joseph Clayton Aulger, married his housekeeper, Della Aughe Underdown, who, as a 16-year widow, had been raising her four children alone. Della was known as a capable, efficient person who ran the home while Joe traveled to sell Delco lightbulbs. She baked bread every Friday and kept a clean house, expecting everyone to help. Al made the most of what he had, but when his father died of depression in 1936 Al became an orphan and, naturally, his situation noticeably changed. In later years Eva reported that Della did not get along with Sam, Iola or Al as they matured, especially after Joe died, so one-by-one, they were “kicked out of the house.” At age 16 it is believed that Al went to live with his stepsister, Merle, and her husband, George Strausheim. As he developed it appears that Al liked sports, because a yearbook photo shows him wearing jersey number 13 in the middle of his high school football team. On June 15, 1938 Al graduated from high school and promptly enlisted in the US Navy, perhaps at the urging of his 30-year-old brother, Aulton, who was already an eight-year active-duty sailor. Al completed basic training as well as successive multiple advanced trainings inside the 16-inch gun turrets of several battleships. [By the end of WWII, Al rose to the rank of E-6, Turret Captain]. Along the way he took up the sport of boxing as evidenced by a Honolulu studio, tough-guy portrait of him posed in boxing trunks, shoes and 16-ounce gloves. After more than three years of service Al was stationed on the USS New Orleans on December 7, 1941 and fought the Japanese airplanes as they bombed Pearl Harbor. Al survived the battle but many of his shipmates were injured and/or killed. He finished his military service on board the USS Iowa which saw much combat action and rescue service operations throughout the Pacific theater. Just before his 1945 honorable discharge, Al met and married the beautiful and outgoing Marion Gene Crass who bore him four healthy children, Joe, Linda, Valarie, and Mark all of whom grew to adulthood, married and three of them gave Al and Marion 11 sturdy grandchildren. Al raised his young family in homes located in Compton and Whittier, California. Valarie said he liked his home to be “ship shape” which they all remembered as children working hard to achieve before he came home from his travels. His many years of working as a salesman in the fish industry earned him the nickname of “Da Fish.” Regrettably, Al died an untimely death due to incurable brain cancer on July 8, 1986 at the age of 66. As one looks back over his life it is amazing how resilient he and his early-orphaned siblings managed to become when they were forced to fend for themselves during the great depression and appeared to inherit nothing but the wind. But somehow, through the grace of God, all five of the orphaned Aulger children had enough grit to become highly functioning adults in a free country that allowed them to experience the pursuit of happiness. As his nephew and fellow military veteran I cannot say enough good things about my Uncle Al. Despite his very challenging childhood, he was not a whiner. He had grit. He worked hard. He was loyal to his country and family, both immediate and extended alike. I saw him as a good and simple man who reminded me of the TV character, Archie Bunker, in the way he voiced strong opinions about right and wrong. When he laughed it was like a huge, happy explosion that filled the whole room and made everyone else erupt in like manner. I miss him. But I am so grateful that three of his children still live and want to connect as cousins. (written by Jack Boden, December 4, 2020)
Alvin Joseph Aulger was born February 6, 1920 in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada where his parents were six years into farming thousands of rental acreages. At the time of his birth, "Al" had two brothers, Aulton age 12, Sam age 6, and a sister, Iola, who was three. In 1924 Canada experienced an economic depression and the farm went broke. Afterwards he and his family moved briefly back to Council Bluffs, Iowa--where earlier his parents had met and married in 1907--and where Al's baby sister, Eva, was born. They soon settled in Lincoln, Nebraska where Al spent his school years. When Al was eight years old his mother, Cora Elizabeth Vallier Aulger, was killed in a car crash. Everyone—including Al—was injured in the crash except for four-year old Eva who said she “landed on top of my Dad’s tummy.” In 1930 his father, Joseph Clayton Aulger, married his housekeeper, Della Aughe Underdown, who, as a 16-year widow, had been raising her four children alone. Della was known as a capable, efficient person who ran the home while Joe traveled to sell Delco lightbulbs. She baked bread every Friday and kept a clean house, expecting everyone to help. Al made the most of what he had, but when his father died of depression in 1936 Al became an orphan and, naturally, his situation noticeably changed. In later years Eva reported that Della did not get along with Sam, Iola or Al as they matured, especially after Joe died, so one-by-one, they were “kicked out of the house.” At age 16 it is believed that Al went to live with his stepsister, Merle, and her husband, George Strausheim. As he developed it appears that Al liked sports, because a yearbook photo shows him wearing jersey number 13 in the middle of his high school football team. On June 15, 1938 Al graduated from high school and promptly enlisted in the US Navy, perhaps at the urging of his 30-year-old brother, Aulton, who was already an eight-year active-duty sailor. Al completed basic training as well as successive multiple advanced trainings inside the 16-inch gun turrets of several battleships. [By the end of WWII, Al rose to the rank of E-6, Turret Captain]. Along the way he took up the sport of boxing as evidenced by a Honolulu studio, tough-guy portrait of him posed in boxing trunks, shoes and 16-ounce gloves. After more than three years of service Al was stationed on the USS New Orleans on December 7, 1941 and fought the Japanese airplanes as they bombed Pearl Harbor. Al survived the battle but many of his shipmates were injured and/or killed. He finished his military service on board the USS Iowa which saw much combat action and rescue service operations throughout the Pacific theater. Just before his 1945 honorable discharge, Al met and married the beautiful and outgoing Marion Gene Crass who bore him four healthy children, Joe, Linda, Valarie, and Mark all of whom grew to adulthood, married and three of them gave Al and Marion 11 sturdy grandchildren. Al raised his young family in homes located in Compton and Whittier, California. Valarie said he liked his home to be “ship shape” which they all remembered as children working hard to achieve before he came home from his travels. His many years of working as a salesman in the fish industry earned him the nickname of “Da Fish.” Regrettably, Al died an untimely death due to incurable brain cancer on July 8, 1986 at the age of 66. As one looks back over his life it is amazing how resilient he and his early-orphaned siblings managed to become when they were forced to fend for themselves during the great depression and appeared to inherit nothing but the wind. But somehow, through the grace of God, all five of the orphaned Aulger children had enough grit to become highly functioning adults in a free country that allowed them to experience the pursuit of happiness. As his nephew and fellow military veteran I cannot say enough good things about my Uncle Al. Despite his very challenging childhood, he was not a whiner. He had grit. He worked hard. He was loyal to his country and family, both immediate and extended alike. I saw him as a good and simple man who reminded me of the TV character, Archie Bunker, in the way he voiced strong opinions about right and wrong. When he laughed it was like a huge, happy explosion that filled the whole room and made everyone else erupt in like manner. I miss him. But I am so grateful that three of his children still live and want to connect as cousins. (written by Jack Boden, December 4, 2020)
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