As a young man, my Uncle Howard served in the South Pacific during World War II. He was stationed in Australia for a time for training before being sent to New Guinea where he went ashore with the Second Engineer Special Brigade in an amphibious troop carrier under fire at Lae in 1943 to battle Japanese forces. He was one of the fortunate few to return, and he lived to the age of 99 years, 11 months.
Howard kept a detailed diary of his war experiences, and one of his colleagues stated in his obituary, “It wasn’t until I read through many of his journal entries that I realized that in addition to being a very gentle person, he was also a real-life war hero. Many people have no idea the depths of human depravity that he saw during WW II. He was a remarkable man.”
In spite of his military experiences, he was a kind, gentle, and adventurous man, respected by students and colleagues alike at Fort Hayes State University. He brought science to life as a professor of botany, but also enjoyed mixing with friends and family members, often over homemade ice cream from the freezer that he always brought to gatherings. He helped inspire my interest in science which eventually led to a career in medicine. Whenever his name comes up, we can’t help but smile for having known such a person.
#veternsday #WWII
Information regarding the Second Engineer Special Brigade–“2ESB”–can be found at: https://2esb.org/04_History/Book/Chapter_05.htm
