INTRODUCTION
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Website Last Updated 12/18/2016
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As a child, I would sit and listen intently every time that my grandfather, Frederick Abel, spoke about his experiences during World War II. He would speak, with great detail, about the battles he fought, about the things he had seen and about his cousin Johnny, a navy man, who was lost in the Pacific on a US Submarine.
With every visit to my grandparents house came the expectation that some portion, if not all, of these war stories would be shared at some point during the visit if there happened to be a long, drawn out silence in the room. Because I enjoyed hearing these stories so much, especially those told of Johnny on the submarine, I would almost "prompt" my grandfather on occasion; especially if I thought that the war wouldn't be talked about. This I accomplished by asking a random question about one of the stories that I wanted to hear about. |
For me, it wasn't just the stories alone that I enjoyed, but it was the way he told them. He spoke with a deep voice that possessed a slight rumbling quality to it and he would tell them the same way every time, almost as if he were reading them out of a book. One always knew how a particular story would end; for example, he always finished the story of Johnny with, "Johnny got drafted for the duration of the war, so he decided to join the submarine service, because at that time you received double time and double pay. He figured that by the time the war ended, he would be able to retire from the Navy...well, he got retired all right!"
It is funny how a person's sense of observation and perception changes as one gets older. As a young child, I assumed that my grandfather just told war stories for fun and to entertain anyone that was in the room (which may have been true as well); however, as I grew into an adult, I began to notice that my grandfather's "storytelling" may have been more of an outlet for how he dealt with everything that he had seen and experienced during the war. It became more and more obvious to me as time went on that as my grandfather spoke of the war, it was as if he was no longer in the room, but actually re-living the scenario.
It is funny how a person's sense of observation and perception changes as one gets older. As a young child, I assumed that my grandfather just told war stories for fun and to entertain anyone that was in the room (which may have been true as well); however, as I grew into an adult, I began to notice that my grandfather's "storytelling" may have been more of an outlet for how he dealt with everything that he had seen and experienced during the war. It became more and more obvious to me as time went on that as my grandfather spoke of the war, it was as if he was no longer in the room, but actually re-living the scenario.
In his later years, my grandfather began speaking about the atrocities of the war that nobody, not even his children, had ever heard him speak of before. These additional stories began to include things such as the death camps, the boxcars, and the dead bodies stacked up that he personally saw through his movements through France and different parts of Europe. I remember a time when he told me that he had watched a WWII documentary on PBS (I think it may have been an episode of Ken Burns', The War); he said that he couldn't sleep all night because of the memories that it brought back.
In the late 1990's, with the advent of the internet, I had the pleasure and privilege of being able to research more information about the SS-215, USS Growler (Johnny's submarine) and was able to present unknown information about it, to my grandfather. This became the ice breaker that I needed to have discussions about the stories instead of just a listener. |
Shortly before he passed away, my grandfather presented me with some books & artifacts from the war. He showed me many things that I had never seen or heard before. The last time I saw him alive, just the two of us sat in his den (something that we had never done before). As he slipped into his "days of yesteryear" as it were, I sat and listened to his deep, rumbling voice for three hours as he shared stories about his life. I will remember that special day forever!
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After my grandfather's passing, I received the honor of inheriting his service metals, and many items and artifacts from the WWII era that most of us didn't even know about. After much sorting, reading, and searching through all of this memorabilia, many more questions arose that I wished I could have asked of him. I am so thankful that my grandfather dealt with the war by talking about it, unlike many who will never utter a word. It is for this very reason that I am creating this website.
In conclusion, I have worked for many years, and continue to do so, to properly display these artifacts and to restore two large scrapbooks full of old wartime items. It is my desire to use this website to share these wonderful pieces of history and the stories behind them, to all who care to know. All I know is that every time I look at my grandfather's souvenirs, my mind begins to wonder what stories these items could tell if they had mouths to speak.
In conclusion, I have worked for many years, and continue to do so, to properly display these artifacts and to restore two large scrapbooks full of old wartime items. It is my desire to use this website to share these wonderful pieces of history and the stories behind them, to all who care to know. All I know is that every time I look at my grandfather's souvenirs, my mind begins to wonder what stories these items could tell if they had mouths to speak.