The Okie Legacy

Vol. 2, Issue 53 -- 8 April 2000, Saturday

WWII - Waiting To Come Home

"I'm as happy as you must be that the war is all over. Maybe living will be a little more pleasant for lots of people now. I can certainly admit that it was a great surprise to me when it did end. Although I knew it was only a matter of months because I'm certainly convinced by now that nothing can stop the American army, air corps, navy or marines." Robt. L. McGill, 14 Aug. 1945, Paris, France.

Lots of people have commented favorably concerning my Uncle Bob's WWII military career. One of them wrote, "...Enjoy following your research on your Uncle Bob - very interesting & certainly a man with much training & talent. Makes a person wonder if he ever considered making the military a life time career. He was a handsome man."

As to Uncle Bob's Military record... I sometimes wonder why he didn't make the military his career. I don't know the answer to a lot of the questions yet, but from bits and pieces of my Grandmother's letters, Bob's letters to his wife and others -- It seems to me that he was homesick for his mother's cooking and his new bride that he left on the USA shores and in his mother's home? I don't really know all the answers. I haven't seen how all the pieces of this puzzle fit together yet, but I'm learning from the treasures we find each day that leads us to understand another part of our family history!

Meanwhile, keep checking back on "R. L. McGill's WWII Time line" as I keep adding linked letters of Bob's WWII Time line. Check out the 14 August 1945 & 9 Sept. 1945 letters.

From Uncle Bob's Time Line, dated 9 Sept 1945 and listed as Maj. R. L. McGill, 75 Div HQ APO 451 in Chalon, France. He was ready to come home. Wanting his mother to stock up that "Larder" (food storage) because he would be calling her soon. He had been in school over in France and graduated from a French class (or school) with a "B." He says, "...I hardly know anything but the army and I've learned all I want to of that. Harold Vinson can certainly have my share. I'll bet he's sick of it himself."

Uncle Bob was really wanting to settled down at home in the USA and have a family like his older brother (Gene, my Dad). Of course, he never had any children in all his 38 years of life (that we know of). I'm not sure when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Was it before he and his first wife (Helen Soper) got divorced in 1948 or after. There are lots of un-answered questions. Helen and Bob were both young in 1944 when they got married. Bob was shipped all over the USA for military training (from '40-'44) before he went overseas in late 1944.

I've notice the youthfulness of his early Kemper Military photos and the maturing of his facial features during his training and WWII experience. You can see how much he has matured. Who is to say "WHY" he didn't continue with a military career. He died in 1954 at the age of 38 years. He was married to his second wife (Felicia Monfort) from 1950 to 1954 when he died 21 February 1954. Felicia was just beginning her intern as a Doctor when they got married 21st June 1950.

I hope you don't mind me talking so much about my Uncle Bob. It is just that I have a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe there is still some old buddies, girlfriends, etc. out there (online) who can help us fill in the pieces of the puzzle. We have also sent off a form to retrieve military records for our Uncle Robt. McGill. When we receive the info, I'll be placing his info on Uncler Bob's web pages we started for him.

Meanwhile, here's some little tidbits concerning WWII and the 75th Div. and what we are running across in our search for Uncle Bob's WWII record. This is info concerning the Colmar Pocket - During the last of January through 2 February 1945, the 75th Division was involved in finally driving the Germans from this area which they had occupied since June 1940.

The Champagne-Ardenne region in the Marne valley of France. "Even during 1945, this had to be a beautiful place to be during the early Summer and Fall. That is, unless you were so homesick you couldn't see the beauty of anything. But, I know in my heart that Uncle Bob must have loved this area. He would have seen the beauty of the country-side and the beauty of the Cathedrals, the food, the wine, the other wonders..."

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Back to NW Oklahoma and the Present... Freedom, Oklahoma has a beautification Project & Veterans' Memorial Projects underway. According to the "Freedom Call" newspaper, the deadline for submitting names to be placed on the monuments for the Veterans' Memorial is April 24, 2000. If you have a name to submit of Veterans' from around the Freedom area, contact Sharon Walker at (580) 621-3276. You can also purchase a brick to help finance the construction of the memorial. $25.00 will purchase a brick and they are also accepting funds to assist in purchasing the granite stones and for building the brick landing and steps.

Prints of a photograph of WWI Woods County soldiers are being sold for $10.00. The prints are being donated by Rod Murrow and were taken on the steps of the Woods County Courthouse in 1918. If you would like to purchase one of these prints of WWI Woods County soldiers, contact Sharon at (580) 621-3276. You can view a full size version of this WWI Soldiers at The Freedom State Bank, in Freedom, Oklahoma.

Pat Steed, the webmaster of the "Cherokee Strip Museum" site, has just informed me that she will be taking some pictures soon of the rooms in the museum and in about 10 days look for some pictures showing up in the Gallery pages. So, tell everyone to check the Strip page again in about 10 days. It should be a one-of-a-kind on the WWW of small town museums--and home grown too.

This week Spring, pollens and allergies have been blown through by the Oklahoma wind. If this newsletter sounds a little foggy and thrown together at times, its because I'm writing this weeks newsletter suffering from some of those allergies, stuffy nose, watery eyes, etc. that plague us all this time of year. Is there anyone out there who isn't? YES! I'm taking my vitamin C, orange juice, zinc,steeping honey-lemon water, and getting my rest.

OAKIE's LINKS & MAILBAG

"I will be taking pictures of the "rooms" at the Cherokee Strip Museum this coming Sunday, so in about 10 days, some of those pics will be up in the Gallery. You might want to see the Gallery page--I added some tubes (a door and two urns with leaves) that you might like. So, tell everyone to check the Strip page again in about 10 days. Thanks for your wonderful support and encouragement of the CSM project! It should be a one-of-a-kind on the WWW of small town museums--and home grown too." Pat Steed

Can someone out there with the Goldbug Class of '71, Alva, Okla. help Beth out? "Linda, I don't know if you remember me, I am Marsha Price's little sister, Beth. I would like to have a list of the 1971(Goldbug) class, and any email addresses. I would like to get in touch with some people, and this would help me. I love your site. This brings back a lot of wonderful childhood memories. Blessings, Beth Spoerle " (Goldbug Reunion 2000)

Major cities are Reims, Epernay, Charleville-Mézičres, Chalons-sur-Marne, Chaumont, and Troyes. From Paris the A4 leads to Reims and Chalons. Chalons, 102 miles from Paris, is Capital of the Marne. The Cathedral St-Etienne with 12th to 16th-century stained glass; Church and cloister Notre-Dame-en-Vaux; museums and gardens are just a few of the sights this city has to offer. Relief Map of Europe:

Index of European maps from Univ of Texas.

Gwynedd, Wales, U.K.

"Linda, I know that your "Murrow" connection is through Mae Paris...but wanted to let you know that I have FINALLY gotten a link that gives me a clear shot backwards from Kiturah Asbury all the way to England c 1655 with a Francis Asbury. From him, Kiturah is a tenth-generation descendant, so I have been able to add her siblings and nine previous generations to that branch of the tree. I was so excited I could hardly stand it when I finally found the piece that made it all fit. Only one things remains now -- "our" side of the family indicates that Kiturah's mother's maiden name was Seybold. The "Asbury" side says it was Leybold. I can see how an S and an L could be misinterpreted, especially considering the older-style handwriting. I'm anxious to discover which is the correct spelling." My Ancestry: Rod C. Murrow The Murrows - Rod & Carolyn

Last week I wrote about 1909 Rest Room Guestbook my grandmother Constance saved with everything else. Here's what one reader responded concerning the 1909 Rest Room, "I read once about a place the people went when they traveled to town by wagon. But I cannot recall what it was referring to. I am sure it was not for people traveling through Alva but the ones that were traveling to Alva."

How To Start a Car (early 1900s) -- "I wonder if WJ wrote those instructions out for Constance or for his sons. I would bet he wrote it for Constance. If he had written it for either of the boys, they would probably have torn it, wadded it up, gotten it oily and dirty, thrown it away or lost it."

Rest Room located in the Alva Community and hosted by some womens organizations (I think). -- "What was it? A restaurant or what? Maybe you ought to try to revive it in Alva."

"Just a short outlook on life...
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self; Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon."

"A Father's Legacy" has gotten a new background and some spring cleaning. You can still find it on the "OkieLegacy" website. If you have a 4.0 browser that can successfully view CSS style sheets & layers, then you might want to view this "A Father's Legacy" . Only the first page (frontpage) is built with the CSS style sheets. The other pages that follow have been built using the table coding in HTML.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt. And dance like no one's watching!" - Author Unknown

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