My Grandpa, Ronald Skeen Peterson, graduated from High School in 1944. WWII was raging. He knew he would be drafted, most likely into the Army. Instead of waiting for the inevitable, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and left home in June of 1944.
Because of a challenge from another young Marine, my Grandpa took the test required to enter Office Candidates School just to prove he could pass. He passed and was selected to participate in OCS. That training was lengthy and while it wasn’t the reason my Grandpa participated, it kept him in the United States until the war ended. He never saw combat.
During OCS, Grandpa attended Colorado College where he played football. This beautiful photo of my Grandpa during that time is very familiar to me. It is one of the first photos in my Dad’s Book of Remembrance. His mother created that book for him. This photo in his book is a copy. The quality isn’t the best, but easy to overlook since the photo is so cool.
Recently, I was completely delighted when I came across a much nicer copy of this photo. A 4×6 that is not the original, but a high-quality copy printed as a photograph instead of a photocopy. Isn’t it such a cool photo?!
I love finding bits of my Grandpa’s story in the boxes of treasures my Grandma saved.
Happy Friday, I hope you will scan and share a treasured photo today!! xoxo
Great photo. Isn’t it great when you get better quality photos of the ones your really like? I used a photo on my blog last week where that happened. Though it wasn’t one of my favorites until I saw the better version! You never know what you’re going to find when you start looking.
YES!! That is one of my very favorite moments. I especially loved finding the negative for a photo of my Great-Grandpa with his airplane. I was so happy with the increased detail of the image. You can see it here: https://thegenealogygirl.blog/2018/06/07/photograph-showcase-grandpa-with-his-biplane/
Oh, yeah? Well, I have a photo of my grandmother with her airplane. And she’s got goggles on, too!
You can see it here:
http://history.jciv.com/2018/03/grandma-myrtle-the-aviatrix/
Very cool!!
I just loved this story for several reasons. Your Grandpa & my Mother were 1st cousins through the Taylor line. My Grandma, Mary Jane, & Aunt Lettie were sisters. Perhaps I posted this previously, but I couldn’t remember so I decided to notate it again. Does that make our relationship 2nd cousins, once removed? You are the expert.
Would you be interested in helping research my Italian ancestors? I would gladly pay you! I have information done by a cousin’s father-in-law, but I know some of it is incorrect. For instance one mistake is that my great grandmother died in Petina, Salerno, Italy. That isn’t possible because I have her obituary & she died in L.A. & was buried in Ogden. She lived with her son, Ed Russo. They lived on a farm in Riverdale for many years & I’m not sure why they moved to L.A. I have knowledge, but I’d like documents & I’m not quite sure how to go about obtaining them. I know you are very busy, but I hope that you might accept my offer. I look forward to hearing from you.
With Warm Regards,
Nancy Lyn Salimeno Jensen
Yes! That does make us first cousins once removed. I will send you an email about your Italian research questions. ❤️
Wonderful photo!
Thank you, Luanne!! ❤️