Benedict Gross and Matthew Swope

00:00 All right. My name is Benedict gross. I'm h81 and today is May 1st 2012.

00:10 And we are at the Fayetteville senior center in Fayetteville, Georgia, and I will be interviewed by my grandson Matthew Swope.

00:21 I'm Matthew Swope. I'm 28 years old today is May 1st, 2012 or in Fayetteville, Georgia, and I'm interview my grandfather Benedict Ben gross.

00:32 It's the first question is where were you born? I was born at the polo in North Dakota on the farm in The Farmhouse. And when were you born on September 1st 1930?

00:46 What were your parents names? My father's name was John gross and my mother's name was Magdalena. She was a maiden. What's better Mac Selena Vetter gross. And how many siblings did you have while there were 16 all together at three of them died when they were babies and 13 of us grew up to be adults. When did you fall in that order of 16 where I was number 7th, and I might say that the day 2012 12 of us are still living and I'm kind of in the middle.

01:23 A grown up briefly. What did you work on your grandpa or your Father's Farm or what? Did you do growing up while I worked on My Father's Farm went to a country school and one room School House. There were usually between 25 and 35 students from all all eight grades in one room. And so we went to that one room school house and we milk the cows in the morning clean the barn sand and walk to school or went with the horses in the snow in, North Dakota.

01:57 And how long how far did you go in school grade on this Farm school at the time did what did you plan on doing? When you when you grow up? Did you plan on being a farmer like your father? Well, I don't think I even fit in them and think about that. I was thinking about I guess being a farmer but I might add when you asked me what how far away until much later when I was in the military often regretted that I didn't have a chance to go to school and I studied and took the GED and passed it and then I got my college degree and later. My master's degree.

02:39 Speaking of your military service. Did you enlist or where you drafted? Well, I was actually kind of drafted but I am listed the draft. I knew I was going to be drafted. So I talked to the local school board to the draft board and agreed to go earlier in the winter time instead of waiting until July that you said, you're one of 13 that lived at how many of your siblings served in the military as well while they were all together. There were five professional served in the military older brother served in World War II and then three of us during the Korean War and then one younger one in the Vietnam War.

03:18 And did your father or grandfather serve know my father did not serve all my grandfather. Yes, my grandfather. It came out. It's a Germans from Russia his ancestors moved from Germany to Russia. And then he served in the Russian army before he got away under and I'll stall them and when they got to get out of there and came to America and they already served in the Russian army, which branch of the military did you serve in the US Army? Did you pick the army or did they pick it for you? Actually, they picked it for us and those days we have no choice of later on my son's who serve later they had some kind of a choice but those days where ever we were needed that we were at drafted and that's where we went. What year did you enter service? I ended in 1950 to March 21st 1952. I guess that was during the Korean war that was yes.

04:18 Icing and they needed people in the Korean War. That was yes. So you said three of you served in the Korean War. Were you the first and the second brother who is just older he was only about 16 months old and a lie. He was already in Korea and he was in the front lines and Korea and then I was went to the service and I was on my way to Korea. But in the meantime his unit moved back to Japan and then luckily as I was on my way to Korea he is so he was driving for the betterment regiment commander and the regiment commander of the requested that I

05:04 The instead of going to the Korea. So when we got to Yokohama Japan, I was pulled out of the group and was sent to Japan where my brother was. What was your family's reaction? When your your your mom your dad your siblings when you were drafted? Well that was always part of life and they knew what the government did have to be.

05:32 When when you you said your brother was already serving, but where did you go to basic training while I went to basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas. I am course from Napoleon North Dakota. I might I might let me just say something here. Originally. I was supposed to go in January then I had gone to agriculture College to take some fun courses for just about 4 weeks and I got a deferment for that then I was going to be leaving in February. Then we have too much snow and the roads are all blocked and I saw where I couldn't go and then and then my next time was March 21st and the morning it's snowed. That's so I so bad though. We were only eighteen miles from Napoleon where I was supposed to report you, but because all the roads were blocked we got the horses and they pull the car through the snow we've for about 4 miles to go and get to the highway now.

06:32 R-13 and then my dad took me and we went through a lot of snow banks have to shovel the few times. We went about 65 miles around Long Way following the main roads that were not so clock to get to Napoleon when we got to Napoleon the guys who were the other guys were going there were already gone, but they put me on a car and they rushed me from the point to Dawson, which is about 30 miles and there they put me on the bus and then excuse me.

07:08 And then we went to a Fargo.

07:16 You said you took a bus you didn't took a bus to try to catch up with the other guys and then we got to Fargo and we are from Fargo then on to Minneapolis Minneapolis for 4th, July in Minneapolis. Yes. And from there then we went on a train a troop Tree Train all the way to Dallas to Texas Fort Bliss, Texas and that's a talk about 4 days because the train stopped a long time, but we are not allowed to get off. We were just on that Troop Train very slow prior to this trip was the farthest you'd ever been from home. Well, I ain't never been out of North Dakota. I'm not even to Kendall. We live close to Canada, or maybe I've been in South Dakota little

08:07 How long was basic training for you actually about 16 weeks altogether. I have to the first this basic training. Then I would have had some special skills that they thought I have and then I went in the end of the aircraft artillery and that was another additional 8 weeks to train to refer to being anti-aircraft. How was the transition from civilian life into Army life was as easy. Was it hard? Well,

08:35 You know, I I can't say that it was hard. We we are I had worked hard on the farm and so basic training for supposed to be another problem at the exercises is calisthenics with Dad. I was tough as anybody I could do more push-ups and more sit-ups than anybody are pretty much when we had this contest sometimes.

08:58 Okay, so that's why it wasn't that hard was easier competing against the guys you were in basic than competing with your brother's probably about the same at home a lot when I was with the brothers. And of course, I don't be broke horses and both cattle and stuff like that. Now the one part that was a little bit difficult in the Army was the basic training in the sergeants in the way. They sometimes treated us they are still you know, they come up to your face and you said, you know your left from your right and wipe that smile off your face and stuff like that job. They thought we were grinning a little bit.

09:38 What was what was the hardest part about going into the army for you?

09:43 Well, you know at the time I don't think I had any fears. I never thought about I was not scared one bit. I wasn't worried about you Noah getting killed or anything like that. I had no, I can't say that there was anything real hard. I just I was just something that that's what I had to do and just went ahead and did what I had to do.

10:07 Am I basic? You said you were put into anti-aircraft artillery. What what did you do in that? Well and the aircraft artillery we had to learn because we were to shoot down flying are plants. And so as part of the basic of the training they had a fluid those aircraft that were Ground Control they were no but nobody in them and of course offerings have to have big balloons behind them and we were aiming to shoot those balloons. But even we shot down a few of those those aircraft and we had this big bullets that we had to carry to the machine gun and put them in and we have to train to a coordinated like one guy cares the bulletin guy on the helmet and then why we had to learn Like A Smith elevation different terms. I can't I don't know if I can remember Mall anymore on how to know how to aim the gun and you know, you have to

11:07 Aim, try to shoot down. Those are Paso. That's all. I remember that you're not a whistle noise was so loud. And sometimes we didn't have no ear muffs. We just put our hands for the bowl of them and then they pulled the trigger with put our hand so quickly can put the other get another bulletin Shuffle down the barrel and have you had any experience with anything like that are crafter fighting like that. No and not with aircraft, but one thing I didn't mention earlier, you know, I worked in My Father's Farm by from the time. I was 17 until 21. I was a heavy equipment operator for the comedy. My father was a county commissioner and they needed somebody and so I'm doing the summer months in North Dakota. You can't work in the winter months. So I was a heavy equipment operator. So I had to run the boat with a D7 caterpillar bulldozer and dump construction also marker with the call by the elevator dirt and and the scraper so I had been around heavy equipment.

12:07 Quite a bit and some of that was not that much different since I'm military heavy equipment. So did they have you driving the heavy equipment since you already had experience where I'm not in basic training but soon as I got over to Japan. Yes, I was driving heavy equipment by when did basic training in for you by August. I believe it was August August 20th by the middle of August in 1952 when I finished the basic training when you finish basic, did you get to go home at all or did you immediately ship out? Well, they gave me an envelope that I had to end it set to report to the game of this place in Washington to Fort get the camera right now, but the camp is closed now and the envelope and they I could go any place. I wanted to As Long As I was at that date then I have to send it up that I couldn't lose it have my orders.

13:07 Weather report neighborhood and it said I was going to see, at the time I didn't even know it but if he comes to it for the forest command, so that's when I wrote to my brother who was now in Japan and I told him that I am going to be calm and and I didn't know what sitcom was and so he gave that they told the Lettermen Commander that his brother was coming over. But anyway, I came home and so I had a few days at home during that period before I went to the military. I was in the 4-H group has the 4-H leader and we planted some trees my father gave allowed some a lot of land to Patrice as a project that I had and those trees something just now grown. So when I came home I spent most of my leave cleaning the dos tres and cleaning them out and now between the rows because they have no equipment to play the old by ho it's pretty big field. It was about

14:07 How long?

14:10 Seven football fields White on trees. So I went the whole I cleaned between those trees mostly and otherwise help on the farm.

14:18 So you left basic training went home and went back to harder work working on the farm so that I did that and then from there then my brother and sister and they took me to 2 Linton North Dakota where I caught a bus bus took me to Bismarck this my account on a train and complain to Seattle Washington. And so you never traveled before in a. Of 9 months, you've had covered most of the country got to Seattle Washington and we went to the to the camp for a Fort Lewis. It was Fort Lewis Washington that we went there and for several days and then we were loaded on the ship and took about 14 days or so approximately to go to the Yokohama Japan. She left Washington and ended up in Japan for 10 days. How many?

15:18 People are on the ship with you about 5,000 troops. And I want to just say something. I want to be got on the ship. The ship was parked away from the from the harbor and once we get on it moved all the ways and then it was just sat there for maybe 2 days and those two days. One of the sergeants assigned me to this little train. There was a train and on the bottom deck of the ship. The select rain was 20 feet long and and it had your nose on one side long trough and one side and emotes on the other and there were no conditions between the come-up which and there's Comeau. It's about them not very far apart and before the ship even started that we are everybody was seasick. And there was just smell from the funeral and the sea water the ship was sitting out there in the harbor and just swaying back and forth. It was him. I'm not sure why they just said there but maybe there was a storm on the ship.

16:18 Just so everybody was seasick. And I had this job of keeping their sleep ain't playing that loud and the guys were seasick and then they came in and sat on the stool and they threw up and they light replaced up and they shot the cross the stool in the back and threw up on the floor in the front and I had this awful job of cleaning all this up. Well about the second day. I heard this through the loudspeaker. They need a barber. Is there any Barber on the ship?

16:49 Well, I used to cut hair. So I was determined to find where this place was and I tell you it took me about two hours on the ship because every time I ask somebody, where is this Barber Shop, nobody knew most of this world soldiers, but I finally found the barbershop and the barber are you know, I have not shaved. I had not change clothes. I had just laying on the couch and I want the ship and he looked at me for a little bit and he said gave me a white jacket pieces go and shave and clean up change clothes put on this jacket come back and let's see if you look like a barber so I did and and he thought he had me cut somebody's hair. And anyway, he hired me and course he went to town and he got me relief from that job that I had and got me not only move from the car that I was on but moved to the top floor where he slept in the barber was a civilian.

17:47 And he was on that ship to make money and and he told me and not right away but piss job was to I was supposed to make money for him and I would get that we charged he charges $0.25 a haircut and ten cents of every haircut would be mine and every time I finished he marked them on the sheet of paper and if they wanted a burro cream some Harold and that was another nickel and I would get I think it's another Diamond I would get a nickel if they wanted the shampoo then we did that then it was $0.50 and then I would get the most I could make from if somebody got everything would be $0.25 and he kept track of that.

18:32 But the barber was very harsh and he would come over and take the Clippers out of my hand and show me how to be fast and all and he, give me hell because I was not fast enough and he said I was too careful trying to give a nice haircut. These guys are going to create me that don't anyway, the guys were standing in line and sometimes they were afraid to come to me. So the first guy that second guy wouldn't come but the third or fourth week. Online and would come but we cut hair and he paid me every night and I might add that all we were maybe halfway over one day. There was no more line and Barbara went and he talked to somebody I guess the captain of the ship and the next thing the rest is booming Voice come over the loudspeaker by Saturday morning. Every man will have a fresh haircut. There will be an inspection in every department and next thing I knew that was another line and so we were busy cutting hair from morning till night and then

19:32 I made maybe almost $300 just died. I'm coming here. Where did you learn to cut hair? Well and are the home of the farm we cut each other's hair. I cut with just these Clippers. We didn't have electricity on the farm by that time. We had this hand Clippers that you you you only get like a cherry peppers like your cut weights. You're not you're moving with your own hand so we could head that way. So I had to learn that way and then because of the farm because I would not only about Brothers Hair the neighbors Customs. So our house was kind of the barber shop Naples. Everybody came to get their haircuts. So when you made it over to Japan, did you know, what? What did you think you were going to be doing when you made it to Japan? I just thought I was going to Korea. Okay and

20:25 They might sort of America like thank you because actually I was about the praying about that too on the ship that I was not expecting to be assigned in Japan when the war was raging icrea. I was just was hoping that I would see my brother for a little bit and so that was my wish but the lonely hold when I got to Japan we all we got

20:50 We wanted to do speak Barracks. We got off the ship and we got on the truck and they loaded us to know truck load up the truck load and they hold us to this barracks and the beach bag the brexit. I was in the world like double Bunks about 30 double bunks in each side is long Barracks. So 3062 about a hundred twenty bucks and this so we got into the barracks and this was about 4 in the afternoon and maybe after an hour after we got into the whistle blew and everybody fell out with your double back and then they would call names and they call the names they would crawl onto the truck and they would be hauled away and again the two hours later the same thing in about 3 in the morning the same thing. So fire 5 the next morning.

21:38 Lo and behold I was the only one left in our barracks and there was a couple of twins that were in another Barracks that were also on the ship said the twins, so everybody else was gone and I was there for you know, eight or nine days. And the meantime, they ask me some questions and then one day they call me and then it was shipped to Japan went to where my brother was. Did you think it was odd and did anybody else think it was odd that you were left in the barracks. Did you know why you were left in the barracks? No, I didn't know I really did not know. Well, they told me but there was not too much communication. I learned where the mess hall twice and I went to eat and came back and had nothing to do. I was in the barracks and then I went to there's a PX close by when you walked around and came back to the barracks and when and waited.

22:30 And I might say that when I got to finally to Camp Hawkins where my brother was in Japan in the hunt you Island in Northern Japan when I finally got there. My brother has now was away at the school and the guy that pick me up was from my brother sparex, and my brother is a little bit bigger than I was and so he called me little gross and my brother was big girls, but when I finally got to the barracks, it was almost like coming home because they all kind of knew me because I knew my brother, but he was not there now. When did you find out that your brother had talked to his commanding officer about getting you there? I did not know actually the way he talked to him was not really he just told one day so you didn't really talk to your aunt to General in your drawer for a commanding officer. Later on I go for some you the only sort of spoke when you were asked you about the he did one day tell the Colonel Riley. He said I have a brother that I got a letter.

23:30 From him he's going to be calm and all that we ask him was what's his name while he had the envelope in his pocket with my address and I he pulled it out and Riley said that can I keep that and he took the envelope and have myself my number on the serial number on it and he took the letter out and you kept a letter but he kept the envelope and that's all he didn't say what I was going to do and he did not know there was no words about it and it was such as a price as I was when I arrived up there, but any wasn't there now see so okay. So I was assigned immediately and it was almost kind of like coming home the guys knew me and became part of it and then had been at the motor pool. So I was kin to the motor pool and because I have experienced I was immediately signed. I almost immediately past and I drove a deuce and a half ton truck big truck.

24:25 Back because I was not specifically Keaton and any particular job. They were preparing to go and I are not in the training down to Mount Fuji. The whole you to go do some training. So I was put on an advance detail to get things ready to load stuff to get them on the ship and how to waterproof Vehicles. We have to drive vehicles through the water in a waterproof and put a long exhaust pipes on them. And so I was on this Advance detail and went down to Mount Fuji can't be near near Mount Fuji. Well in the meantime all the troops came to Mount Fuji to training and Andy now came back to

25:11 Camp aachen after the troops that left. So now I was in camping gear at near my food chain, and he was backing him Hagen.

25:18 How long was it before you actually saw it? We're able to see your brother Andy maybe a month or six weeks and I'm just about finish that other stories. So I was down to Camp walking and one day Captain good who was the company Commander called me and we were out of nowhere and just intense near Mount Fuji and he called me and he said can you cut hair like your brother and Lester? Yes, sir. I think he sat down on the Foot Locker in and gave me a big old hand clipper like one of these sheared sheep with at home almost and he said cut my hair so he sat down and I was just as nervous as could be but you know, he was sitting down at so I had to bend over because he was so low and about to head that Clippers and I have to be careful not to pull his hair too much so I cut this hair and I cut his hair.

26:15 The nearest and he said his private it's a private crows. You said I'm going to set you up as the company Barber is that you can charge but if anybody wants to give you something, okay and all this week, so I gave me a put me in the supply room tent. That's the company Barber well about several days later all of a sudden we have this information everybody get your duffle bags get everything in your duffel bag. Everything had Fallout this formation. Well, I know now what it happened was that there were so many casualties in Korea as they need a tick sound of guys to go to crib.

26:54 And so are you watching this with the duffel bags ready to go? And if they called your name, you took the duffel bag over your shoulder. You went over your crawl in the back of the truck and see me rollin. They called 600 guys out of the many guys were there. So I'm going to call my name and I didn't think about this this install Instinct. I took my duffel bag and instead of walking straight to the truck. I walked over with Captain good was he was standing there with some other offices and as I got over there I said Captain good sir.

27:31 All right. So anyway, I picked up my double back and I walked over to Captain good and I said that I kept my good sir. I still haven't seen my brother. So Captain good look to the guy who had the the pad with all the names on and he said she'll scratch private Krause. Is that fall back in line and come and see me at o nine hundred and we went on and sew a tote 900 in the morning. I went to see the captain and he got on an old crank telephone and he called can park and then he talked to somebody up there and he said cut orders for corporate growth and he had asked me what it's number was a serial number he gave to serial number and so they cut orders and told Andy to report down so I don't know how I can't remember how he came but he didn't come on ship somehow he came and two days later and you walked in and then we were together from then on until

28:29 May this was about in October now October 52 and may of 53 and he went home and by that time our unit got shipped to Korea. When was the last time you seen your brother and eat before that day 51 he went to the military. And so this was about October of 52. So it's a year-and-a-half later. So after after you and Andy met back up, where where did y'all go from there, but they where he was away on train. He learn to be a mechanic. So actually now he was one of the mechanics

29:14 And so I worked working for the pool then and I was driving the big truck and I'll bite say we had the motor pool Sergeant was what's a good guy? And the butt every morning we reported to the motor pool and then we were out driving whenever somebody called her if there was something to eat with with drove and came back to the motor pool. And but if we were if you were there then about 9:30, so in the morning, he marched us down to the mess hall to drink coffee.

29:44 Free coffee break I am the I have learned that home. Let me back up a little bit and three the 19 through the war the World War II sugar ration and love my family has had the better big family. I'm so we had to learn to eat drink coffee without sugar and so and course I didn't like coffee without sugar. So I quit drinking coffee, but every morning about 9:30 that he might just out to the missile. And and of course there was some office other officers there and guys walk through the line and got coffee and sat down and had their coffee and talk. So one morning they came by and he said, where's your coffee? I said, well, I don't drink coffee. He said this is a coffee break. If you don't drink coffee, you go back to the motor pool get to work. This is not the come down and just sit around with you said Mr. Coffee Break, so I learned to think of it so it's not like to think coffee without sugar.

30:41 So after after you worked in the motor pool, you said you worked there until May of 53. Where did you go we where we went to church and because I was I was Catholic and so the guy that was the chaplain's assistant for the Catholic chaplain. He it was rotated home and that's what's probably I'll maybe February 53 or so. I talked to the chaplain and after talking to me he current he made put a request in to have me transferred as to be his chaplain assistant see so I became tell my sister. I was actually that moved from company where my brother was saying to headquarters and headquarters, which was just the next lyrics over.

31:31 And I felt like we were still together but and I still drove for the chaplain but it's a little bit different. I worked into Chapman's office, but we still saw each other every all the time and I still have to go on like we went to cicchini. This is a title in order to Panda ski training but not ski training to skate down the mountains. This is to fight a war on skis, but I was then I was driving a weasel for the hog hog guys around so Andy and I were together.

32:04 Until

32:07 When Andy went home and I might have to come back a little bit later because I don't want to leave some of this out. So well.

32:14 When Andy went home and met about that time our whole it was when Eisenhower became president in January so you so I got to back up a little bit when Eisenhower was campaigning to become president. He said that if he gets elected he will come over to Korean stop the war. Well, I have never voted before but my father sent me an absentee ballot and he had the ballot all filled out and everything. All I have to do is sign it and he said my father said that I just never said that if he gets elected he's going to stop the war and so I sent you a loaded fries now or send it back washer enough Eisenhower get elected and so in this in the Chandler area 53, I've never came he came to Korea and they stopped the war they had through the 38th parallel to the North and South Korea are divided there.

33:06 But Sigmund Rhee who was the president of South Korea. He did not agree with that. He did not want that. So they had all these Chinese prisoners and the apparently this is just hearsay that I know he threatened to Uber to release all these prisoners and so our unit was like overnight. Although. I was a chaplain's assistant, but hopefully we were rushed to to check the door Creek Church of the island. And at that time we had 90,000 Chinese prisoners. That was what we were told Chinese prisoners and our unit. Then came to take over guarding those prisoners wear the Korean The Rock soldiers used to guard them. So we went there and the god of those prisoners and of course the chaplain so we everybody came there and so we were guarding those business and get to the island.

33:56 So you after guarding the prisoners? How long were you in Korea in early spring of 53 and I might say that the Warhead see the war ended. I was there maybe I can remember exactly how many more days Kristen Warden and ride when I was never came over. I think it ended July 2nd. They said that they tore side of July 3rd something in 53. So but after that then there was quickly trying to get those prisoners home and we got the business from China. So I was involved in because the reason I was involved more because the chaplain was involved.

34:43 They took Josh Chinese prisoners and we took him down to the harbor where the Chinese came with their ships that brought American tree and the first business we exchange of the ones that had Lakes at Lakes missing at Arms missing and so on and so forth and up and I might say that while we were in there in Korea with all this business the military had hired as a priest who spoke who was a missionary in China hit them kicked out of China and so the Army hired him to minister to the Chinese prisoners, so I went with him off and into the compound where all these Chinese prisoners were but they these supposed to Chinese prisoners what they had some officers were just young guys and good young kids 17 16 17 years old and we could I could go down to the compound during the day and offer take two prisoners. I'll bring them up to work in the chapel and then two different things.

35:43 And for their then we went to coach Island go to the island and they were some I'll take a hundred 10,000 Christmas there and they got all of those exchanged and and then course time went on and then in February of 1954.

36:03 This one went to pusan and from there on a ship back home again.

36:10 You you said that when basic you weren't scared and when you first got to Japan you weren't scared. Was that a symptom of just being younger? Was it your face? What what do you think made it so you weren't scared. Well, I think this being young and part of life. I I would be scared more scared. Now I ask for some reason. I just wasn't scared of anything. Maybe it was fine with the way we're work. But I can sit stay this little story when I was about to the great school or a teacher is Atlantis and got permission someday it sometime take all the students the older students to this might to the capitalist and the tour. Well, I was in the great below that I wasn't supposed to go, but she thought I should go so she asked Dad if I could go to and dad said now he's going to do he's going to run in front of a car or he's going to jump off buildings. He's not scared of anything. If you take him you have to keep watching clothes. I wasn't scared of anything at that time.

37:10 Did serving with your brother make it easier for you to be overseas.

37:18 Yes, we have we had a good time together and everything work good in the Army was good to outside might say that the Andy my brother was he was a prankster and we have pulled tricks on. But that when we were in Hokkaido ski training we had to pull guard during the night walk hard, but the person that made out the guard roster when they put gross down one time. So you had to get up every hour is out in the snow and work hard. So Andy, and I and we heat he pulled at one time and gross up here and I pulled the next time so we only had to pull up have much as the others but the other guys knew it but they didn't tell us because we did them some other favors. I was driving a weasel and I worked in the hog food and I had some extra Bread on my weasel sometimes that I took it so I brought that into the 10th. And so, you know, they did us a favor by not telling that we were just boys have as much card.

38:17 When you got home from the war, what did you do? Well, when I came home, I'll spend a few days at home. And then I went to my sister's place in Bismarck North Dakota and the offender for that was a job. They would needed somebody so I went to work. This was not planned or anyting I buy the way I was offered a job to work on this farm and my dad wanted me to take that and I already said I was going to take it but then I changed my mind because I wanted the way that I wasn't ready. So then I start working the Bismarck Fargo Robinson and it's a warehouse and from that and I'm going to come a little bit so we don't run out of time here. He he suggested that I take this business course at this might junior college and so I and he said no because I was working the warehouse at by the way. I had learned to type in the Army when I work for the chaplain and I typed on my own I turned it became a pretty good typist.

39:16 Warehouse, I typed out shipping orders and so he said you go up to this might junior college and you takes us some courses Justice courses will move you into the office. Well when I went to this my junior college, I took some business courses everything, you know, math and everything business and so the dean called me in one day and he said they need teachers and he said the teacher said that you would make a good teacher. So I said next year will sign you out for a psychology 101 English 101 and and social studies and someone will put you to take your English teacher in Jeju all the schooling on the GI Bill.

40:01 Well, okay. Yes the that time we had a chat be like that before we were married. I got $90 a month. And then when we got married while I was in school, I was 25 and then I got a hundred then we got our first child and 110. That's the maximum. So we're going 210 but I also work so I don't want to miss my Trinity College in the morning School start at like 7 in the morning until noon that went home in a little bit and went to work in the work in the warehouse or until 6 and also working Saturdays. So I did that until I got through your school. So I work 10:00. And then from there I went to a 4-year college and I also work then I work as a mechanic part-time and then went to school and I got my degree major than industrial Arts with a minor in Commerce and social studies. And then I also went and I got a teaching job and I started teaching then I started working on my Master's Degree and then

41:01 1966 because I went to school in the summer time and took courses by extension 1966. I got my master's degree in educational Administration will tell us briefly about your family kind of wrap up. Okay. Well, it's a good point. Okay. Well, we got married and then my wife and I we had the 8th children over time and we moved the first 14 years. We were married to move to buy 15 times two different houses and they're all rented houses and eventually while I was at became a principal and the superintendent and we had seven children and I was offered a job with the US Department of Agriculture evening that came to Brevard North Carolina and then we then I was transferred to Kentucky and we had another son. So we had eight children and then I came to Atlanta Georgia and ended up working for the US Department of Labor. How many grandchildren do you have? Well, we have I think we have 15 now.

42:00 And the how many great-grandchildren two great-grandchildren the last yesterday? We had one more we had one that's about a year old and that yesterday we had the great-grandson in do you say in touch with the guys you served with us guy from Connecticut this Sunday in Japan and he married a Japanese woman and I knew her and Japan also, my name is do you think those relationships of State stronger has it? Have they helped you?

42:37 Throughout your life those relationships with your former guy you served with yes, that's always good to get together and talk about old times and thinks we did and stuff. It's on soldiers when you get together.

42:53 Well, I guess wrapping up. Thank you for I guess we have a little bit more time.

43:03 As as you've as you said you had two sons that served in the military. Do you think they did it to follow in your footsteps or what? What do you think? Well years and is retired from the military. I don't know if they did it follow my footsteps, but they they wanted to serve Nae volunteer than the and served and of course they had a better education program to for them.

43:30 Well looks like we're just about it with time. I thank you for asking me to interview you it's always entertaining and educational like you pass on a great deal of History to to all of us. So so for me and all the other grandchildren and great-grandchildren, will you want to say thank you for passing on the history and Peachtree City, Georgia and my wife and I and

43:55 Okay.

43:57 All right, so we are now done.