INTERVIEWER: What are some of the major changes that have taken place over the years? What you can think of?

ELMER: Well, there had been a lot of them as far as that goes. A tour of duty in the army. Went in in 41. There was a lot of fellows that got out after basic training. I was regretting it after they got out, the Pearl Harbor was bombed. Then I came back and never saw those boys again. But, of coarse, I took basic training in Cantles, Virginia, and advanced training in Hamster, Georgia. Then we started our trek over seas. Ft. Leonard, Massachusetts, and went back down into New York and over into Scotland. Then I went down into England where I spent 13 months for an invasion. I was overseas 27 months. I thought… I thought I was never going to get back home.

INTERVIEWER: I bet you were really glad when you did get back home.

ELMER: Oh, I don’t know, I guess it has been an exciting life in a way. I took a little vacation and went to work here and stranded the world for a year or so. Then I of coarse worked some in the coal mines. After that I took a job with Old New York Central Railroad, with the bridge departments. I later transferred over and I was a machinist the rest of the time until I retired in 1981. And well, here I am.

INTERVIEWER: What are some of the best memories from your childhood, or as you were growing up?

ELMER: Gee, I really don’t know. Of course I was born and raised in Jacksonville. Born February 19, 1919. Came into the world 11 ½ lbs. Then in about 36 months, I weighed 36 lbs. I was a monster until I was about 9 or 10 years old. I slimmed down and stayed slim all the rest of my life. But, oh, it’s been exciting. Of coarse her and I were married in 41. I remember having children, raising them up and all, but the sad thing is that we lost our oldest boy in 59 with Leukemia. We’ll never forget that. I have always enjoyed my work, of course, like I said I was a machinist for Old New York Central Railroad, then Penn Central, then Conrail finally at last which I did plumbing, heating and all the air-conditioning work for them. But then I was retired in 81; I was sort of glad to get away from it.

INTERVIEWER: I’ve heard that the time you were alive, the great depression was taking place. Did you live through that, and what was it like?

ELMER: Pretty rough! Well the first depression came in the early twenties. I was just a little fellow then, but there was no work whatsoever, you couldn’t get a job no way. Like I said we lived in Jacksonville, well we moved out to Little Greens Run when I was about, well, a little better than five years old. It was a little 35 acre farm. My dad thought what little work we could do, we could do farming. Then I went to grade school in Little Greens Run, then we moved back to Jacksonville in 1934. Of coarse we had quite a time. I almost lost my brother, he had Diphtheria in his croup. My sister and I both had a touch of it too. But it was just a miracle that my brother made it through. There was a little boy up the street at the same time, he died with it. Little Bycofski boy. Then I of coarse worked some in the coal min; Went to Columbus to work. I worked up there for a contractor/builder building houses for well up to 41 when I went to the service. That’s what I said, it almost took five years to get away from it. I wouldn’t take a million dollars for that knowledge that I gained in the service, but I wouldn’t do it again for several million. You know what I mean.

INTERVIEWER: Is there anything you would like to tell us about when you were in the army, or when you fought in WWII?

ELMER: Well, I could tell you a lot of things as far as that goes. No the sad thing was when we went over seas in June of 43, went over on the Queen Elizabeth, first it was a troop ship then. Zig-zagged all the way, you couldn’t even go to sleep, it would throw you out of bed when they’d go to turn. You’d hear of death charges all the time; it was quite a trip over there. But, anyway, we went to Greenup, Scotland. Landed there, got in a little train. I always have said they were like coaches, little stage coaches. They’re just small you know. Rode down into Central England, which we was there about six months. There it would rain 24 hours a day. We got down with arthritis, bursitis, or whatever you know, but we moved on down to Plymouth, England. That was the southern part. We had pretty nice weather down there, we had sunshine and all, but we got no rest there. We worked from daylight to dark. I was a motor inspector for the heavy automotive ordinance. We’d get in just in time to get a bite to eat, then the sirens would yell and we’d have to grab a blanket and sleep in a trench all night. We’d have to get up in the morning and go to work and they would tell us what time they’d be over to bomb us, and they’d always be right on time. They never did bomb the exact spot twice, I always wondered why. They always said coming in off the coast they couldn’t get their sites squared off enough. I guess that it could be true. But with them landing, they might get us on the way out. They never did. But Plymouth and Pympton and little towns around there, they were leveled, I’m telling you, there was nothing left of them. As soon as the area was bombed they was trying to burn it. Well we went to South Hampton and loaded on LST’s. Well I guess I was about the second bunch at that time that went in. But normally at that time the Sherber, St. Loe, St. Loe is the town where they had so much fighting. We’d drive them out, then they’d drive us out. Back and forth five or six times. Finally, we won the ordeal and we had smooth sailing all the rest of the way to Paris. Paris was the most dangerous I think I was because journalists stayed behind in civilian clothes. We couldn’t tell them from the French Men. Maybe you’d be walking down the street and a window would open up and a machine gun would jump out at you. You never knew what was coming next, you know. Of coarse we went on up through into Belgium. There was only 2 outfits like mine over there; Heavy Automotive Ordinance, we were in good shape at Spring Headquarters. And our captain, there was only supposed to be one outfit to go on. Our captains told us to call, to see which one it was, and he was elected to go on. But we stayed behind there and then of coarse, like I said we were just plain lucky, you never knew what was coming next. Our branch, you couldn’t trust them either; they’d shoot you for a pair of shoes, a pack of cigarettes, a bar of soap you know, but of coarse came the Battle of the Bulge you’ve probably all heard of. I thought that was going to be the end of it there, but we survived that. But they sent and outfit over for the United States. Here, the 66th infantry division, they all didn’t have a great amount of training. They said they lost 90% of that division in the Battle of the Bulge. Then after the war was over in Germany, we were ready to go to the Pacific when they dropped an "A" bomb there in Japan. Then that canceled everything out. Then of coarse I came home at about points end. When we were up at St. Loe, we had 2 battle stars, after we got in North of Paris, up in that area, a little quartermaster outfit came along following us. Behind you know. They took those 2 battle stars from us and gave it to them. A battle star was worth 5 points. There we lost 10 points. I was actually in the service for 4 years, 8 months, and 3 days. Then of coarse that was all it was. We followed a train all the way to Marci. We was there about 7 days preparing to come home. Loaded on the Victory ship; we was 12 and a half days on the water. Got back to New York. They played Sentimental Journey day and night coming home. The GI’s got so tired of hearing that, they threatened to climb up there and tear the speakers down. When we got back to New York all the bands were out and welcomed us home. They transferred us into the 66th division to build it up. So they could send it home as a division. Like I said, the parades were greeting the 66th back home. There were only a few fellows in the 66th, because they lost so many of it in the Battle of the Bulge. Oh. It wasn’t too long and we went to Shenzain, New York; there they had food for us. I’m telling you, they had everything there in the world to eat. We traveled on to Camp Atterbury, there in Indiana. That’s where I was discharged, there in Camp Atterbury, Indiana. I guess that’s about all of my army career.

INTERVIEWER: Can you show us your uniform and tell us about the stuff on it?

ELMER: Well, it’s got my… This here, I don’t know whether you can see it or not, see, that’s 2 connecting rods and a gear. I was with the Heavy Automotive Ordinance, that’s what they did, repair automobiles. And I thought there was about around 225 mechanics, which I was an inspector. I wrote down what work orders went through the shop. I’d check them to see if they was right. I put them on our lot to be reissued, that’s at the time when they was running a red-ban highway from the beach to the front. They was tearing up vehicles you wouldn’t imagine, but this is the infantry. This is what I came home with, the 66th Infantry Division. And this patch here stands for the Sheaf, that was the headquarters. Then that’s my rating, I was a technician, 3rd grade. That was my rifle expert. Then that’s all the good conducts and all there. I guess that’s about all.

INTERVIEWER: Is there anything you an tell us about what is on the table?

ELMER: This here is a German Flare Gun. Of coarse we captured a lot of stuff when we were going through there. They had these flares, they were like aluminum shell, they just fit in this barrel; in there. One kind you’d shoot them and the flare would just go down. They had another kind that had a little parachute, just about that big. That little parachute would let it come down slow, you know. One night we was shooting there in Northern France, one came down and burned a hole in the top of a 200 gallon gasoline tank with a hundred octane air plane fuel, laid there and burned and never a thing, never set it on fire, but we was holding our breath you know. All those things would kick like a mule you know, boy you know your arm would kick back when you shot it. I had several flares that I brought home with me you know. Oh, they were for different occasions like Fourth of July and all like that. Well I guess I traded it off to a guy down in Jacksonville for a double barrel shotgun. Also I brought home a 38 Mauzer, a 32 Mauzer, a pistol. My boy has it now. I guess that’s it.

INTERVIEWER: You told us about what you did when you were in the war and when you were older, but can you tell us about what you did for entertainment, and what kinds of things you loved to do?

ELMER: Well swimming. We loved to swim in Sunday Creek, but of coarse back then Sunday Creek was a lot cleaner and efficient and all. And in the winter time, we’d skate. Oh about every Saturday, all of us boys would skate from Jacksonville to Chauncey and back. Of coarse we’d all pick berries in the summer time. We’d go from Jacksonville clear on up to the other end of Hooper Ridge and pick berries and carry them back in. It would be noon and after when we’d get in. And of coarse our mothers would can then. Back then, you had to raise a garden, there were things that you had, I know. I often thought of about everyone in Jacksonville had a pig that they butchered, you know. Then sometimes I’d take a shortcut up the alley and go over town, maybe to the store or something. You’d go up the alley and hold your nose all the way. I can just imagine that happening today, the EPA the way it is and all. We’d have a lot of fun. Of coarse when I was out on Greens Run us boys, me and the Cartwright boys and several others, we’d work all week to try to get 10 or 15 cents to go to the movies; the movie was 15 cents. We’d walk from Greens Run to Krogers here, that was the old Opera House, to see a Hoot Gibson or Tom Mix movie and walk all the way back and that was 5 miles each way. I often thought would you see children doing that today, and we thought we were having a good time! Which I guess at that time we were, but we enjoyed stuff like that then. Now people enjoy what they have, not like people did then. I know hard times and people had to raise what food they could raise. There was people, they had what you called Soup Kitchens, several places around here. Oh it was the late 30’s they had ones here in Jacksonville. They had and ox roast just to give the people a little food to eat. They were on the verge of starvation. The coal mines would strike and the national guards were in here and all. I know I was only 14 or 15 years old. I’d go down to the picket camp, that’s where the miners had their camp where they’d try to stop the men from going in and working. I was in Chauncey Cemetery and the national Guard was in the tipple across from the way there, and they’d rake across the cemetery with machine guns and fire. There was a Freeman boy from Buchtel. His tombstone was beside of me, he just leaned out from behind the tombstone and snap, they got him. I went to his funeral over at Buchtel after that. Pretty exciting times I tell you. People didn’t have nothing, but they’d still be happy too. Today people just have too much I think.

INTERVIEWER: When you tried to earn money, to 10 or 15 cents to go to the movies, what kind of work did you have to do?

ELMER: Well, we’d pick berries and try to sell them. Or get little pieces of junk to try and sell it. Just anyway we could get a nickel, the movie was 15 cents, but we’d get 20 cents, that gave us a nickel of candy. I tell you we thought we was flying high. That’s no kidding. I’m not stretching it any. But when we’d walk all the way clear to Glouster.

INTERVIEWER: What are some of the stories you heard as a child? Like from your brothers or sisters.

ELMER: No, back then I was just a young person. The Titanic, it hadn’t been too long, there’s always a lot of conversation about that. I don’t know of anything really particular. I know I always enjoyed sitting around and listening to the old fellows talk. My Grandfather David, they lived in Athens at that time. They’d tell stories that always seemed pretty interesting to me. Especially, they’d tell about working in the mines, you know, different things, running leaders and that. I could set all evening and listen to them. Back in 34, Diphtheria, my brother, we just about lost him, Dad started to work back at the mine, and they brought him home with his leg broke in 6 places between his knee and his ankle. And they Quarantined you and you couldn’t go out. The only times we were allowed to go out off the property, I could run over town to the doctor. The Dr. VonShely. Of coarse they brought my dad home with his leg broke in 6 places, that was still when I was still going to JT, in my second year, and I left school and had to go to work. Of coarse during the war and even after, if I had a chance to educate myself, I was always interested in that. My wife always tried to talk me into furthering my education, but my age, why? I figure I’m smart enough to do me out.

INTERVIEWER: You worked in the mines, right, so what was it like working in the mines? There was disasters and all right?

ELMER: Like I said I liked to set around and listen to grandpa and dad and others talk of the coal mine, of coarse I wasn’t satisfied. I had to go to work. Or else, I was working in a mine. The first mine I worked in was Ohio Number 1; that’ outside of Jacksonville, where the sewer department is now. It was a big shaft mine. I got the biggest surprise of my life the first day that I went in the coal mine. It was hard work. The mines would work awhile. They’d fill their orders and go down. We just go from one mine to another. I was working at mine 28, you know where Monsrat is; you know where 13 tire is, well you turn way across the railroad. A little mine was up there. That mine shut down for awhile and my dad was a machine man. We went to get his tools off machines he was working on. And gas would come there from the other mine where they’d cut through; gas would cut through and it would burn clear to the roof and to the floor. We just barely got out with our lives. It blew trap doors out; that’s what they controlled the air with. Burnt the hair off our heads; it was just a miracle that we got out of there with our lives. My dad, I and my brother-in-law. Oh it was pretty exciting. I worked up at Moxahala for a mine up there for a few years. I also worked for Williamson Shaft Company. That’s where they put shaft’s straight down in the coal mine for air ways and all. I guess that’s about the extent of my mining. Until in 49 I was working for Crown Coal Company; the roof caved in. You can see my left arm. It was mashed. A cast was on it. It healed up there like that. I suffered with it for years. It would just swell up like a balloon. It finally got where it don’t bother me any more. Of coarse you can see it’s crooked. When I first started to eat after that, my arm would just fly up and hit me in the face; my hand would come up too quick. In 87 I had a ladder come back with me. I was up in a tree, threw me clear down over the hill. I only had five bones broken. Broke my pelvis in three places, my hip, tore it off and jammed my shoulder. I came through that real fine. I consider myself real lucky. I’ve had a lot of broken bones. I broke my nose overseas in Northern France, a piece of steal came flying through the air, it was a wonder I didn’t lose an eye, but I didn’t. It was just mashed. Back then they’d just throw some tape one it and you’re all right; go on!

INTERVIEWER: Did working in the mine pay a lot?

ELMER: Not then it didn’t. Working in the mine in 35, I was out at Jacksonville at the Ohio 1Mine. You’d work your bottom off for 2 weeks and you made 35 to 38 dollars. Of coarse you had to furnish your own tools and blasting powder and everything that went with it; a Squibb, that’s what you set dynamite with. Our wages was pretty low back then, of coarse it would buy a lot compared to today. You could go to the store and spend 5 dollars and hardly be able to carry your groceries home.

INTERVIEWER: What effects did the war have on this area?

ELMER: I don’t know. Old fellows like our selves, you might say it changed our lives quite a bit. Of coarse I tell you every war changes a country in some way or another. There were things overseas we’d never seen before. Filth and the people, the way they do and all. It eventually started to come to this country. I think whenever you win a war, you really don’t win anything at all. But I guess there will always be wars.

INTERVIEWER: Is there anything that we didn’t ask you today that you’d still like to tell us?

ELMER: I don’t know. I probably could think of it. I guess it’s been an exciting life. I’ve often wondered what would have changed my life the most if I hadn’t gone into the service. Of coarse that, we’ll never know. I was married May 25, 1941; we’ll be celebrating our 57th anniversary this year.

INTERVIEWER: What about the Silver Bridge?

ELMER: I was headquartered my job over in Charleston, about all of the 60’s. Back then it was a custom on a Friday, if you could, you’d come home early, or work on your way home. This Friday, of coarse a machinist for the Bridge and Building Department; a mechanic that worked for the track department. Of coarse we all had our shops and offices close together down there in Broad Street Charleston. For some reason, we were both held up that day. We had just crossed the bridge and I was coming up this way towards Kanawgee. If you know where that is. Of coarse I had my radio on a Galopolis station, and they told about the Silver Bridge falling in. I thought what’s the matter with those people, are they crazy? I kept the radio on and listened and realized how lucky I was. When I got back home here at Glouster, everybody was looking at me with their mouths open. Word had gotten out that I was on the bridge; I went down with it. I was on it one night about in 63, had a light rain, frozen ice. The bridge was solid with vehicles. Finally get a little traction and go a little bit. That bridge was shaking all the time. I was 2 or 3 o’clock getting in to Charleston that morning. All that load on that bridge, I wouldn’t have thought too much about it if it would have gone in. That was quite a disaster. I worked on our bridge, the railroad bridge, when I was with the bridge department back in the 50’s. I’d been clear on top of that bridge; steel work in the cold weather. Of coarse that’s when you get steelwork. About freeze to death. I consider, I’m just pretty lucky all the way through!