Honor Flight trip #10 Profiles

 

Peter has an interesting story, and he has written a book about his wartime experiences! Born in Cleveland Ohio, he received a coveted scholarship to the Cleveland’s School of Art, and later attended the famous Chicago Art Institute.

War clouds were forming, with the German’s and Italian’s marching into Europe and Africa since 1939, and the Japanese spreading their power throughout the Pacific, and especially China, where there were notorious atrocities committed  by Imperial Japan in that country. 

The U.S. had a draft lottery in 1941 in anticipation of war, and sure enough, Peter’s number was pulled, number 90 in the draft, and he was in the Army now! He was sent to Pine Camp New York for training, and eventually was sent overseas to Europe, arriving in Normandy 10 days after the invasion. An interesting aspect of Peter’s wartime career was that his brother also served in the 4^th Armored, of Patton’s famous 3^rd Army! Like Peter, his brother was a sergeant in an assault tank, which was basically a Sherman tank with a larger gun, with the top exposed to the brutal winter of 1944-45.

Peter kept a diary during his army career, and that with an excellent memory really brings to light the danger and excitement of Patton’s army pushing through France and Germany. Peter’s unit was involved in heavy fighting up to and including the Battle of the Bulge, then to the end of the war. Once, while he was on watch, and everyone else was asleep, he heard a dull thud nearby. He investigated the sound and found an artillery shell had landed in the midst of his unit. Not knowing if it was a dud, or time delay, he alerted his unit, including his brothers section, which was nearby, and evacuated the area. Later, the gunners fired several rounds at the partially buried shell, and it exploded!

Peter survived the war and earned 5 battle stars from his service in Europe. He immediately went back to the Art Institute of Chicago to continue his studies in the Fall of 1945. After graduation, he taught at a college level, but later had a career teaching art in the Chicago school system that lasted 25 years! He now lives in Saginaw Texas and continues to take classes in art from the local community college. He draws and paints every day, last year completing 200 works of art!

Peter says to visit the WWII Memorial will be a wonderful tribute to the people who served with him during the war.