Almost immediately after returning to the states, LT Mears was married to Ruth Riley, also of Bloomfield. They had planned to marry before the war, but decided against it due to the possibility that Woodie would not return. Ruth received word through the Red Cross when Woodie was interned, so she knew that he was alive. When the telegram came, she drank champagne with Woodie's father at his house in Bloomfield. Not much later, she had to send Woodie the unfortunate news of his own father's death. As there were no other surviving relatives, Ruth had to make arrangements for his burial with the help of the Red Cross. The following pictures are from their wedding.



The following photos were taken at Brant Beach in Long Beach Island, NJ. Most of these were taken in 1948. Standing next to my grandfather in one of the beach photos is Bob Carroll, the pilot who was shot down on the same day as my grandfather and was the best man at his wedding.

More family photos at the house at 34 Evergreen, Bloomfield, New Jersey. The boy in the pictures is my uncle Jim, who now lives in Washington, D.C.

My grandfather left the Air Corps sometime in 1945 after serving at MacDill Field, (near Tampa, Florida), most likely as an instructor pilot. He went on to have three sons, James (Jim), George Jr., and Richard. He opened a bowling alley called Belle Aire Lanes in West Caldwell, New Jersey, which he operated until his death in May of 1972, at the age of 53. In the years following, those who served with him in the war formed the 351st BG Association, and Swiss Internees Association. The following pictures are of the original American cemetery in Switzerland, a plaque placed there later by the Swiss Internees Association, the logo of the Swiss Internees Association, and my grandfather's obituary.

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