and
Lori Jo Anderson. My mother is Cheryl and I am Michele. My Grandfather Arthur Bruce Anderson
You can see photos of Arthur Bruce Anderson here.
Bruce, as I've always called him, was born in Malta, Ohio on January 15th, 1925. When he was small he didn't really have any chores because he was the youngest one in the family. But his brothers told him to do stuff and he would run from them. Finally they would catch him and would be mad at him. They made him do their chores so they wouldn't have to do them.
His brothers and sisters were Emma Jean, Gordon Francis, John Oliver, and Sarah Lee.
Some of the things they did for fun were play games like Jack Jack Shine Your Light and Hide and Go Seek. They also knew how to make slingshots out of old tire tubes and really thick V-shaped branches.
When Bruce was in the 6th grade he got rapped on the knuckles with a ruler by his teacher because he should have been taking notes and didn't. The teacher was watching him the whole time but Bruce didn't know it. Then the teacher came over and asked him if he wrote them down and he said "Yes." So the teacher asked if he could see them and he said "I did not write them down" and the teacher rapped his knuckles for it.
The first job my grandfather ever had was picking strawberries for .02 cents a quart. He also sold candy in front of a store for awhile. Another job he had was shining shoes at the barber shop for 10 cents a pair. He also worked for a awhile for the county cutting weeds on the road with a scythe at 35 cents an hour.
He left for the World War II on March 17, 1943. He was only 18 years old. On April 24th, 1943 he was sent over seas. There were lots of different places he was stationed including Belgium, France, England, Germany, Luxembourg and Scotland. Different weapons he used during the war were M1 Rifle, Carbine, 81 mm Mortar, hand grenade, 30 Caliber Handgun and a 60 mm mortar. He came home from the war on December 17th, 1945.
My grandfather was awarded two Purple Hearts for his bravery in the war.
Arthur Bruce Anderson married Norma Jean McIntyre on August
10, 1946 at 6:00pm in Crooksville, Ohio. Norma was born March 15th, 1925. Norma
passed away on September 9th, 2001 just two days before the World Trader Center
and Pentagon Bombing, due a fatal automobile accident. They had two children, Cheryl Lynn Anderson-Robinson and
Lori Jo Anderson. My mother is Cheryl and I am Michele.
I think my grandfather is the greatest thing that ever was. I love him dearly.
Just this past summer (July 06) Bruce was inducted into the Purple Heart Hall Of Honor for this injuries during the war. You can check this out at: http://nysparks.state.ny.us/heritage/purple_hrt.asp