An Ideal Memory...

[Jim Kremmel]

My dad passed on Oct. 5th at age 96, having lived a very blessed life. He never talked much about his service as a Marine in WW2, but would always say that everyday after he got home to Pittsburgh in 1945 was a gift from god. I was going through some pictures and found this one of him sporting an Ideal Grade LC Smith, along with a nice PA ringneck circa 1950. My Mom was out with him playing retriever that day, and took the picture. I took a long walk with my Parker PH one day last week on a sunny day, and smiled a lot thinking about him. Oh, he traded the LC due to a broken ejector, so his story went. A toast to you, Dad.

[Garry L Gordon]

And a hearty thanks from Elaine and me for your Dad's service. We thank our vets on this day, but we live the benefits of their service every single day.

I'm glad you have this photo.

[Bruce Hering]

Mine passed a number of years ago. Miss him daily even at 75. He taught me a great deal about bird dogs and hunting. He was a WWII Army vet. Dont really know what he did because he never talked about it with me. He would talk with the other guys at the Legion and they always were quiet bout what they said. Ran his bird dogs till the day he passed. He was happy. Enough said

[Daryl Corona]

My Dad, also an Army WWll vet, passed 4 years ago at 97. He was responsible for my passion for bird hunting, dogs and Parkers. He also talked very little about the war other than the fact that he watched the USS Indianapolis leave Tinian on it's fateful return trip. His Trojan 12 would sit in a rack in his bedroom and at the tender age of ten or twelve I would lust over it. I now have it. The most memorable birthday present he ever gave me was a day at the Baltimore Antique Arms show for my birthday. We'll never again see the likes of the Greatest Generation.

[charlie cleveland]

my dad also served in world war 2 he was in the merchant marines...never talked about the war..he brought home a jap rifle and a grass hoola skirt for my mom...charlie

[Marty Kohler]

My mom and Dad....
First Lieutenant...Pilot

33 Bombing missions over Germany in a B-24

Can you just imagine?

[Garry L Gordon]

My mom and Dad....
First Lieutenant...Pilot

33 Bombing missions over Germany in a B-24

Can you just imagine?

I can’t imagine…and I’m grateful to your father that I can’t.

[Jim Kremmel]

My mom and Dad....
First Lieutenant...Pilot

33 Bombing missions over Germany in a B-24

Can you just imagine?

Beautiful picture Marty!!

[Dave Tatman]

My mom and Dad....
First Lieutenant...Pilot

33 Bombing missions over Germany in a B-24

Can you just imagine?

i had the great privilege of running the GM transmission plant in Willow Run, MI, the original home of Henry Ford's B-24 bomber manufacturing facility. Ford built the plant in 1942 right on Willow Run Airport, and the plant produced 8628 B-24 Liberator bombers for use in WWII. GM purchased the facility in 1953 and began production of automatic transmissions there under the Hydra-Matic banner.

It was a special place, with a terrific sense of history everywhere you turned. It was my very first GM plant out of college, and it was so special when I was named Plant Manager sixteen years after I left the plant for other GM assignments.

One of the great heartbreaks of my GM career was in June of 2009 when I had to tell our 2600 employees that GM had decided that we needed to ramp down operations at Willow Run and close the plant by December of 2010. I was as crushed as our workforce, because that place had such a profound effect on my development from my first days out of college.

But we proudly ramped things down, and we were successful in ensuring that every one of those employees who wanted to remain in GM careers were able to do so.

Sorry for the ramble. I loved the place and the people.

Maybe someday I'll put that all into another book.....

Dave

[John Dallas]

My former next-door neighbor, whose career ended up as the Manufacturing manager at GM's Turnstead Division, was the change control officer at Willow run during the war. He told me "I don't think we ever built two alike"

[charlie cleveland]

what great stories....charlie

[Garry L Gordon]

What a wonderful thread. Thanks, Jim.