Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, essentially bringing the United States into World War II. My grandfather, William Bellan, fought on the Pacific Front in the War. He is pictured here along with other Cleveland, Ohio infantrymen from the 37th Division. It was published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer on April 10, 1944, with the caption:
"Nineteen Clevelanders on Bougainville. Seasoned veterans of jungle fighting after nearly two years overseas, these 37th division infantrymen have fought for control of the Northern Solomons from New Georgia to Bougainville."
"Nineteen Clevelanders on Bougainville. Seasoned veterans of jungle fighting after nearly two years overseas, these 37th division infantrymen have fought for control of the Northern Solomons from New Georgia to Bougainville."
WWII 37th Division Infantrymen April 10, 1944 Cleveland Plain Dealer
I know that the Solomon Islands are somewhere in the vast Pacific, but I had to look up details about this military campaign because I don't remember learning about it. Bougainville Island is located in the South Pacific, not far from Papua New Guinea. Turns out that the Bougainville Campaign lasted almost two years, not ending until the Japanese surrendered in August 1945. The Japanese took it over in 1942, built several airfields and naval anchorages, and strategically it became very important in their quest to take the other Solomon Islands, as well as in disrupting crucial communication lines between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
For people of my generation, who are used to traveling pretty much anywhere we want with relative ease, it is difficult to imagine the thoughts of the servicemen and women who literally went halfway around the world to fight for our country. In a time before commercial air travel and interstate highways, average people of this generation rarely even traveled out of state, let alone to a different country or continent. The idea must have been, pardon the pun, foreign to them. But, they all had very specific jobs to accomplish, and I'm sure that the Armed Forces leadership didn't let them dwell too much on just how far away from home they really were.
And I wonder how my grandfather's parents, who were immigrants from Croatia, felt about the possibility of one of their children becoming seriously injured or dying in a part of the world they had never heard of and one that was completely inaccessible to them. Probably not what they had in mind when they decided to come to America to live and raise a family. (My grandfather's mom passed away in April 1946; I'm not exactly sure when my grandfather returned from his service, but I do hope it was in time to see his mom before she died.)
Today's lesson: You may find yourself WANTING to learn about moments in U.S. history if you know that one of your ancestors played an active part in shaping it.
©2012, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder
For people of my generation, who are used to traveling pretty much anywhere we want with relative ease, it is difficult to imagine the thoughts of the servicemen and women who literally went halfway around the world to fight for our country. In a time before commercial air travel and interstate highways, average people of this generation rarely even traveled out of state, let alone to a different country or continent. The idea must have been, pardon the pun, foreign to them. But, they all had very specific jobs to accomplish, and I'm sure that the Armed Forces leadership didn't let them dwell too much on just how far away from home they really were.
And I wonder how my grandfather's parents, who were immigrants from Croatia, felt about the possibility of one of their children becoming seriously injured or dying in a part of the world they had never heard of and one that was completely inaccessible to them. Probably not what they had in mind when they decided to come to America to live and raise a family. (My grandfather's mom passed away in April 1946; I'm not exactly sure when my grandfather returned from his service, but I do hope it was in time to see his mom before she died.)
Today's lesson: You may find yourself WANTING to learn about moments in U.S. history if you know that one of your ancestors played an active part in shaping it.
©2012, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder
