24 July 1943 was the date of the wedding of my parents, Dorothy Lorraine Allen and Theodore George Baughn. Dad was already in the Army; 11th Airborne, Paratroops. Mom kept this photo album all during those years and it's a history of our family during the time.
Mom and Dad during the war years. Dad was slightly wounded in the war and returned home, safe, to his family, unlike so many others. Korea reared its ugly head, next, but Dad was not called. I remember how happy we all were that we would be able to keep him home with us. Mom died in 2001 and Dad, in 1988.
This album still exists, in spite of the pulpy paper and the years. Here's a Valentine Dad gave to Mom; a snap of Dad (right) on the steps at Lewis and Clark High School (Spokane, WA); and another at Guard camp.
The next page in the album and details (below). Those were the days when the news included lovely things like descriptions of dresses and decorations.
Helen was the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Harry Baughn. Mae Rankin was the niece of Mrs. Baughn. All the guests were relatives, school chums and neighbors of the family.
Dad was to be stationed in the south for the first year of their marriage.
Westminster Congregational Church in Spokane, where they were married; snaps of Mom and Dad, engaged. Mom gave me that sweater, years later, when I was about 12. Dad's unit was transferred to the Phillipines and New Guinea, later in the war.
Leaving on their honeymoon. Mom said they had many flat tires between Washington and North Carolina. The house in the background belonged to Mom's folks, Mr. and Mrs. George Allen, on East 19th Street, in Spokane.
Mom's album page of the above news articles.
For a very short time, Dad (left) and his half-brother, Delmar Beamis, were stationed in the same camps.They had different surnames, so the army didn't know they were related. They quickly remedied the problem and moved Delmar out.
Mom's album page of snaps from Dad.
After North Carolina, Mom and Dad went to Louisiana for Dad's advanced training. Mom was pregnant with my brother, Russ. She was living above a restaurant in Shreveport during the early stages of her term and suffered the usual morning sickness. The heat and the wafting restaurant fragrance of Cajun and Creole cooking, were a lasting memory to her.
Mom's album page of the "Angels". Dad was not on that jump as he had been lightly wounded a few weeks before and was in hospital.
So many millions of prayers must have ascended during that hard time...... can you imagine what fears the following telegram would bring to your heart?
Naturally, those at home eagerly searched the news for information about the war where their loved ones were stationed.
Mom's album page and details, below......
Main events! First pictures of Russ, snaps from camp and a pinup of Mom for Dad to keep with him. My grandfather Allen, an itinerant shutterbug, posed Mom for this pic. I have another copy of it that Dad carried, always, in his wallet, through the war and all. I wasn't born until the following year, 1946. Below, Russ and I when we were 5 and 7 years old.
I think these might have been two of the men liberated by the "Angels" (11th Air Borne).
Another album page, and details, below.....
Getting ready for the invasion of Japan. Dad was still recovering and did not get to go. I think he was very disappointed.
Dad had two half-brothers in the war; Delmar and Glen Beamis, details below.....
The 11th Airborne insignia, below.
Another soldier, Dad's father, George Albert Haines, World War I.....
....and another, a sailor, Dad's uncle, Harry E. Baughn, US Navy, World War I....
And a very early soldier, Dad's grandfather, Thomas Heller, who came west with McClellan in the 1850's from Ottumwa, Iowa; married an Indian girl and settled a homestead south of Colville, Washington.
Thank you, all veterans and your families for keeping us free.
