Interesting Family History Stories

[Heiferman]

Many of us have some fun and interesting family stories.

If you guys ever saw the movie Monuments Men, my great uncle was cut out of the movie and they made him some weird Frenchman who got killed in the movie. Fairly disappointing to my mother (his niece) who helped consult on the film.
Well, here is an article about my great uncle Walter Huchthausen:
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/military-hi...ld-war-ii/

Anyone else have some cool family stories to share? I can dig up a few more like how.my uncle wrote "K-19, The Widowmaker" which was the book the movie with Harrison Ford was based on.
Post up!
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- 1973 Thing, 1970 Ghia, some LandCruisers and an old Ambulance

[obus]

David Chase of Sopranos fame is my late Grandfathers nephew. His Mom that he disowned was my Grandfathers Sister. He mentions an Uncle Ekele in an episode. That was my Grandfathers Brother. The character "Furio"? That was my Grandfathers 1st name. My dads middle name. My middle name(ah the abuse i took in grade/middle school for that!) And Bucco is my last name. Though it was anglicized early on so to sound less Italian because as most know we were considered pond scum when we came to the USA. So we still pronounce it Buck-o Not Boo-co
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July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
March 1956 Beetle convertible https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10419731&highlight=#10419731

[Jennepher]

My dad was at college (Cal State Long Beach) at the same time as Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, before they became the Righteous Brothers. He said they used to play on campus all the time and everyone thought they were really good.

My aunt was a personal chef for actor James Garner and his wife in their later years. She said they were super nice.

When the show "Emergency!" ended, the original squad 51 truck was donated to the LA County Fire Department as a reserve fire vehicle. At that time, in the late 70s, my uncle's first wife's father was a fire captain, and for a short time, he had squad 51 in his backyard. I was probably 9 or 10, and very excited to sit in the truck and explore all over it since I absolutely loved the show.
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[finster]

Heiferman, I see that your great uncle was injured by a V1 in london and it's strange to think that it could have been made at the wolfsburg factory...
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nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[Xevin]

[Glenn]

My uncle worked on the Atlas rocket team and was responsible for the Patriot missile system. He retired as chief engineer of Raytheon and was responsible for 800 engineers under him.
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Glenn
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[Xevin]

[NJ John]

In the Revolutionary War, General “Max Anthony” Wayne stayed at Springsteel Farm before the Battle of Stoney Point, NY. I’m a Springsteel. There’s a metal plaque at the location about it. In 1980 we all went up to rededicate the plaque. It was in the local paper.

Also, locally and not a blood relationship. My Father raced stock cars at Wall Stadium and we were very good friends with Ray Evernham before he became Jeff Gordon’s championship winning crew chief. I’m still in touch with him. He mentioned my Father in his newest book.

And I’m the Empanada King of Harford County, Maryland. But, that worldwide common knowledge. Lol
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[Heiferman]

[67rustavenger]

I am a distant cousin to Douglas MacArthur the 5 start general of WWII notoriety.
My last name is McArthur, my father dropped the lower case "a" from the last name to make it easier to find our families phone number in the white pages during the 1950's.

While Douglas did many good things for the American war effort in WWII.
There is one incident of note that I am not so proud of from his actions before the war.

In 1932 Herbert Hoover ordered the US Army to clear the Bonus Army campsite from any further occupation.
The Bonus Army was camped out in DC demanding Bonus pay promised from the Army after WWI.
This was during the Great Depression and work for just about anyone was scarce at the time. So the Bonus Army squatted in DC in protest.
Douglas MacArthur was ordered to clear the camp and used Infantry and 6 Tanks to clear the camp.
The Bonus Army was made up of WWI Veterans who proudly went to war.
This was to my knowledge, the first time in history that the US Army moved against US citizens at the direction of the US president.

If you feel the need to inject your current political beliefs regarding the above family history.
KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!
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[slayer61]

I have no proof, but Grandma always claimed that her uncle was the captain of the Titanic.... great, right?
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[liquidrush]

When I had my first communion it was from Father O'Neill. Some years later my dad told me he was with Patton in WW2. I didn't know any better back then or I would have asked him about it myself.

[Fish]

My father Charles, who passed away in January 2025 at 99, was the architect who while working for Stan Meston in 1954 met with Mac and Dick and drew the plans for thier new fast food restaurant, McDonald’s. Yes, he drew the plans for the iconic Golden Arches. Dad’s rendering is behind Mac McDonald in this FB post.

https://www.facebook.com/joesfriendlytavernempire/...199010526/

In the documentary “The Real Founder” 2018, Dad is mentioned by name as Dick McDonald is describing how the arches design came about.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14332022/

He has also been interviewed many times by different authors of books related to Mid-Century designs and 1950’s fast food industries. Like “Googie” by Alan Hess.

https://www.amazon.com/Googie-Fifties-Coffee-Shop-Architecture/dp/0877013349
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# 303 and #156

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[zerotofifty]

My granddad was born in 1901, Lived in San Fransisco area, his dad was a merchant mariner a sailor on a wood sailing ship, sailing across the Pacific to Asia and India for cargo, his dad would be gone sailing for many months per trip. His dad left on a trip the day before the Great 1906 San Francisco Quake and Fire. The night of the fire, while out at sea bound for Asia, the crew on his ship saw the red glow of the fire back in the distance.
They did not know what had happened, but all figured it was bad. He worried for his son and wife who were left there. He worried for months. His hair turned white from the worry, a fairly young man, his hair was white from then on.

Now my granddad grew up, and then WW1 started, he wanted to join the US Navy, but being young, The Navy required his parents permission, but his mom said no, so instead he joined the merchant marine, which did not have the same age restriction as the Navy did. He served on transports in the Atlantic, was injured in an UBoat attack.

After the war he did manufacturing, running a business, then WW2 came along, in his 40s, too old to join the Navy, he worked as a foreman in a shipyard building Liberty ships. He bought an old hearse, put seats in it and ran a carpool for the shipyard workers, for this he was given extra gasoline and tire ration coupons, as the hearse was used for war work.
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[zerotofifty]

[zerotofifty]

[zerotofifty]

[Jennepher]

Please continue posting interesting family history stories without additional political commentary. Thanks.
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[Fish]

[finster]