My Uncle Jim

[_AH_Olds]

As most of you know by now, I lost my uncle, Jim Cummings, this past week. He was 92, and a WWII Navy veteran, serving in the South Pacific. I'd like to tell you more about him.

Jim was born in 1925 to Jim and Elise Gremaud Cummings. He grew up on a farm, learning how to hunt and fish from an early age. The story goes that his dad, my Grandpa, would give him his pistol, with one cartridge, to go get supper. That would obviously teach you to be a good shot. Remember, this was during the Depression, so you didn't have a lot of money for ammo. Jim would either come back with his kill, or go catch a mess of fish. He not only became great at hunting, but was a great fisherman. I saw many times when he would come to our house with a bucket full of fish...nice bass and bluegill. Many times he would give us the fish for supper, and Dad would clean them. Great eating.

Jim graduated from Cortland High School, Cortland, Indiana, in 1943, and enlisted in the Navy. He was sent to Great Lakes Naval Base for training, and became a Naval Commando. I don't have a lot of details about all he did, but I do know that he helped secure islands before an invasion force would go in. On one such island, according to his wife, my Aunt Lois, him and his buddy were in a firefight with the enemy. A Jap shot at both of them. One bullet hit his buddy, one bullet missed Jim. He mounted both bullets on a plaque as a reminder of what happened. As many veterans do, the experiences came back to bother him later in life.

After the service, Jim went to Purdue and earned a degree in horticulture. He became a vocational ag teacher, a 4H leader, and was involved with FFA (Future Farmers of America), where he was also an advisor. He was an expert in crops, especially garden vegetables and could tell you just about everything about trees, shrubs and bushes. I would always ask him when I wanted to know something about our apple trees.

On the inside of the obituary at the funeral home, there was a poem written by a Cpl. Cecil, call Living. It was read on April 9th, 1944, for Easter services, and gave a location in the South Pacific, Advance Navy Base #156. I looked into this, and the closest thing I can find is that 156 was a code for Efate Island, which I believe was a supply and staging base. I believe I had heard that name mentioned before. Jim only talked briefly about all this, and only later in life. He did say he spent a lot of time riding around on boats and ships...which makes sense considering he would have been going from island to island.

I learned a bit more about what he did after the funeral. I was told that he was attached to an Aircraft Carrier Support group, and it was his job to go in and help secure the islands for troops and aircraft. My cousin Don, his son, was going through his papers, and found a personal letter from James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy. In it, he thanked Jim personally for his service in helping prepare islands for invasion.

Jim was an amazing man, but as nearly all veterans are, very unassuming, just wanting to get on with life. He had a great influence on me, and on everyone who knew hm. It is an awe inspiring feeling when you realize you are standing in the shadow of greatness. He will be sorely missed, but we will see him again. He would never say goodbye, just "We'll see ya."

I have a picture of him, his brother George who joined the Navy in 1944, and Marvin Boknecht, US Army, who served in the Aleutians Campaign, and then all over the Pacific. Jim is closest to the camera, George is in the middle, and Marvin is on the end. George is the only one left now, and he has had a lot of health problems. He is doing well, and I hope he is around for a long time to come.

Three Veterans

[Kopfdorfer]

Thanks Olds,

                  Sounds like a very interesting and rich life.
                  Check this link out - I am wondering whether he might have been associated with these guys - The Alamo Scouts.
                  Even if not , I think you would appreciate this book.

                  https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Jungle-Scouts-Behind-Japanese/dp/B002CMLQX4

                 Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

                 Kopfdorfer 

[_AH_fraggmann]

Thanks Olds
One of the many unsung Heros   S~ to them all

[_AH_Bear]

~S~ Olds...

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

I concur Kop, excellent book.

Olds, great story. Thank you for taking the time to tell it.

~S

[_AH_Olds]

Was happy to tell it. One thing I'll always remember was that as part of his teaching job, he would get to drive a new vehicle every 2 years or so. I remember him coming down here from where he lived in Whiteland, about 45 miles north of here, with a blue and white 77 Silverado with 2 tone blue stripes, and a 454! That was a cool truck (never got to drive it, though). I saw some pictures on the video screen at the funeral home of him standing in front of a 55 Chevy (car looked pretty new), and him standing in the driveway with his son, with the left corner of a blue 64 impala showing...looked like a 2 door, probably an SS...very nice. The last truck he had was a black Colorado, one of the new ones. He said it had more buttons and switches than he knew what to do with.

Thanks for reading.

Olds