Pearl Harbor Story Found at Flea Market

C

CWOJackson

Charter Member
No one is sure just how Gene Kruck's mementos ended up at a flea market in San Bernardino, Calif., more than a decade after his death. But a history buff who collects military memorabilia saw a blue sleeve poking out of a plastic box and stopped for a closer look.


When Ron Hallock realized it was a genuine dark blue Navy jersey with boatswain's mate arm patch, he called the vendor over and asked his price. Hallock paid $50 for a couple of uniform shirts. As he walked away, the vendor told him a large box came with the uniforms.


Hallock didn't want the box but took it any way and stored it in his garage where it sat for a couple of weeks before he opened it. That's when he discovered Eugene James Kruck's life.
From birth information to his career in the military _ records, certificates, medals and battle ribbons, a family picture album, a photo Gene Kruck snapped of President Harry Truman. A life.


http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/12/07/pearl-harbor-story-found-at-flea-market.html
 
Wow, great story! A similar thing happened to a co-worker of mine several years ago. He came to possess a box of photos and letters from an estate sale. They showed a European theater P-51 pilot. My friend tracked down relatives, the first of which was not interested, if you can believe that! The second, a grandson, was, and couldn't believe when he saw the photos and letter, none of which he knew existed before that moment. I love stories like that!
 
I have not seen one single reference to Pearl Harbor Day during any of the many college football and basketball games I have seen today. I guess the passage of time has dimmed the recollections of too many Americans now. This is about always the case, but for me, it is still rather sad given what a momentous time in history this day was in 1941.

Ken
 
Skyhawk_310R said:
I have not seen one single reference to Pearl Harbor Day during any of the many college football and basketball games I have seen today. I guess the passage of time has dimmed the recollections of too many Americans now. This is about always the case, but for me, it is still rather sad given what a momentous time in history this day was in 1941.

Ken
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I have read about a few get-togethers for yesterday's Dec 7th. I guess it is just not a popular thing like football and basketball.
 
Always remembered here. My Dad's birthday is Dec 7th, and he spent 4 years in the US Navy during WWII. Enlisted shortly after Pearl Harbor.

At 94, he is one of not so many left.
 
First reference to the attack I heard on TV was this morning, the day after the anniversary of the attack, when Chris Berman mentioned it to lead off the weekly NFL pregame show that ESPN does.

Ken
 
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