The One Haitian

By Stan Hovey

This book is a fictional story about the life of one Haitian man. His life is woven within the past backdrop of Haitian history and his contemporary backdrop of time between the early 1900s and the early 2000s. He is conceived between a U. S. marine and a Haitian woman, lives a time as a slave and has many struggles until he is given an exceptional opportunity to rise above abject poverty. The One Haitian in this story has adventures, loves and many bittersweet moments throughout his years, as he develops a unique backdrop for the future to be considered by all of us today. He, like ourselves, was conditioned by various nurturing and natural experiences to shape his being.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664142626

Stan Hovey

Stan Hovey lived in Haiti as a boy in the early 1940s. He experienced a busy life in the Haitian mountains with his parents until they had to leave, due to a revolution. He is a graduate forester, who has returned to Haiti teaching reforestation to children. This book is a gift to the Haitian people to share a little-known segment of their country’s history. He also, offers one of the solutions to Haiti’s reforestation needs.

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Copyright © 2020 by Stan Hovey.

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without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

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Rev. date: 11/11/2020

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CONTENTS

Preface

Avanye’

Part I

Tough Times

Gen Yon Gwo Dyab Ki Rele Dekourajman. Nou Mande W’ Voye L’ Ale Paske L’ Ap Nwi Nou.

Lapli Ap Tonbe

Loral Pral Gwonde

Gen Moun Ki Blese!

Mennen M’ Kay Dokte’

Eske M’ Kapab Kite Yon Mesaj?

M’ Pa Konprann

Eske M’ Kappa Kanpe Nan La?

Kenbe M’

Part II.A

M’ Ap Retounen

Lapli Pral Tonbe?

Bon Vovayaj!

Eske Gen Danje Pou Rankon Tre Bet Savaj?

Konbyen Tan Vwayaj La?

Lage Men M’

M’ Vle Desann

Ki Pigwo Atraksyon Ki Genyen La?

Ale Toudwat

Kikote Li Fe Ou Mal?

Nou Te Kontan Sejou-A

Li Sanble Ke Yon Van Fret Angoude Nou. Vlope Nou Nan Lenn Pawol Ou E Chofe Nou.

Eske M’ Kapab Mache La?

M’ Pa Kapab Tann

Taupri Rete Tann La

Tampri, Desann Mwen Isit La

Li Fe Mal Be’ Isit

M’ Pa Renmen Li

Arivay

Malgre Nou Manke Yon Rad Pou Ale Legliz, Nou Manke Manje Lakay Nou, Gras Jesus Sifi.

Chanjman

Lesons

Istwa Dwol

Revanch

Opotinite

Ane Sa-A!

Pwogre’

Part III

Times Of Opportunity And Personal Struggles O Senye Fe Ou Ave M’ Tankou Kafeole. Le Nou Brase Nou Pa Ka Janm Separe.

Eske Pa Gen Danje Pou Fe’ Kanping Isit La?

Konplote

Pilwen

Checche

Priper

Tris

Mesi Deske Ou Ban Nou Kretyen Kounye A, Ban Nou Fos Pou I.

Travay

Efawouche

Part IV

Maturing And Bittersweet Si N’ Ap Viv Jodi A Malgre Sikion Grangou, Ak Malady Nou Dwe Di, Mesi Senye. Nou Genie La Pou Yon Bi.

Vwayaj

Dosye

Goumen

Fanm

Anko’

Jacmel Again

Atak

Konnalesans

Atire

Terib

Dezas

Ki Distans Pwochen Bouk La Ye?

Previzyon

PREFACE

This book is a work of fiction about one person whose life is woven within true historical facts and places. The historical information is largely focused upon Haiti, but does include many other parts of the world as the story’s timeline progresses from the mid-1915s to the early 2000s. One of the main points to be considered as one reads this person’s life story is how every human being is directly and/or indirectly affected by everyone else across the earth—all through the past and concurrently. No one is an entity in isolation or uniquely immune from other’s actions. This includes humanity’s good and the bad with some natural events thrown in for extra excitement and awe!

People are conditioned in large part by both nurture and nature. Some receive more or less of both than others. In this story, one Haitian man is typically impacted by nurturing from many, but also, in one exceptional way. The nature he experiences during his life in Haiti and beyond, greatly conditions not only what he does, but how he develops a deep sense of purpose for his life—and afterwards. His life, as is everyone’s, is shadowed by a backdrop from the past, a backdrop during the present as living goes on and a backdrop for the future for others; as various things from his life are left to be considered or discounted. These backdrops form a perspective from which to see The One Haitian in this book.

AVANYE’

(DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY)

Prologue

Haiti is an area of the world; which has almost always been a piece of terrain and civilization in dramatic transition—even more tragically than most. Not only has the land been thrashed by man and nature, but all of the peoples ever living there have been under one terrible condition after another. The beautiful sunrises and peaceful sunsets that happen day after day have, and continue to mask a great deal of devastation and human suffering. At the same time, well beyond reason and only due to God’s grace does the eternal Mother of Nature and mankind survive with an unseen handshake. Way back in time before any recorded history the entire island, including what is now called Haiti and the Dominican Republic was called Ayiti, (Land of Mountains) in the native language at the time. The terrain was covered with trees up and down the mountains, through the plains until reaching the seas all around. From fragmentary information it seems that the natives (erroneously called Indians by the Europeans) were a group called Arawaks who lived peaceably, except for periodic incursions from Caribs coming from other Caribbean islands. They likely had hurricanes each year and a few infrequent earthquakes, but due to the small population and primitive building structures little permanent damage was ever experienced. The people mostly lived on a plant life diet, had plenty of water and had few diseases to worry about. Life was not easy, but similar to all primitive societies where expectations were mostly driven by nature and the desire to survive in close concert with it.

Unfortunately for the natives, their lives started to change for the worse in 1492 when Christopher Columbus arrived. The parallel motivations of greed and Christian conversion of the barbarians gripped the motivations of the arriving white Europeans. These factors and diseases from Europe led to the natives’ eradication within a few years. This same pair of motivations and diseases had a similar affect throughout what is now Latin America, but they were particularly devastating to Ayiti! (Similarities can be drawn to what happened in North America, but greed alone was the main reason for how the Native Americans were treated while new diseases also, killed millions.) In Ayiti, a few dedicated and compassionate Catholic missionaries tried to convert the natives to Christianity and supposedly did some protesting of the hideous way the invading explorers were enslaving, torturing and killing the Arawaks. However, rampant greed overwhelmed all. Not only did the European men bring savagery towards the Arawak natives, but they brought diseases like smallpox and measles to these new lands where there was no immunity to them. Natural resources were being taken back to Spain and, of course, everything was directed to now being owned and ruled by the sovereign of Spain. The lower forested lands were rapidly cleared for sugar and coffee plantations by slave labor. The valuable tree lumber like Mahogany was shipped back to Europe. Evidence of that is seen today in the many Catholic cathedrals throughout France, Spain and Italy. It was not long before many Spaniards began moving to the island of Hispaniola as well as throughout what is now known as Central and South America. All during the 15th and 16th centuries Spain, England and France were at one another’s throats in Europe and all through the Atlantic Ocean areas. In the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates and buccaneers became active within the West Indies attacking sailing ships with goods and raiding coastal enclaves to satisfy the greed of these types of outlaws. At the end of one of the Spanish/French wars; the Ryswick Treaty was signed in September, 1697 between the countries with the Western side of Hispaniola given to France by Spain. Of course, it is amazing how these European counties discovered, owned and ruled these lands as has been characteristic of them all over the world as soon as they could find them!

Even though the 1500s and 1600s were humanly devastating on Hispaniola, it was nothing like the suffering to take place over the next 100+ years. It was during this latter time that the French imported over 30,000 African slaves per year and continued to produce sugar, coffee, cotton, indigo and cocoa for France and others in Europe. This period was when Saint-Dominque, as Haiti was called by the French, became the richest colony in the world. Unfortunately, it was also, the most brutal use of slave labor in recorded world history. Millions were worked to death and treated to horrendous daily existence—all in the name of wonderful economic opportunity for a few white people. Sugar cane, coffee and livestock, such as horses and pigs all came into the West Indies from Europe in what was part of the Columbian Exchange. Manufactured things transferred from the Old World to the New World, while natural resources and agricultural products were brought to the Old World from the western New World. In this period of early Saint-Dominque the triangle of trade from Europe to Africa to the West Indies and back to Europe was the biggest economic engine in the world. Manufactured goods would start in Europe, slaves would start in Africa and sugar, coffee, tobacco, lumber and other raw materials would start in the West Indies with the island of Hispaniola being the key point for the bulk of the natural resources. Interestingly, sugar, coffee, and tobacco are really luxury items for people, versus salt, for example; which is a necessity.

While the slaves were laboring and dying, they were grasping for what little solace they could find in the religious beliefs and rituals they brought with them from Africa. Over time these African beliefs became adjusted by parts of the Catholic religion by the process of syncretism where one belief system negotiates, adopts and merges with others. This led to the group of Creole religions throughout the West Indies. In Saint-Dominque, the Creole religion that gained the most popularity was Vodou. This Vodou (sometimes spelled Voodoo) religion was about the only release the slaves had at the end of a day or week of toil and provided what little hope they had that their lives might be better. In addition, the slave women were treated as sex-slaves by many, many white plantation masters and as a result a Mulatto population was created resulting in white, black and mixed-colored people. Many different prejudices developed because of this and it even exists today. (Some will say the creation of Mulattos is God’s way to even things out over time.)

While the Saint-Dominque white plantation owners were having a wonderful time making money off the backs of thousands of black slaves, France was going through a wrenching political/economic time; which resulted in the 1789 French revolution. Right after this revolution, France declared that any individual—whatever their pigmentation had the right to participate in all the Assemblies existing in the French dominions. This dramatic proclamation became known in Saint-Dominque and infuriated the white plantation owners and even more so, motivated the slaves to revolt. The white government’s Constitutional Assembly in Saint-Dominque voted for autonomy from France’s equal rights declaration and many subsequent racially-driven events started the Haitian Revolution in the 1790s. Toussaint Louverture guided the revolution with Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Cristophe as key leaders implementing much of the fighting. The plantations were burned and their owners indiscriminately massacred. It was an evil time in one sense of the word, but a time of unfettered release of human bondage unique in its time and place. Finally, in 1804 the blacks overcame their oppressors and declared Saint-Dominque to be Haiti. At that time it was the first independent Negro country in the world. The turmoil within Haiti was only the beginning of an entirely rearranged set of tragic circumstances. Louverture was tricked into going to France where he was put into prison and died. Dessalines was murdered by his own followers and Christophe became a de-facto Haitian dictator further enslaving thousands of those supposedly liberated. Because the United States was a country with a large slavery supported economy, the southern white rice, tobacco and cotton plantation slave owners feared a revolt if the Haitian situation escalated into a similar revolt in America. As a result of this fear, the United States would not recognize Haiti as a country and would not trade with them. The sugar cane plantation economy soon transferred to Cuba where slave labor continued until 1886. Of course the Haitian black rulers had no experience with government operations, running schools, conducting businesses and most could not read or write. This, along with no foreign country friends to help them, resulted in many years of internal power struggles among the Haitians themselves. Periodically, a foreign country would attempt to become engaged in Haitian affairs, but most often it was to further exploit Haiti’s natural resources and its people. The United States has been one of the most ruthless exploiters even though there has been some good intended actions at times.

In spite of the man-created troubles in Haiti and Mother Nature’s devastating hurricanes and earthquakes over the years, the Haitian people have always clung to a hope towards the future, have worked hard to survive and improve their quality of life and offered an example of how a people will never give up. This perspective is not easy to see in the day-to-day and year-to-year business of the Haitians, but over many decades and generations there has been an enormous progress by individual Haitians. This individual progress is not apparent unless one goes to Haiti and spends time building relationships with the Haitian people. Even so, the poor economy, fragile political situation and the natural environment in a state of continual exploitation causes most to say, Will this ever end. It’s likely not, any more than in any of our human societies. But there are many more places in this world that are as bad—if not worse. At the same time, Haiti will be better since it is a work in progress and as more become aware of how to improve living conditions. Also, the individual Haitians will continue striving, will find paths to sustainability and more daily happiness. And yes, they will have many disappointments, will experience hurtful events, will be sinners, and will keep on suffering from uncontrolled greed, power politics and sexual exploitation. Throughout all of this they will continue to wonder why—just as the man in this story.

PART I

Tough Times

GEN YON GWO DYAB KI RELE

DEKOURAJMAN. NOU MANDE W’

VOYE L’ ALE PASKE L’ AP NWI NOU.

(THERE IS A DEVIL CALLED DISCOURAGEMENT. WE ASK

YOU TO SEND HIM AWAY BECAUSE HE IS BOTHERING US.)

August 10, 1918, Very Early Evening—

In A Trench Near Verdun, France

1st Lt. John Jenson of the 15th Marine Engineers Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, attached to the American ¹st Army, was in a wet trench to the East of the Muese River, South of Verdun, France trying not be terrified. His company was about to jump into no man’s land, under the fire of a barrage of 1st Army artillery and cut holes in the German barbed wire. This was to allow hundreds of doughboys of General Pershing’s army to make a strong advance into the German-held territory bringing World War I closer to its end. Lt. Jenson was a good leader being more courageous than he gave himself credit for and kept his men’s welfare at the forefront of his worries. He had been in France for just over six months, had seen two previous pitched battles and anguished over 11 of his 1st Marine Platoon’s deaths. Looking to his right he said to Sgt. Tompkins, Are you ready to cover our crawling to the wire? Sgt. Bill Tompkins, a red headed, freckle faced lad from Nyack, New York nodded and thought to himself, I’m always ready! You do your job and I’ll do mine. He knew Lt. Jenson was a good leader, but sometimes he could be somewhat tentative and not quick to make decisions; which Tompkins thought could lead to failed opportunities. Jenson knew this and grinned at Tompkins as if to say, I’ll be quick enough, but I’m also, going to make sure what I’m doing—as if under these circumstances it really made much difference.

John Jenson was born on September 20, 1891 in Chittenden County, Vermont to a young hard working dairy farm couple. He was to be the only child to Ernest and Mable Jenson and he developed into a strapping, energetic young man living in the country, walking over two miles to a one-room school house for his first six years of education. He seemed to love nature and doing pencil drawings as a youngster. He worked on the farm every day in the early morning before school and each late afternoons helping with the milking chores. The 22 Holsteins had to be milked by hand, the chickens and pigs had to be fed and things seemed always in need of cleaning up—as typical of any well-kept farm. This farm was a relatively large dairy farm for the times and as usual in the northeastern dairy farm country; John’s father had good farm neighbors who chipped in to help during haying and corn threshing times. Ice chunks had to be cut from the nearby pond in the winter and stored in a small shed under sawdust to keep it all year to be used to cool the daily collected milk before it was transported to the nearby milk company in Essex Junction. John always liked the summer haying days when five or six nearby farmers worked to help his father. They would work at the Jenson farm for a week and then he and his dad would go to another two or three farms to help do their haying. These days always included large noontime dinners with meat, potatoes, vegetables and lots of pies. People worked hard and needed many calories each day to do the normal 15 hours of busy outdoors labor.

After John’s grade schooling he transferred to Essex Junction High School, where he had to stay with his Aunt Lucie from Sunday through Thursday nights. Each weekend he was usually at the farm except during the last two years of his high school when he played football and baseball in games held on Saturdays. Each summer he spent all of the three-plus months at the farm and during the various holidays he enjoyed the family gatherings at the Jenson farm. He had a number of uncles and aunts scattered around within a few miles, so they all tried to gather together for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. He and his cousins would have great times in the barn hay mow in the fall after Thanksgiving dinner and on the hills sledding after the Christmas dinner.

Johnny, as his father called him; was somewhat shy and a bit reserved in his interaction with fellow students and older adults. On the other hand, he could be very engaging and sincere when in conversations where he felt he had something to say. He was a good looking teenager with a full head of brown hair, two bright green eyes and a wide smile that seemed to light up his entire face. His nose had a slight bump due to it being broken once in football and he had a habit of cocking his head to the left when listening to someone. He was not hard of hearing, but seemed to take special interest in what someone else was saying; which made him a well-liked young man. His six-foot frame held a strong set of muscles developed from a life on the farm and his imagination was above average. He could think things through and then sit back and imagine options to problems or what could be done to overcome a challenge. He, like his folks was a Congregationalist church goer, but sort of kept his relationship with God a bit private via his interface to nature; which often came out in his pencil drawings.

At the age of 17, his father noticed that John had been good in school and was tending to read about military history and did not seem to be interested in taking over the dairy farm business. This might have disappointed other farmers with only one son, but Ernest was a very successful dairy farmer with a prime section of land in Chittenden County and knew he could sell his holdings for a very large sum when he decided to retire. Suburban housing and business developments were pushing out from Essex Junction, VT and the Jenson land was being looked at by many developers. Ernest planned to sell his now 48 head of cattle and most of his 325 acres in a few years. He had hired a full-time hired-hand to assist on the farm, so he felt he could continue farming for a few more years. He had no debts, Mabel was still healthy and life was good. He hoped to keep a small 20-25 acre section for his retirement years and live as a gentleman farmer. So, one evening Ernest and John had a heart-to-heart talk and John began as a freshman student at the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy (ALSMA) near Northfield, Vermont in the fall of 1909. (This later became Norwich University.)

Since Northfield was about 75 miles southeast from the Jenson farm in Chittenden County farm; John had to stay at the school. This school was founded in 1819 by a Captain Alden Partridge a promoter of military education. The school taught cavalry tactics after 1910, but would not have a Reserve Officers Training corps until 1916. Most graduates specializing in military science were welcome into the United States Army and Marine Corps. John adapted well to his military course work, played football and baseball on the school’s teams. Of course, during school breaks he was back at the farm helping his father and enjoying the hunting and skiing he could easily do in northern Vermont. He continued his pencil sketching of nature scenes and became known around Northfield and Essex Junction as a budding young artist. He never took himself too seriously as an artist, but enjoyed giving his drawings to people and offering them for sale at the Vermont Exposition; which was held in Essex Junction each summer. His mother saved the ones he did not give away or sell and by the time he graduated from college she had a collection of over 100 drawings from various years of his early life.

After graduating from AJSMA in June of 1913, John spent a month at the farm. While he was at college, he had met a dated a young girl named Cynthia Foster from Essex Center, Vermont. Cynthia was the daughter of a local banker and John’s mother thought it would be wonderful if her son and Cynthia could develop a serious relationship and marry. The affair was hot and heavy, but as it was to be, Cynthia found another while John was in his senior year, so that ended those possibilities. Not to be deterred by most life’s set-backs, John decided during the spring of his senior year to take his military degree; which included many civil engineering courses, to the United States Marine Corps. In July, he reported to Norfolk Training Center for two weeks where he soon learned what tough-love really was all about. He did overcome the initial shock of basic training and how to use use of the M 1903 Springfield rifle. He was offered Officer’s Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia where he sailed through with his 2nd Lt bars being pinned on in April, 1915. After a month of well-earned leave in Vermont (it would be his last month at the farm unbeknownst to him.) he was anticipating some type of duty with the 2nd US Marine Engineers Platoon, 15th Marine Engineers Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment of the 5th Marine Division to which he had been assigned. Since things were heating up in Europe with Germany out of control, he thought that in spite of President Wilson’s pontifications about not entering the war, he might be doing further training in preparation for an eventual change in the political double-talk. Then he received a telegram to report to Norfolk Naval Station to embark within two weeks for—of all places, Haiti! This assignment turned out to be as momentous for John as was his wartime in France.

Sgt. Tompkins was 20 years old and had been born on April 23rd, 1898 to a couple living in a home overlooking the lower Hudson River. His father was a successful grocery store owner, so the family enjoyed a good upper middle-class status. As a boy growing up in the northern suburbs of New York City, Bill was able to have a comfortable living environment with a good grade school and a large high school where he excelled in baseball as a pitcher. He also, was able to enjoy visits into New York City Being close to the Catskill Mountains; he enjoyed hunting and camping. He had a pretty, blonde girlfriend in high school, but they drifted apart as Bill decided to go away to college at the New York State Ranger School in Wanakena, New York. This school was an 11-month school operated as part of the NYS College of Forestry (NYSCF) near Syracuse University in Syracuse New York. Bill’s intention was to finish the course in practical forestry and then transfer to NYSCF at Syracuse to finish his BS degree in General Forestry. He did this, but as soon as he started at Syracuse, he became aware of what was going on in Europe with World War I (WWI). Many of his friends from Nyack had been joining the military in 1916 and 1917, so he decided to postpone his forestry education until after a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps. In the fall of 1917, he enlisted in the marines even though his father was adamant that he not do so. In spite of his mother’s pleading and his father’s haranguing Bill was off to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina for basic training. He did well in his first months in the marines and since the United States was ramping up to enter WWI, Bill was quickly sent to France after only six months from enlistment. Since he had a thorough year’s education in the ways and means of forest ranger work; which included road building, surveying, using explosives and other practical survival skills he was assigned to the 15th Marine Engineers Battalion, where he met and 1st LT John Jenson, Commander of the 2nd Marine Engineers Platoon. Fortunately, they hit it off and became an effective leadership team. Bill was promoted to Sargent soon after arriving in Jenson’s unit and even though he was always dependable to follow Jenson’s orders, he was usually involved in action planning and could offer his suggestions and sometimes opposing thoughts without fear of embarrassment from his platoon commander. On this day in August, 1918 he wondered what further suggestions he could offer to help his platoon members be successful—and better survive.

As he sat adjusting his hanging grenades along his chest he mused to himself about why he and others seem to jump to quickly enlist in the United States military (or any military for that matter) with a clear notion that combat fighting would soon be in the future? Yes, it did seem to affect the young and impulsive white men in America. It cut across all classes of men from any social, financial, educational or Christian religious backgrounds. There did not seem to be too many black, Hispanic or other ethnic groups now involved. Were there restrictions on these other groups? Were they cowards? Didn’t they know what was going on and how they could help? There must be a motivation to seek adventure and certainly somewhat of a devil-may-care attitude—at least that’s what Bill remembers feeling a couple of years ago. Sadly, that feeling had long been forgotten and the reality of a dirty existence, the horrible killing and an overall environment of organized chaos prevailed. He knew what he was to do, was pretty good at it, had a sense that what he was suffering for was justified in the overall scheme of the war he was in, but had no earthy idea why this war started. And what bothered him more, was what was to happen after the war as far as the world being at a real permanent peace. Being a lowly sergeant in a muddy trench waiting to go die did not seem to be where God was present. Why wouldn’t God be with each of the enemy guys as well? He knew the Germans across the barbwire were mostly Christians too, so who was God taking care of? This sort of led one to focus on one’s own devises and be led to believe most of the real power in life is within one’s self? Unfortunately, he knew he was only so good, that people had the free will and it was their doing and undoing that happened every day all over the world. God had already shown any who would listen how to accept the real world and work at getting along and we could have peace on earth as it is in heaven (imagined)! Anyway, his main focus and primary objective was to survive and help his immediate comrades. Little did Sgt. Thompkins know that these thoughts would come back to him many times over the coming years.

Glancing to his left, John J, as his fellow officers called him, studied Cpl. Lancaster. Will Lancaster was a good platoon leader and Jenson knew he would be one of the first to reach the barbed wire, just 150 yards ahead of them. Jenson also, knew that Lancaster had a wife and a small little daughter back in Kentucky. Cpl. Lancaster had often shared his home town and family information with Jenson and was one of the best harmonica players around. Over the last hour everyone in the trench assigned to Jenson’s company had been checked for equipment, mission understanding and any personal wishes if they didn’t make it through the day. Some of the wishes were already in letters, some in off the cuff comments and others in serious offers to individual buddies to give them various things. John Jenson thought about all of this before jumping off into Hell on Earth and hoped Will would live to go back to his wife and daughter.

William J. Lancaster was born October 26, 1900 in Nashville, Tennessee to George and Helen Lancaster. He was the 5th and youngest child in the family with four older sisters, so William became a cute doll for his older siblings to play with and take care of for the first three years of his life. The Lancaster family was always hard up for enough money to keep ahead of their meager living expenses. George Lancaster worked as a handy man for nearby farmers and had a small 22 acre piece of land just outside of Nashville; where he raised a few pigs, chickens and one or two cows each year. Helen Lancaster was always in poor health after the 4th child and within four years of having William, she passed away due to heart failure. William’s father kept doing his best to keep the family together and as often is the case he met and married a local woman—partly for love and partly for help with his family. This arrangement worked fairly well while William was growing up until reaching the age of 16, when the marriage began falling apart. As a result, there was a lot of tension in the Lancaster household during his latter teenage years.

Will, as most called him, was not an exceptional student, but a responsible and steady, average boy in grade and high school. He was a 5’-10 thin young man at 16 when he fell in love with Anne Jenkins, a classmate. Soon after their mid-senior year, Anne was pregnant with a child, so Will and Anne married as soon as high graduation was over. Anne’s parents were not too happy with the situation, but reality suggested that this might be the best opportunity for Anne to snag a husband and get out of the Jenkins house. The Jenkins’ were as poor as church mice, so it seemed like a good deal to Anne’s father! Not having a particular skill, William had a difficult time earning much money. He did odd jobs sort of like his father had done, but it was hand-to-mouth for Will and Anne right from the beginning. A beautiful daughter was born to them in the fall of 1917. After Elsie Lancaster was borne, both Will and Anne experienced the most joy of their whole lives and even though money was a problem, they were happy in love and being a family. Reality did set in soon after Elsie’s birth’ so William talked to Anne about him joining the military where he could earn a steady income and possibly learn a better paying trade after his service. But, what if something happened to you? Anne asked with fear for herself and Elsie, but also for Will. You can come with me and live nearby where I will be training and then we’ll arrange where you can stay if I have to ship out for a while, overseas Will offered. This seemed reasonable to Anne at the time, not knowing what all that entailed and currently facing very poor living conditions in Nashville. So Will enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in December, 1917 and he and Anne traveled to the coast of North Carolina by train, where they found a one bedroom apartment 15 miles from Camp Lejeune. Immediately after reporting for duty, Will was into basic training and could not see Anne and Elsie until after graduating from training in February, 1918. Anne was healthy, a hard worker and with a can-do" attitude took over day care work for many young children in her nearby community. In this way she was able to be with Elsie and earn money enough to survive and allow Will’s small Marine pay be saved. During the time Will was in training he made good friends with others in his platoon. One of his friends, James Twittle, was another boy from Nashville who had a family involved in the Grand Ole Opry country music business. His father managed the Grand Ole Opry activities as well as performed there. When James learned of the near future challenge that Will and Anne were facing upon his graduation from boot camp, he contacted his parents and asked that perhaps his mother could use a full-time live-in care giver and assistant with her duties as part-time business manager with her husband. James had met Anne and knew of her work ethic, her cheerful attitude and he knew that this is one way his folks could directly contribute to the war effort on his behalf—and help his good friend. Fortunately, this worked out with James, Will, Anne and six-month old Elsie going to Nashville when the end of training two-week leave was granted. Will insisted that his Marine pay would go to help the Twittle family take care of