Government Issue

What you wear, what you eat, what you shoot, what you sleep upon...etc...etc...are all government issue in this army of occupation 1946.   This theme became the word "G.I." which was applied to all those in this army.

Now who would have thought a few days off would also be G.I. issue.  The above is a copy of such a offer.   It was in a group of post cards that were collected during a visit to Switzerland.   Montreux was one option.   There were five tour options given by the tourist-office Montreux (in the center of the town).  You just had to ask at the hotel where you were staying.

The small pamphlet contained a page shown above. 

       "Does not the sweat smiles of these lovely girls tempt you to take the motor-boat to Montreux-Plague?"

Duh...what do you think...Mr. Tour Guide...

It must have worked for my Dad...here is a post card from the visit.  Montreux-Clarens #987 post card it is.  "Government Issue" it was.

Still on Earth

Snow had fallen when this picture was taken in 1946.

It was taken of my father and his friend standing in from of the building that was housing them as part of the Army of Occupation in Germany.  They are standing in front of a two story tall figure of a knight holding a shield.  This figure had been painted on the outside front of the building at some point in time as a symbol to those passing.

The central figure on the shield is the eagle.

In the book "A Guide to Heraldry" by Ottfried Neubecker, it states that the eagle and related species are the most widely used symbols for God and heaven. (p.110)  He states that the Hittites used the double eagle as a symbols of sovereignty.  He goes on to state that Emperor Charlemagne (800 AD) used an "imperial eagle" to symbolize his sovereignty, and it would seem that ever since this time it had become the emblem of Germany. 

Well on this snow covered day in 1946, I wonder how many folks were between "God and heaven".  At least these two fellas were still on earth.  

Angel of Peace

My Dad took this photo in 1946.  He was part of the Army of Occupation (Germany) which officially began May 5, 1945 and spent almost two years in southwest Germany.  On the back of the picture is written:
                                       "Angel of Peace - can't you see this in Germany."

 It must have been with some sense of irony to find anything still standing [see last post "No Pot to Pee In"] little lone a statue titled "Angle of Peace".  Dad states he does not remember exactly where this statue was located, but his hand written note still strikes a cord on the strings of history.  Does anyone know the location of this statue if it still exist?  There is a single individual sitting at the base...I wonder if he is thinking is peace really here.

"No Pot to Pee In"

It would have been Germany 1946.  My Dad took this picture and written on the back is:

                    " This bathroom is all left of a bombed building.  Look for yourself - "

For most of Germany, the War had left not much standing.  The Army of Occupation was arriving, and trying to make some order out of the chaos was the job.  "No pot to pee in..." as they would say in Kentucky.  It is had to imagine such a world with only a few walls standing.  Ironically it would have to be a bathroom...urinals still attached to the wall...but no pot to pee in!

An Appalachian Child

On this day, some 84 years ago, my Mom was born.  This was during that time in American history known as "The Great Depression", and even today she has a hard time throwing anything away.  A childhood picture is shown below:

This item was recently found among a box of family pictures which had been stored away.  Another one of those "thousand words" it is.  Those eyes tell much.  Is it hope?  Is it despair?  Is it a longing to see the future, or a resolve to accept the present?  Growing up in the hills of Eastern Kentucky could produce a lot of things. [Including Blue Racers.]

Mom does not remember having this picture taken.   It must have been during her years at Slade, KY.  She was the middle child of 12 young'uns, and only four remain alive at this birthday.  Out of the depression years, into the hills of Appalachia, and "click" a photo was taken.  What she must have faced growing up an Appalachian child.   Happy Birthday Mom...you have spoken those thousand words throughout your life.  I have learned from them along the way and hold your love in my heart.

Suspenders

Here my brother and I sit on the porch of our old Kentucky home.  It would have been around 1955 or so, give or take, and we show our smiles.  We are dressed in our jeans, shirts, shoes, socks, and...suspenders.  You know, those supporting bands worn across the shoulders to support trousers, shirt, or belt.  I guess our jeans were big enough to need such additional help since the cuffs were folded a number of times, especially around my ankles.  Much room to grow there was...a new home...a new neighborhood to explore...new friends to make...new trees to climb...and for me new jeans to grow into.  Let's get going we seem to be saying.  What will this new life offer?  Up, up, and away...our suspenders will certainly come in handy.

A New Blog on Networking Jones Genealogy

It seems that my mind will not quit working on new blogs...you know...the genealogy virus keeps on attacking.   Anyway...this new blog is an attempt to network on this thing called JONES GENEALOGY.  There must be other folks out there who would like to connect on things JONES.

The purpose of the blog is to provide a platform in which to share the same area of interest with others of the same mold.  The blog will cover multiple "themes" that might be of interest to a larger audience.   These themes included "geography", "chronology", "DNA", "key variables", "individual researchers", "resources", "coat of arms", and the like.  Each post will be coded so that the blog can be searched using the "search" mode in the upper right.  If you find a topic/subject/theme that you share an interest or experience, you can post a comment and share this information.  It will then allow others to "network" around this theme.  Any others thoughts or ideas are also welcome.  The world is full of those folks who carry the surname JONES...lets get networking around this thing called genealogy.

The new blog can be found at  http://tjgnjg.blogspot.com ...:-).