68 Years of Marriage. And Counting.

Today

March 13, 2011

Colonel is wearing his hat from WWII, good ole authentic USArmy Uniform from the 1940's. He did clarify, that this is not the EXACT hat, because better gear was worn while traveling the English Channel to protect "the head region". This hat was worn during training and when he was teaching back in the states post-WWII.

How They Met!

This is where they met, filming a commercial for a bed and breakfast. 

He was a Captain in the Army, she a southern belle.

Captain Busch and Sara Baldwin.

Postage Stamp!

"I never thought I'd see the day when my FACE was on a POSTAGE STAMP! Only royalty is on postage stamps!" 

- Mrs. Busch

VE Day in Europe

Colonel describes this day at two separate times, detailing different, unique information:

1

I was in Kemnitz, Germany. It was in an area where we were to turn the territory – we owned it – we were to turn the territory over to the Russians. We had gone too far. And we were to withdraw; only AFTER we had turned this territory over to the Russian’s. It was to be their territory to occupy.

I’m waiting for them to come in, the unit had gone back. I had a task force with me of men, hand-picked men, to hold that territory right there. We’re waiting for the Russians to come in; in the meantime the civilian population was fleeing ahead of the Russian’s. They didn’t want to be in Russian-occupied territory. And word spreads among civilians. So they knew that this was to be Russian territory. They didn’t want that. So they were fleeing in front of the Russians. The roads were blocked with people: little old ladies with four wheeled carts, all their belongings in the carts, maybe they’d have a dog; maybe they’d have a cow. The roads were loaded! Just loaded! You couldn’t move through all these people!

We, being the task force that I had, had taken over a house. A nice house. We weren’t going to live like a... you know... whatever. We were going to have the best! We did, and we took over this house. In the living room, there was a baby grand piano... a Lieutenant with me. When the day was going on, everybody wanted something. They all come to the door, they wanted something. They wanted a pass to go somewhere, they wanted medicine, and they wanted food. Michaels was with me. 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Michaels just shook his head. ‘We’ve had enough of this, let’s go’. We went out in the backyard and we laid down on the grass. Took a blanket, laid down on the grass. Somebody took our picture, LAYING there on the grass on VE DAY! We were sleeping! We didn’t see this picture until a long time thereafter. But we were both sleeping on a blanket on VE DAY on the grass in the back of this blush house. That is how we spent VE Day!

The day went by and the people continued to come. Michael’s left. And I was stuck with the job of staying there. But eventually, they had pretty much gone. Then came the day that the Russians came and we were ready to turn it over to the Russians. The trucks came, non-descript, you would scrap trucks of the type that they were driving! They pulled up. An Officer got off and with him, I suspected an enlisted man. He became the interpreter between myself and him. Eventually, I got to know this enlisted man well enough that I felt that I could ask him questions. I asked him, ‘Those 1^st three trucks that got off... the men on those trucks disappeared. Where’d they go? And then, the 2^nd three trucks... they got off, but they stayed there in the trucks. The next 3^rd three trucks... they are still sitting there! Tell me, what’s going on?’ And he knew me well enough to tell me, ‘The 1^st three trucks... the men got off and they were going off into the countryside to get food. That was their first priority – food. And they disappeared. The 2^nd three trucks... the men got off and they were going to get places to stay – billets. Places where they could stay. The 3^rd... they are going to take over the installations in which they will be the guards. They could care less.’

This was the Russian Army that I met. Non-descript trucks. They were after food.

And this was a Russian enlisted man that was talking to me. But he felt that he had my confidence that he could speak frankly. And he made fun of the Officer. The Officer didn’t know what he was saying – he couldn’t understand English. But this interpreter spoke good English. And when he would make fun of his Officer, the Officer would nod his head, ‘Mmmhmmm, Mmmhmmm.’

2

"Between us [The United States Army] there were all these displaced persons: Poles, Slovak’s, Chek’s, all of them, who had no home. And they were fleeing in front of the Russians; they wanted to get into the American territory. And so from daylight until dark we were overwhelmed with these refugees. Clogging the roads, everything. We had a house, which was our headquarters. And we posted guards around it and so on, but they all wanted to come into the house and get a pass to go to here or there, or get something. We were just overwhelmed. So Major Michaels and I were stuck with the job of preserving order there. By three o’clock in the afternoon, after having gone through this since daylight, he said to me, he said, “We’ve had enough of this. Let’s get out of here.” And so we went out in the backyard of this house, nice place, and he got a blanket somewhere and we laid down and fell asleep. And while we were asleep somebody took that picture. I did not know they took the picture until I received it in the mail when I returned to the states.

Now that was May the 7th, 1945. Now what is that? 63 years ago was that? 63 years ago. And I’ve had that photograph ever since.

Ah! That's history!"

Back of the photo:

Callaway Gardens, GA

This is where Sara taught swimming lessons for three summers. 

"Relaxing by one of the southern pools in the area" - Howard

It has since become a resort, click here to see!

Pictured: Howard Busch

A book from Callaway Gardens, including a handwritten note to Sara & Howard from the Virginia Callway.

College Course: Public Speaking

Michelle Hanrahan

COMMRC0520

10Mar2010

Ceremonial Speech

Colonel Howard W. Busch

United States Army, Retired

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Howard W. Busch is the only man I know that has been able to recite the entire Gettysburg address from age nine to present day at age ninety-three. In third grade at the Valley Forge one room schoolhouse, Howard stood before the class and visiting Army Officers to recite Lincoln’s address. For the remainder of that school year, he traveled the state of Pennsylvania with these Officers reciting the address at local schools and community functions. This was the first of many ways that Howard served his country. We are here today in celebration of Howards lengthy and inspirational life.

I could list off some of his qualities such as respectable, humble and accomplished, but none of those adjectives do justice to this man. I can only give you examples of how he lived his life and let you draw conclusions of your own.

Howard W. Busch is the most patriotic man I have ever known and a proud Penn State College Alumni. It was at Penn State that Howard and his roommate enlisted together in the Army ROTC in August of 1941. This was the beginning of his career in the United States Army, including five active years of duty. I cannot express how much I respect his service and the protection that he provided and continues to provide for our country.

Private Howard Busch become Lieutenant Busch of the U.S. Army. He was stationed at Fort Benning in Atlanta, Georgia for about four years. It was there that he met the beautiful and petite, Miss Sara. His determination to win the heart of southern belle Sara Baldwin proved to be relentless. They met at the photo shoot for a Bed & Breakfast newspaper advertisement and from then on, the rest is history. Their adoration for each other is still seen today after 66 years of marriage. It is only when you speak to his wife that you can fully comprehend what Colonel has accomplished. His humble character prolongs as Sara willingly gloats about his accomplishments.

Lieutenant Busch became Colonel Busch of the U.S. Army. He now is commonly referred to as simply “Colonel” by many. Colonel led over 200 men across the English Channel losing only 2 lives in his journey during WWII. To this day, he prays for those two men and their families every single morning. Colonel has accomplished tasks that most can only dream of. He freed a concentration camp in Germany and directed chaos during Victory in Europe Day, also known as V-E Day on May 8th, 1945. Just a few weeks ago, I inquired more about that particular day and watched as he put himself back into that moment. Colonel recalled,

“Between us [The United States Army] there were all these displaced persons: Poles, Slovak’s, Chek’s, all of them, who had no home. And they were fleeing in front of the Russians; they wanted to get into the American territory and get a pass to go here or there. And so from daylight until dark we were overwhelmed with these refugees.”

At ninety-three years old Colonel continues to serve in the United States Army even today. Every Thursday, Colonel drives two hours to the Willow Grove Naval Air Station. With a strong dependence on his cane, he walks to his platform where he spends the next six hours with other retired veterans simply standing guard and communicating technical militaristic terms.

 I have had the privilege of knowing Colonel Busch for over fifteen years and his vivid stories have continuously amazed me from day one. From his early memories of riding bareback horse through the fields of Downingtown to fetch the loaf of unsliced bread for five cents, to exactly which car dealership and salesman he bought his first Ford Model T pick-up truck from, to remembering where the exact location of each pill boxes on the shores of the English Channel in relation to his Infantry men. Colonel’s captive story telling and ability to recall the smallest of details is truly incredible. Rarely is there ever a story told that does not include the exact date, time of day, or who was sitting where within the room.

Although we are not related by blood, I feel truly privileged to call him my adopted grandfather. I have never admired anyone more then I do Colonel Busch. He has inspired me to live my life to its fullest.

Baldwin's

Pictured: Sara's parents and her son, Bill.

Uniform Army Troubles

Do you have a guess of how many different uniforms you had in the Army?

I don’t remember... there was summer and winter uniforms.  Then there was what you called the “Tigs”. These were work uniforms made of denim for field work. I had a whole bunch of them.We wore them for select occasions. For instance, we had a field jacket which was zippered across, ya know. That was NOT worn off the post. Not worn off the post!

Got a phone call from the MP’s – Military Police – that they had apprehended one of my officers. He was at the railroad station near Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in a field jacket! They were going to release him to me for appropriate, ya know.

The MP is pretty much like civilian police, but on military bases. They were very active overseas directing convoys. They had to know where the convoys were going, and ya know, that kind of a thing.

Did a lot of your men get in trouble?

No, no. The worst one was Roberts. I was at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin. About the second day, I was talking to the first sergeant and he was making up the orderly report. I looked at it. I said, ‘You reported Roberts AWOL – absent without leave’. He said, ‘Well he’s been gone for 3 months’ and they hadn’t been able to find him. The military police were looking for him. He said he’s been in trouble before. He’s out of Kentucky. He’s a gunner, and so on. He told me about him. Then we just waited. And ironically enough, in a week, the military police called and said that they had apprehended Roberts! I don’t remember where they got him. But they were bringing him back!

They walked him into the orderly room and turned him over to me. In talking to him, of course I had to put him in the Guard House, the jail, because of what he had done. I had to, I had no alternative. He went into the jail, but before he did... Sitting there in the orderly room. (An orderly room is an office. Two rooms – the first Sargent and mine, Captain at the time.) And this was my company of men. Roberts had a bad history. A bad history. And yet as he sat there looking at me, he almost burst out into tears. He said, ‘Captain, I am SO TIRED of training. I can’t stand it anymore!’ Now he had to go to jail. But the night before we left to go overseas, I took Roberts out of jail and took him with us. He turned out to be one of the most valuable men in the company. He got overseas and got his ability to FIGHT! Heh, Heh. He was in trouble all the time, he just didn’t want to train. He wanted to fight!

Stars

A letter from June 19, 2012

You asked me if I had seen any “stars” like Sinatra, Presley or Madonna. No, the nearest to those kinds of “stars” was Liberace – the skilled pianist. Saw him in Indianapolis. The other “stars” I saw were GEN Patton, GEN Westmoreland and President Coolidge and Rita Hayworth (who married a Lieutenant at Fort Benning”. 

Swimful Sara

Mrs. Busch swimming in a local pool, doing a backflip at age 16 or 18 to impress the onlooking military boys in town!

Longwood Gardens

Sara: "We used to bring guests when you didn't even have to pay to get in. It was free! And on Sunday's it was $1 to benefit the Children's Hospital".

Colonel yells: "Honey, are you back there?"

Emily and I took a detour, thought we lost them, 

and walked around the corner to find this. So precious!

Sara: "I just love the blue flowers! Blue is my favorite color, if you didn't notice. No wonder I picked the man with blue eyes!"

Sara: "Michelle, just skip in those gardens and read me the sign... Better yet, I will go all terrain in this thing."

June 2011

2/200

A letter from June 19, 2012

[ In the past, Colonel has spoken to me about the 2 (of 200) men that he lost in WWII. He feels responsible for their loss and the grief of the families and you can tell from the change in his facial expressions that it still hurts him. They were under his leadership and to this day, he prays for them and their families every single day. ]

Had a phone call last Friday from Dennis Cupp who said he was passing through the area on Saturday on way from his home in Bridgewater, VA to New York – would we be home – he would stop. I quickly agreed that we would be GLAD to see him and would take him to lunch at West Chester Golf and Country Club.

Dennis Cupp is the son of Orbille Cupp, a soldier in my Anti Tank Company, who lost his life in February when we were attacked through the Siegfried line and crossed the Sauer River into Germany – 1945. Orville left a wife Glenna and four children – Ivan, Wayne, Dennis and Regina. I have told you about them. We visited them frequently on our way to Florida. Glenna had passed away in 2009. We no longer drove to FL but we kept in touch and I was glad to see Dennis again. I knew Orville, knew hmi well, and was less than one hundred free from him when that German mortar shell came in over the trees and took his life. We [Dennis and I] went to lunch, talked at length about his Mother and Father, sort of a “reunion”.

Windsor Hotel: A History of

A Brief History

http://www.windsor-americus.com/history.htm

Welcome to the Windsor Hotel. Built in 1892, to attract winter visitors from the north, the Windsor was a 100-room, five story Victorian structure complete with towers, balconies, and a three story open atrium lobby. It occupies nearly an entire city block, and was the site of numerous balls and celebrations. As famous as the structure is, are the visitors who have graced its halls. The Windsor closed its doors in the early 1970s, but recently underwent a $5.8 million restoration which returned the historic structure to its original grandeur. Its grand opening celebration was attended by former President and First Lady Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter as well as many former guests who returned to the old hotel to relive its good old days. Visitors, now, can stay in any of 53 period style rooms with all-modern amenities. No rooms in the Windsor are exactly the same, so each room has its own warmth and style.

1888: The Beginning

On August 22, 1888, a reporter for the Americus Recorder found John Sheffield and Ross Harper measuring off the courthouse square, which was bounded by Lee, Lamar, Jackson, and Forsyth Streets. Upon inquiring as to their purpose, young Mr. Sheffield responded, "because Major Moses Speer and Papa told me to". In the following month, two Atlanta architects, W.H. Parkins and G.L. Norrman, submitted proposals. The selection committee of S.H. Hawkins, John Windsor, and C.M. Wheatley opted for Parkins’ design, on March 21^st. It consisted of a four-story, square, wooden building with 120 rooms.

The Grand Opening transpired on June 16, 1892. Thousands attended the opening and over 100 guests registered the first day. A Grand Ball lasted until well after midnight in the fifth-floor ballroom. The city’s electric railway on the hotel’s west side was revived for the summer (Americus Electric Car #2 is now on display at Lake Blackshear Regional Library on Lamar Street).

In September, 1910, the hotel was completely renovated with electric lights, new elevators, telephones, and steam heat, at a cost of $75,000. Numerous smaller scale renovations occurred over the following decades, but the Windsor never regained her full, Victorian-era glory. In the 1930's the property was again sold. This time to Mr. Howard Dayton, of Daytona Beach, Florida. Mr. Dayton owned a number of hotels in Florida and South Georgia and kept the Windsor in operation for another four decades. Finally, in August, 1974, having operated for some time as apartments, the hotel closed her doors after 82 years.

What’s in a name?

Originally, the founders had decided on "The Alhambra," as a name that would lend an international flavor to the resort. However, this struck a discordant note in the community. Consequently, the hotel was named for John Windsor. As one of the leading capitalists in Americus and one of the ten incorporates of the new resort hotel, it seemed fitting to use the Windsor name. The community agreed that "The Windsor" was more suggestive of those aristocratic qualities to which Americus aspired.

John T. Windsor, 1847-1930

John T. Windsor was born April 24, 1847, on a farm in Webster county, one of 13 children to Alexander and Harriet Terry Windsor. He later attributed growing up in such an environment to developing the habits of industry and economy that made him a successful capitalist.

The road from farm boy to financier was a fairly smooth one. As a 17-year-old Webster Countian, John Windsor joined the Confederate army as a private in Company F, Third Georgia Reserves, was quickly promoted to commisionary sergeant and served in that capacity until the end of the war.

In the summer of 1866 he moved to Americus and joined the Bethel Baptist Church (now First Baptist Church) on August 31st of that year. He would remain a valued member of that congregation for more than four decades.

John T. Windsor’s business career began as a clerk in the dry goods store of Jowers and Usry. Then, in the late 1860s, he and Robert T. Byrd, under the firm name Byrd and Windsor, briefly ran a dry goods emporium in the building constructed by the former partner in 1867 and still standing at the northwest corner of Jackson and

On April 24, 1870, John Windsor married Emily Amelia Lester, daughter of Alfred J. and Amelia Barlow Lester. The entire family resided on a farm located on the southeast corner of Rees Park. The home became the younger couple’s inheritance upon the death of A.J. Lester in 1874 and survives to this day as Aldridge Funeral Services.

Within three years he acquired control of Dr. William W. Barlow’s considerable estate, as the nephew by marriage. In 1880, John Windsor was elected cashier of the Bank of Americus and held that position for six years, steadily building his reputation for financial acumen. He then parlayed that reputation into the presidency of the new Peoples National Bank midway between Jackson and Forrest Streets. After a year, he resigned to accept the position of cashier, so as to be in more active control of its business. Under his leadership it was regarded as one of the soundest financial institutions in Georgia. It was remarked that at no time in his life had he owed an amount he could not cash.

Whatever happened to John T. Windsor? During the first decade of the twentieth century, the Windsors left Americus to move to Havana, Cuba. Eventually they settled in Winter Haven, Florida, where John Windsor died and was buried on April 20, 1930, several months after his beloved Amelia had passed away.

1986: A New Beginning

As mentioned earlier the Windsor Development Corporation was formed in 1986 by present day local visionaries and nearly $6 million dollars was spent to restore the original Victorian features of the hotel and add all the modern conveniences. The process of major restoration began in October of 1990 and the hotel reopened on September 20, 1991.

All the wood in the lobby is golden oak which had darkened considerably over a 99-year period. To restore the original color, the wood was cleaned with acetone and rubbed with tung oil. The two chandeliers are not original but are circa 1890. The rug was handmade in Thailand. The design of the rug was computer-generated and inspired by an original 1890s ceiling paper. The mirror on the back wall of the lobby dates back to before the Civil War, and was donated by Harriet Rylander Ansley. The marble on the lobby floor is the original and was removed during restoration, cleaned, and then replaced piece by piece. During restoration the ceiling medallion, located in the lobby, crashed into the basement and a new one was constructed from fiberglass. The framed photo of John and Amelia Windsor just outside the front desk was a gift from Bob Windsor, a descendent of the hotel’s namesake. The mahogany phone booth, original to the Windsor, was donated by Mrs. Bessie Mae Carter in memory of her husband.

Side View

Windsor Hotel

Sara's mother's uncle was one of three men that built the Windsor Hotel in Georgia. They decided to use the name Windsor because it was the better name of the three builders. The hotel was built in 1893 and did not include bathrooms. They were later added on during renovations. Located at 125 West Lamar St, Americus, GA, 31709. See the other page for more on the Windsor Hotel.

A photo that Sara took of the Windsor Hotel:

Captain Howard W. Busch

Blacktop

A letter from June 8, 2005

Today I will tell you of an experience I had back during “Ancient History”. Ancient History to me is anything that happened back when I was six years old!! Yes, there is such a thing as Ancient History but in school I never liked it very much. I don’t remember much about it except that it was DULL.

But here is my incident from my “Ancient History”. It happened in 1922 when I was six years old. The road in front of our house in Valley Forge was called “blacktop” or “macadam”. It was made of stones and tar. Apparently it had gotten smooth or worn and the decision was made to resurface it. This is the way it was done in those days.

Work is done on one lane at a time. A tank truck full of hot, gooey, sticky, slurpy, smelly tar moves slowly forward. As it does so there are nozzles on the back of the truck which spray this tar onto the road. Yes, it is a mess. A short distance in the back of this tank truck is another truck full of small stones (about as big as the end of my finger). This truck is following the tank truck but moving BACKWARDS. As it does so there is a release mechanism in the back end of the truck which discharges these small stones down into the fresh tar. These stones then become the new surface for the road. Down the road they go – one going forward, the other backward.

This is a new surface – it is no longer smooth and slippery. Automobile tires can grip this surface better. It was a good idea in its day but there are other parts of this story. It took a while for that tar (with small stones in it) to harden so far the next couple of weeks when you drove over it there would be a clatter of tar and small stones being thrown up against the underside of your fenders. And of course some of that tar got onto the tires!

But that is the way it was in 1922! Not all roads were “blacktop”. Some were pretty well packed down gravel. When Gifford Pinchot was reelected Governor of Pennsylvania he had a campaign slogan which went something like this “HE TOOK US OUT OF THE MUD”. Which meant that during his first term of office he pioneered the construction of “Blacktop” roads to replace the dirt roads so common in those days. Yes, he won reelection. 

Sara's Painting

Christmas Morning

Pictured left to right:

Bill, Barbara & Sara Busch 

(Note that she is all dolled up and wearing heels! Such a southern belle!)

Dating Competition

Michelle (to Colonel): What was your favorite date with Sara?

Colonel: You did the best you could, nobody had cars. And if they had cars, there wasn’t much gasoline. So you rode buses or walked or whatever. It was wartime. And you just made up.

Michelle: What did you usually do when you went on dates?

Sara: You might go to a movie. Or sit in the living room. Or get with another couple and maybe do something, I don’t know, an outdoor movie. Not much to do there. And they had, what they called “fish camps”. We’d go to the fish camp and have dinner and they had a floor and you could afterwards.

Michelle: What type of dancing?

Colonel: Jukebox.

Sara: Jukebox.

Colonel: Jukebox dances.

Michelle: But, what type of dances?

Sara: Ballroom dancing.

Colonel: Ballroom, round dancing.

Michelle: Were you good dancers?

Colonel shakes his head “no”

Sara: I loved to dance and my brother was excellent. He and I loved dancing together because we did well together. Howard wasn’t the best dancer.

Colonel: NO! (Laughs) and not today!

Sara: His music timing would be (claps off rhythm) off. And I’d say, ‘Hmm, hmm’.

Michelle (to Colonel): She keeps you in line!

Sara: He really didn’t dance well. I hate to say that about him, but he didn’t. (Colonel laughs) I guess I didn’t marry him for his dancing!

Michelle: He has other fine qualities.

Sara: Yeah, oh boy. I dated, I knew two ladies who were in charge of the USO. One was one USO and the other, the other USO. Consequently, when someone came in that was really nice, they’d call me. If they didn’t like him, I didn’t get called.

So I had a good choice, but I didn’t meet him that way. But I met this tall, good looking man who was in the navy, he was from Canada. Oooo! He was so good looking that everyone turned around and looked at him! And he was neat, he was a great guy and just the sweetest he could be. And my mother corresponded with his mother. And he said, ‘I’ll be back if I have to crawl’! But I’m afraid I didn’t encourage him.

Colonel: It’s even colder in Canada then it is here!

Sara: I wouldn’t have liked it a bit!
(All laugh)
Sara: But he sure was good lookin, it was hard to refuse a good lookin guy.

Michelle: You’ve got another good lookin man other there (referring to Colonel).

Sara: Yeah, I know. He had other qualifications.

(Colonel laughs)

Sara: And then I had a local one that was his biggest competition.

Michelle: Who was that?

(Sara pauses)

Colonel (forcefully): Dana Jones.

Sara: Dana. He was going into service. So he quit his job and was going into service. So he said, ‘now please, when I come back lets take up when we ended, now’. So when he came back, I had a date with Howard. And one of my first dates, or second dates with him. So I didn’t know Dana was coming back. So I said, ‘Dana I’ll get you a date’. And I got him a date with a good lookin’ girl next door. And I thought, ‘I’m going to loose him cause she’s so pretty’. I probably did loose him because he couldn’t stand the sight of seeing me with Howard. He went onto go into the service and he became a… a…

Colonel (interrupts): He became a pilot for Delta airlines.

Sara: He became a pilot in the service. He made it home, which was wonderful. I knew his mother well. And when he got back, he applied and became a pilot. Since he was a pilot, he flew for, um for… what airlines?

Colonel: Delta.

Sara: Yeah, Delta, Delta. Until he retired.

(Colonel puts his head down and shakes it)

Michelle: Look at you (Colonel) shaking your head over there!

Colonel: Interesting history!

Sara: Well, he was good lookin’! He was Howard’s stiffest competition! Yep, I really liked Dana. Well my brother met him first and then I got to know his mother. 

Forestry Fraternity

Alpha Gamma Rho

(The Forestry Fraternity... NOT a "Frat")

This jacket now hangs in Penn State's history hallway at the main campus.

This is Colonel's Senior Year canvas Jacket of which was exclusively bought at the PSC bookstore and entirely hand-drawn as well as worn all year.

Eugene Forquer & Neal Witmer - Roommates, also enlisted in the ROTC with Colonel.

Baldwin Generations

Sitting: Sara Busch and a neighbor's son

Standing: Sara's parents

Sara's mother: Harriet Baldwin (Maiden Name: Windsor)
Sara's grandmother (not pictured) was Martha Peel Windsor

Sara’s Father: Wiley Baldwin. He attended the Philadelphia Textile Institute and took over his father's textile company. He also worked in architecture, even though their hometown was only 3,000 people!

Wiley's brother studied Pharmacy in Philadelphia and later became a pharmacist.

PSC Forestry Alum

Howard Busch listed in PSC's (Penn State College, before it was Penn State University) Forestry Alum book!

Children's Names

A letter from May 21, 2012

About the children’s names. Bill is named after me – H. William Busch, Jr. I was overseas at the time but we had earlier agreed on the name. My jeep was named Diana-Bill – in case our first child was a girl. Heh, heh.

We had a LENGTHY discussion on Barbara’s name. Just couldn’t seem to settle on one that we both found exciting. Of the two of us I guess I was the stronger for Barbara. No one in the family has that name.

In Uniform!

Howard enlisted in the ROTC while at Penn State College (PSC) - before it was Penn State University (PSU) - with his roommate in 1941.

Gas Prices

A letter from June 14, 2005

Yes, gas prices have come down as quickly as they went up, but gas, even at $1.59 per gallon is cheap when you consider:

Diet Snapple – 16oz for $1.29 = $10.32/gallon

Vick’s Nyquil – 6oz for $8.35 = $178.13/gallon

Brake Fluid – 12oz for $3.15 = $33.60/gallon

Scope – 1.5oz for $.99 = $84.48/gallon

And get this...

Evian Water – 9oz for $1.49 = $21.19/gallon.

Be glad your car does not run on Nyquil, Scope or WATER!!

MOWW Patrick Henry Bronze Medallion

Newspaper clipping:

Root Beer!

A letter from July 18, 2005

Another “History” lesson comes to my mind.

A big event in the Summer for my Sister and me was when our Mother said she would make us some “Root Beer”. Soft drinks, as we know them today, were not widely available and money for luxuries like that was not there.

She had earlier gotten out twenty glass jars – each one holding a quart. A screw-on lid was with each jar.From the grocery store my Mother purchased a small bottle (3” high and an inch square) of Root Beer Extract. Then she got out the “boiler” – a huge metal vessel that was used for cooking, canning, etc. It held something like 20 quarts. Into this boiler went two buckets (twenty quarts) of water and this bottle of Root Beer Extract. Next came sugar – I don’t recall how much. To this was added a cake (one inch square and a ¼ inch thick and wrapped in foil) of Fleischman’s Yeast – crumbled up. This mixture was stirred and stirred and stirred.

Now – each jar was filled with “root beer” and the lid was firmly secured. Next – the filled jars were taken out to the back of our house where they could sit in the hot sun. All this was done about ten in the morning. The jars stayed in the hot sun until late afternoon (5:00PM). Next the jars were brought into the house and taken to the basement where it was naturally cool.

They stayed untouched in the basement for two days. Now they are ready to drink! So, one by one, we would bring up a jar and put it in the refrigerator to cool. DELICIOUS!!

I don’t know whether or not there was Coca Cola in those days. I just don’t recall every drinking it. I do remember my Grandfather taking me to a County Store in Howellville and buying me a chilled bottle of Sarsparilla. As I recall it was sort of like root beer. EXCITING!!

A letter from June 19, 2012
[ Father's Day ]

After we ate Beth Ann asked me if there was anything else that she would get for me. "Yes," I said, "I would like it if you would make me a root beer float". She did and it was delicious. Later, before they left for the day she again asked if there was anything more they could do for me. And yes, I asked for another root beer float. And yes, it too was delicious. Monday at noon B.A. [Beth Ann] came by to take her grandmother shopping and yes, before she left, I asked her to make me another root beet float. Heh, heh.

Mortar Instruction

Pictured: Captain Busch as a Mortar Instructor while overseas

Relatives in the War

A letter from June 19, 2012

No, I did not have any relatives in the Armed Forces in WWII. When I went in (in 1941) I was the second youngster from Valley Forge to go in anticipation of WWII. My name is on a bronze plaque mounted on a large stone placed in front of the Baptist Church. My sister’s husband was in the Navy – served in Panama.

Sara's Brother James

Sara's Siblings: Oldest to Youngest

            Wiley Baldwin

            Windsor Baldwin

            Andrew Baldwin

            James Baldwin

            Sara Baldwin, now Busch

Sara's older brother: James Robert Baldwin

3 Years older than Sara

Excellent Dancer

Brown Eyes, Blonde hair with a reddish tint

Passed away during WWII, U.S. Air Force

Sara called him Jim, Bob or James

Sketching WWII

This was made by an artist in Germany. 

Only 5 sketches were made of U.S. Army Officials - Captain Busch being one of them!

Popeye!

A letter from July 10, 2005

"Sunday Nite"

Today I will set forth another lesson in history.

Back when I was younger than you now are there was a comic strip names “Popeye”. It was about a sailor and his friends. Popeye wore a sailor suit and was very strong. He ate a lot of spinach. His forearms were huge. His biceps were skinny like a broomstick. He was very popular. There was even a song –

            I am Popeye the sailor man

I am what I am

And that’s all I am

I am Popeye the sailor man

Heh, Heh.

In the comic strip was a rotund man with a derby and droopy pants. His name was wimpy and he loved hamburgers. Most of the comic in which he appeared was built around his love for hamburgers. He had a pet – an animal – about as big as a cat but heavier. Four feet. No tail. He named it “JEEP”. Everyone who read the comics knew “JEEP”. He seemed to be always underfoot.

And then in the late 1940 and early 1941 it was apparent that there was a war coming on and the U.S. Government started letting out contracts for the construction of tanks, guns and automotive vehicles. One such contract was for a four wheeled, open, rugged four wheel drive, multi-purpose vehicle. The contract called for a GENERAL PURPOSE VEHICLE #12345. As time went on the words GENERAL PURPOSE was abbreviated to GP. Now – take those two letters and say them quickly. Yes, GP sounds like JEEP. Now you know how the name JEEP was applied to the wartime vehicle. It was manufactured by Ford and Willys-Overland. Today the civilian version is manufactured by Chrysler. But the name “JEEP” lives on.

There endeth your History lesson for today. Heh, heh.

MOWW Book

I found these interesting finds on Google when I was looking for some other history. I was not about to purchase the book, but there are some screenshots of what was online!

Wedding Day!

Wedding Anniversary: February 27th, 1944

Maid of Honor: Carolyn Stevens

Sara was 5'2" and 100lbs on her wedding day

Singer at the wedding: Kenny Gardner, Part of Guy Lombardo's Band. He served in the Army with Howard at Fort Benning, GA.

The signet ring that Howard is wearing was a Christmas gift from his parents. It is black onyx and has the initials "HB" engraved and then filled with gold.

Were there any glitches at the wedding? Anything memorable that happened?

Not particularly. It was a small Army ceremony. My groomsmen were a few men from my troop. The reception was small and held at Sara’s parents’ home. But when we were leaving the reception, we got to the car and we were getting in when I realized I did not have my hat. My Army hat – in which inside was our marriage certificate! I had left it back in the house! Fortunately, I remembered it at that point in time.

Sara's Father

Sara's father (pictured) came from a family of 5 boys and 2 girls

Sara's mother came from a family of 5 girls and 2 boys: One of those boys was "Uncle Alec". He had graduated 1st in his class from Georgia Tech. Uncle Alec then had a son who graduated 1st in his class, also from Georgia Tech.

Hoxie Harrison Smith Foundation

One of the many organizations that Colonel was a part of was the Hoxie Harrison Smith Foundation. He served on the Board of Directors for years and pictured below presenting an award on their behalf to the Camp Hill School.

Zoomed in...

Unsliced Bread

A letter from July 2006

Mrs. Busch was born and raised in Dawson, GA. This is in the Southwestern part of the state. When I met her she was living in Columbus, GA which is in the West Central part of the state.

Michelle – for your age you have traveled a lot! When I was your age the furthest I had gone was 200 miles to Warrenton, VA where I had an Aunt and Uncle living on Airlie Farm. In those days people did not travel as much as they do today. As a youngster I lived with my family in Valley Forge (population 500 people) and a BIG EVENT was to go to Phoenixville, 3½ miles away, with my Mother and Father and do grocery shopping. In those days bread cost 5¢ a loaf!!! Heh, heh. No, it was not sliced!

Stocks

Colonel's introduction to the Macbook: 2008

On a side note...

Colonel told me a story from "way back in the day" (1950's). A man who served with him in the Army highly recommended that Colonel invest his money in a certain stock. Colonel trusted the man enough, and bought the stock. He claims, "it's grown quite a bit over time now, I pretty much have lost track of it". 

So I ask him, "what was the name of the stock?" 

He responds by saying, "It's a company called Apple..."

Sara Baldwin

April 16th, 1940

Philadelphia

A letter from May 21, 2012

I chuckled again at your question about going to Philadelphia. Once a year my Mother would take my sister and me to Philadelphia! Before Christmas my Mother would take us to the Reading Railroad station in Valley Forge and away we would go. She took us to the “Department Stores” – Gimbels, Snellenbergs, Lits, etc. We would look at all the decorations, visit with Santa Claus, etc. When she had the opportunity she would quietly order (and pay for) toys to be sent to our home in VF. It was and EXCITING trip!