Obtains New Rating Now in Pacific
1945Dearest Reader,
Among the newspaper clippings saved by my parents is this small wartime article about Navy serviceman Donald R. Edmonds. I have not discovered a connection between the Edmonds and my own, yet for some reason, this clipping was preserved through the years.
The article, published during the final months of World War II, reports that Edmonds had earned a new rating as a Chief Motor Machinist’s Mate after serving eighteen months in the South Pacific. Following a brief leave at home, he returned to duty and was once again assigned to the Pacific theater.
The clipping offers a glimpse into a time when local newspapers reported on the lives of servicemen far from home. Communities followed promotions, transfers and homecomings with great interest and these small notices helped maintain a connection between those serving abroad and the people waiting for them at home.
Today, I share this clipping not because I know its exact connection to my family, but because someone in my family believed it was worth saving. History is often preserved in unexpected ways, and this small newspaper clipping can connect us to the sacrifices and experiences of a generation shaped by World War II.
Dr. Nancy Watson
Washington
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