Tonawanda News

May 30, 2010

Memorable McKernans

By Bill Wolcott
The Tonawanda News

— — OLCOTT — Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military. The sons of Samuel and Mary McKernan of Olcott had lots to remember.

There were eight boys in the family. Two boys died as youngsters, five served in World War II and a sixth made a career in the Navy. The youngest sons, Joe and Bob, are still alive.

• Elbert was a gunner on a B-17 and was killed over Germany. He was buried with his crew at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.

• Jim flew with the Flying Tigers in a B-24 and was shot down over Burma. He spent 14 months in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. When he enlisted, Jim was 187 pounds. He came out weighing 61 pounds.

• Sam Jr., the oldest, served in the Air Force and became postmaster in Olcott. He died in 1997.

• Roy, who died in 2009, was a lawyer in California. He was in the Army and in charge of docks at a Belgium port.

• Joe, the seventh son, didn’t have to go in the service, but wasn’t told about that until he served on a destroyer for two years. Joe, 82, and Ann, who have been married 58 years, live in Olcott.

• Bob who lives in Florida, joined the Navy after the war, became a master chief and made the Navy a career. A good athlete at Barker High School, he was on the Nautilus when the world’s first nuclear submarine was christened in 1954.

Prisoner of War

Jim’s ordeal lasted, even after being rescued from the Rangoon Jail by the British. “He didn’t talk,” said his widow, Ruth, who lives on Godfrey Road in Newfane. “He was so emaciated.”

Jim was kept in solitary confinement and taken out each day to be interrogated and beaten. According to his wife, he had a tarantula for a pet and a hole in the floor for a toilet.

Jim was half-starved, shriveled and extremely nervous. He suffered from what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder from the physical and psychological trauma. His stomach shrunk and he could only eat very small portions of food when he got home. His teeth were missing, either from being knocked out by his captors or through malnutrition.

Bridge over River Kwai

Jim’s crew went down in a B-24 on a Fying Tigers Squadron mission to bomb the bridge over the River Kwai. “He said the plane hit into the trees in Burma and the next thing he knew, he was hanging from a parachute in a tree,” little brother Joe recalled.

“Only three got out of the plane,” Ruth said. “His parachute was caught in trees. The other two were captured but did not live through prison camp.”

After the war, Jim was unable work for a long time, then General Motors gave him a job in the engineering department in Lockport.

“They were very cooperative in every way,” Ruth said. “They were good at letting him get his strength back after the turmoil he’d been through.”

Jim and Ruth had six children, one of whom has died. The children are scattered from North Tonawanda to California. Jim died in November 2004.

‘Elbert went quick’

Joe learned of Elbert’s death and Jim’s imprisonment while he was aboard ship. “Elbert went quick, but they didn’t find the remains of the crash for months,” Joe said.

The “Paisano” was piloted by Lt. Robert L. Duncan. On March 3, 1945, the bomber was involved in a mid-air collision with “Lucky Lady” at Schonbeck, Germany. All nine Paisano crew members, 95th Bomb Group, 336th Squadron, were killed in action. Sgt. McKernan was the bombadier.

Joe didn’t have to go

Sam Sr. ran the roller skating rink and Carousel Park in Olcott, and Mary, who died at 103, was the postmistress. Joe was a good skater and met his bride-to-be at a North Tonawanda roller rink.

Joe was a Seaman First radio man and served on the Bristol 857 Destroyer in the South Pacific, including Pearl Harbor. “We were all over the place,” Joe said. “We were under fire two or three times — you just keep going. When you’re aboard ship, you don’t know what day it is sometimes, you cross the dateline so much.”

The Bristol received one battle star for her World War II service and two battle stars for her Korean service.

“When you’re out there, there ain’t nothing but water,” Joe said. “You are damned glad to see land and get home as fast as you can. They got me home quick. I found out I didn’t have to go because of the Sullivan Act.”

“They still drafted me. Nice guys!” Joe said. “The old man (captain) told me that aboard ship when we came up through the Suez Canal. Then he got me off the ship as fast as he could. He said, ‘Get going, there will be a plane here to pick you up.’ ”

Although proposed after the World War II battle deaths of the five Sullivan Brothers serving the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Juneau in 1942, no “Sullivan Act” was ever passed by Congress related to family members serving together. However, a 1942 article forbids commanding officers to forward requests from brothers to serve in same ship/station. The decommissioned USS The Sullivans (DD-537), named for the five brothers, is displayed at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.

Joe wouldn’t want to do it again. “We had duty all the time. They kept you busy. It was four hours on and four hours off while the war was on. ... If you had to be there, you had to be there. It was for your country,” the veteran said.

Joe worked at FMC in Middleport for 21 years and has been a member of the Olcott Fire Co. for 63 years. Joe and Ann have visited Elbert’s grave site at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

at 439-9222, ext. 6246.