World War II is an event that impacted several aspects of my family tree, with both my maternal and paternal sides of the family involved in the conflict. Two of my great-grandfathers fought in World War II–Ray La Van Cummins and Bert Joseph Galloway. Even my relatives who had not yet immigrated to the United States were impacted and displaced by the conflict in their home country of Greece. From the years of 1941 to 1945, my relatives endured life-changing experiences that impacted the generations to come. 

My great-grandfather Ray Cummins enlisted in the Navy at 17 years old and had been in seven battles by the age of 23. According to a newspaper article published by The Daily Oklahoman on March 4, 1943, Ray received a special star for his bravery in the Battle of Midway. Cummins is quoted in the article, titled “Seven Battles Seen by Sailor”,  discussing Midway in a cautious, succinct manner. He is quoted stating, “We sank a lot of enemy ships that time” (“Seven Battles”). His known involvements are vague, with a lot of ambiguity and secrecy still surrounding the specifics of his participation. The article claims that locations and objectives could not be disclosed, a sentiment still true to this day, as it is difficult to find information on his specific involvement. It is known that his post was as a machine gunner on patrol planes, taking part in what his commander declared was “the longest bombing flight in history” (“Seven Battles”). At the time of his discharge, Ray was a Commanding Officer of an Anti-Submarine Helicopter Squadron, which is reflected in his activity duty release papers, which are in my mother’s possession. 

  My grandmother’s father and uncle both fought in War World II as well. Her father, Bert Joseph Galloway, was a Sergeant in 1st Battalion 126 32nd Division The Red Arrow (“Sgt Bert Joseph”). He was stationed in the Philippines and several Pacific Islands as a scout and tracker, tracking Japanese troops. The 32nd Infantry Division, or “The Red Arrow” consisted of Michigan and Wisconsin National Guard Units and on November 16, 1942, the division entered combat in New Guinea (“Red Arrow at War”) The division was the first to defeat Japanese troops when Buna fell in 1942, but many soldiers of The Red Arrow died in the process (“Red Arrow at War”). After this victory, the division went on to fight in the Philippines. According to my grandmother, Bert faced racial prejudice due to his American Indian heritage. His fellow soldiers initially doubted his tracking skills but were quickly proved wrong after Bert was able to locate Japanese troops without any casualties, whereas other attempts had cost his unit many men. She tells a story that Bert used to tell, in which his fellow soldier led them into a trap and they lost 22 men that morning, whereas he was able to track without casualties. 

Bert’s brother-in-law, Antonio (Frank) Ruiz, was also in the army during the war. Frank was originally located in Wisconsin but was later stationed in Europe. I do not know the specifics of Frank’s participation in war efforts, but it is known that he was killed in battle in France just before the war had ended. My grandmother recalls the joy over the end of the war, but the sorrow her mother felt knowing it was too late for her brother. 

While my maternal and paternal great-grandfathers were deployed in battle, in Greece my paternal grandfather’s family was being displaced from their home due to German occupation. My paternal grandfather is from the Greek island of Lefkada, located in the Ionian Sea.  From 1941 to 1943, the Ionian Islands faced Italian occupation, until 1944 when the Germans invaded the islands after the Italians surrendered to Allied Forces (Schmitz). The invasion led to a massacre of Italian troops, in which Greek and Italians were forced to unite in a fight for survival against Nazi troops. The story in my father’s family is told as such: with the invasion of the Germans, my great-grandmother and great-grandfather were forced to flee from their home on the island of Lefkada. My great-grandmother was heavily pregnant at the time and was forced to give birth to my great-uncle in February 1944 while hiding in the mountains. To this day, my great-uncle tells how he was born in a cave due to the Nazi occupation. It was not until October 14, 1944, that the British liberated the islands (“Ionian Islands”). The family house still stands in the village of Nidri, but had to be repaired due to the destruction of the invasion.

The conflict of World War II impacted the lives of all my relatives, despite their origin or age. It is an event that my family still talks about today–the dedication of my great-grandfathers in their service, and the sacrifice my great-uncle gave to the war is still appreciated.