Early pictures of my Dad.

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

Imagine being born in Central Appalachia in 1920. Supposedly the Roarin' 20's were under way. No one knew the Great Depression was just around the bend; only to be followed by World War II.

My Dad came from a family of schoolteachers. His father taught as did 3 of his 4 brothers. Here are a few photos from that era:

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0008_zpsc70af3d2.jpg

This is a photo of my Dad at approximately age 8 years in 1928.

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

My Dad( George) and his twin brother Roland.... circa Dec 1920 or early 1921.
http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0002_zps90df1279.jpg
My Dad is on the left.

xiggi · Jan 5, 2013

Very cool!

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

paullud · Jan 5, 2013

Very cool to have these, the first one definitely has him looking like a poor ol' country boy.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums mobile app

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

This is my Dad with several but not all of his siblings... approximately 3 years old.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0004_zpseeb4721b.jpg

My Dad is second from right.

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

Another one approximately 1923 with my Dad being held by his sister.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0007_zps9b0b2c7a.jpg

The other young boy was my Uncle Woodrow. He became a schoolteacher, then drafted into WW2 where he was captured by Nazi soldiers in Battle of Bulge. Woodrow survived POW camp but died a few years after the war ended.

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

This one appears to be taken in front of a barn? Wish I could make out what the advertising sign on the barn wall says.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0005_zps44fd443c.jpg

My Dad is twin on left, Roland is twin on right, Woodrow on extreme right.

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

Layoutshooter might like this one. Here's a teenage George, circa 1936, going hunting with his dog in Pike County, KY.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0033_zps54971b37.jpg

The Great Depression would have been in full swing at this time.

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

My Dad sitting on right surrounded by 4 of his brothers. He appears to be about 17 years old. You can see a wide age disparity between my Dad and 2 of his older brothers who were 20 years his senior.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0012_zps9d09a4e6.jpg

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

This photo is of the Feds Creek High School basketball team. My Dad is wearing uniform #8. That tall guy in the back row wearing a suit is his brother Clyde who was a teacher and coach at FCHS for 30 years. My Dad graduated valedictorian in 1939 from FCHS where I did as well 40 years later in 1979. Same building. We don't get new schools very often.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0022_zps874152be.jpg

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

My Dad as a student at Pikeville College... circa 1939-1941.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0042_zps1ab0e1b3.jpg

World War II hasn't reached the United States yet.

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

Pearl Harbor attack on Dec 7th, 1941. George drafted January 1942.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0018_zpsd078b53a.jpg

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

21 year-old George begins pilot training in 1942.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0046_zpsb99fd1a0.jpg

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

GWP puts in 4 years with US Army Air Corps.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0017_zps63c1037d.jpg

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

Dressed for cold weather flight.

http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o795/jmpky/Scan0057_zps986983de.jpg

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

paullud said:
Very cool to have these, the first one definitely has him looking like a poor ol' country boy.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums mobile app

Thanks, xiggi and Paullud. These photos from the 1920's and 30's predate the modern welfare state. As you can see, we didn't have an epidemic of obesity in those days. Diabetes would have been practically unheard of. There were little, if any, refined sugar products and slothfulness would have meant starvation.

My relatives first migrated to Pike County, Ky from North Carolina around 1790 as the progenitor of all my clan, Zachariah Phillips, was given a land grant from the US federal government as payment for service during the Revolutionary War. The government had no money to pay veterans and gave huge tracts of wilderness as payment. What is known as Kentucky was a part of Virginia in those days. Many generations of my family lived their lives right there where Old Zach settled. My children were born there as well and many relatives remain there today.

xiggi · Jan 5, 2013

Very neat stuff thanks for sharing!

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

aristotle · Jan 5, 2013

200 years of a family living on the same plot of ground instills a strong sense of place. My wife knows my final resting place is the family cemetery there. No exceptions.

layoutshooter · Jan 5, 2013

My Dad, he went in the coal mines after the 8th grade. Then to the Army Air Corps, to the CBI, then spent 35 years in a salt mine after the war. Here is a pic of my Dad at age 20 along with one of his son, the Layoutshooter, at the same age. Both of us were radio operators.