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| 1943 |
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| 1948 |
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| WWII |
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| 1942 |
Showing posts with label East Tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label East Tech. Show all posts
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Yearbook Fun!
I found some fun photos and information on my grandfather last night:
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Giraffe Lady
She was tall. Over 6ft. Size 11 shoes. She was Jessie of course, my great-aunt.
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| Jessie around 1912. |
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| East Tech HS. |
Aunt Jessie died about 6 months before I was born but it's possible for me to say that - I feel like I knew her. I've heard about her from everyone.
When I was younger I was given some of her jewelry and we even have her hope chest in our house.
Aunt Jessie never married and I do not believe she ever worked. My father once described her to me like this, " Jessie tried. She tried really hard and really wanted people to like her but she just had kind of a bad way about her. ". Later I asked my mom about the "bad way" comment and was told Aunt Jessie , could be, quite nasty at times.
My cousin Cher talks about Aunt Jessie's back pack. As she didn't work, my grandfather likely supplied all of her funds, and she ALWAYS had a backpack full of gifts.
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| L to R: (Back) Unknown Male, Dorothy Leisenheimer, Jessie Miles (Front) Estelle Holan, Sterlie Abraham Miles, Sterlie Arthur Miles |
Sunday, May 4, 2014
The Recruiter at East Tech
Yesterday I learned that Congress designed May as Military Appreciation Month in 1999. For that reason, I've decided that my entires for the month of May will focus on Veterans.
While researching some of the Veterans in my family it became clear that some had more "glamorous" service than others. Some sat on the sidelines, some never even left the city, some went across the globe to fight, some never came back, and some returned hoping to just forget the war.
My paternal Grandfather was, a US Navy Yeoman, Sterlie Miles of Cleveland, Ohio.
Circa 2004 I was taking PSYCH 101 at Mesa Community College. Coincidentally, the adjunct professor was a working Psychiatrist at the Phoenix VA Hospital. Even now, I can still recall the day she said something in lecture that clicked with me - it explained my grandfather's military service, more to the point, why. I had heard from my father why my grandfather never left the city during the war but I couldn't imagine it was systematic.
She started by saying the military previously used a policy of not sending educated individuals into combat. Off hand I want to say it was Alpha Something Policy but I'm grasping at straws with the name. Those individuals, that enlisted or were drafted - and had completed an education level higher than HS were kept out of combat as a matter of policy. There were instances where those with a higher education were sent into combat but it was very rare. Primarily, this occurred during WWII. A few years ago, I learned this same policy kept my grandmother's brother out of combat as well.
My Grandfather's mother Estelle was the daughter of Bohemian (Czech) immigrants. The family immigrated during a period of Czech discrimination. They undoubtedly faced slurs as "Dirty Bohunks". This, by all accounts, caused Estelle to stress the importance of education and propel my grandfather's education.
He was sent to East Technical HS in Cleveland, Ohio. The first trade school in the city. East Tech opened it's doors in 1908, the same year my grandfather was born, and counts many famous alumni such as Olympian Jesse Owens. For years, the school was an athletic powerhouse locally. In 1926 my Grandfather graduated and that same year became an employee of the Cleveland Board of Education.
After graduating from East Tech, his movements become a bit blurry. The below photo was taken circa 1927 at Patrick Henry Jr. High in Cleveland. My grandfather is the only adult in the photo. Of note, the student over his left shoulder is my grandmother's brother who would later become his brother-in-law.
Per the East Tech Scarab newspaper, my grandfather was teaching AV classes at Patrick Henry during this time. Perhaps he was trying to earn money for college tuition or was simply taking a gap year.
Circa 1928, he began his studies at Case (before it merged with Western Reserve to become Case Western Reserve) University. He earned a BS in political science and a MA in Science & Math before 1942. In 1935 he began teaching at Patrick Henry and was hired on at East Tech in 1939 to teach social studies.
On September 29, 1942 he enlisted in the US Navy as a recruiter. The Navy promptly moved him to another office in the school while he performed his recruiting duties. That's right, my grandfather never even left his physical workplace (from before the war) even though his employer changed.
Since he was a teacher he was " prized for his affinity to connect with the target group ". For the duration of WWII, my grandfather, worked as Navy Recruiter in the halls of East Tech HS.
During the war, he met and later married my grandmother Dorothy.
While researching some of the Veterans in my family it became clear that some had more "glamorous" service than others. Some sat on the sidelines, some never even left the city, some went across the globe to fight, some never came back, and some returned hoping to just forget the war.
My paternal Grandfather was, a US Navy Yeoman, Sterlie Miles of Cleveland, Ohio.
Circa 2004 I was taking PSYCH 101 at Mesa Community College. Coincidentally, the adjunct professor was a working Psychiatrist at the Phoenix VA Hospital. Even now, I can still recall the day she said something in lecture that clicked with me - it explained my grandfather's military service, more to the point, why. I had heard from my father why my grandfather never left the city during the war but I couldn't imagine it was systematic.
She started by saying the military previously used a policy of not sending educated individuals into combat. Off hand I want to say it was Alpha Something Policy but I'm grasping at straws with the name. Those individuals, that enlisted or were drafted - and had completed an education level higher than HS were kept out of combat as a matter of policy. There were instances where those with a higher education were sent into combat but it was very rare. Primarily, this occurred during WWII. A few years ago, I learned this same policy kept my grandmother's brother out of combat as well.
My Grandfather's mother Estelle was the daughter of Bohemian (Czech) immigrants. The family immigrated during a period of Czech discrimination. They undoubtedly faced slurs as "Dirty Bohunks". This, by all accounts, caused Estelle to stress the importance of education and propel my grandfather's education.
He was sent to East Technical HS in Cleveland, Ohio. The first trade school in the city. East Tech opened it's doors in 1908, the same year my grandfather was born, and counts many famous alumni such as Olympian Jesse Owens. For years, the school was an athletic powerhouse locally. In 1926 my Grandfather graduated and that same year became an employee of the Cleveland Board of Education.
After graduating from East Tech, his movements become a bit blurry. The below photo was taken circa 1927 at Patrick Henry Jr. High in Cleveland. My grandfather is the only adult in the photo. Of note, the student over his left shoulder is my grandmother's brother who would later become his brother-in-law.
Per the East Tech Scarab newspaper, my grandfather was teaching AV classes at Patrick Henry during this time. Perhaps he was trying to earn money for college tuition or was simply taking a gap year.
Circa 1928, he began his studies at Case (before it merged with Western Reserve to become Case Western Reserve) University. He earned a BS in political science and a MA in Science & Math before 1942. In 1935 he began teaching at Patrick Henry and was hired on at East Tech in 1939 to teach social studies.
On September 29, 1942 he enlisted in the US Navy as a recruiter. The Navy promptly moved him to another office in the school while he performed his recruiting duties. That's right, my grandfather never even left his physical workplace (from before the war) even though his employer changed.
Since he was a teacher he was " prized for his affinity to connect with the target group ". For the duration of WWII, my grandfather, worked as Navy Recruiter in the halls of East Tech HS.
During the war, he met and later married my grandmother Dorothy.
In March of 1946 he was discharged and resumed full time teaching duties. My grandparents went on to settle in Cleveland Heights, OH and raise 4 children. He was very involved in his Masonic Lodge. He was a 50 year Master Mason and served as a Grand Master of his lodge. Grandpa went on to retire from East Tech and died in 1988.
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