Carl Thomas Moser was born on December 20, 1918, which usually meant his birthday was subrogated to Christmas. “You will get an extra special Christmas present, Carl, to make up for ignoring your birthday this year.” We never said it exactly that way, but by the time I was born, Dad was over any disappointment about birthdays. He was one of five sons born to Harry Thomas and Hertha Hulda Steinke, who resided in Snohomish, WA. Grandma Moser was of German heritage, and it was my understanding that some German was spoken at home, and Dad picked up enough to become useful, as explained below. Dad was second in the birth order. After graduating from Snohomish High School, he served a term in the Army National Guard. Following his discharge, he worked as a carpenter in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on a Navy project. Things did not go as planned because Japanese Zeros showed up on June 3, 1942, and bombed the Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base and the Army Fort Mears. Since Dad had military training, he was issued a rifle and began defending the Base from the Zeros, which were flying low enough for people on the ground to fire handheld weapons. He never reported, to my recollection, whether he successfully hit any of the Japanese fighter planes.
By 1942, the United States was at war, and Dad returned to the Seattle area, re-enlisting in the Army. Dad did not talk or write very much about his war experience, but I will share what I recall. He was assigned to the 778th AAA AW BN, which was an Anti-Aircraft Battalion formed in 1943 and sent to the war against Germany in 1944 as part of the 76th Infantry Division assigned to the 3rd Army under the command of General George S. Patton. Dad was a sergeant in charge of a “half-track” unit. A book entitled 778 AAA AW BN (SP): From Activation to Victory was published after World War II. Below is the front page of the book, along with a dedication by Major Dewey S. Harwood.
Dad certainly had respect for General Patton and proudly served in his unit as the U.S. Army penetrated Germany and the Nazi soldiers continued fighting. Because Dad had basic German language skills, one of his tasks was to call ahead to the next city Patton’s Army was going to capture and speak with the Burgermeister (mayor) of the city on the phone or radio device, encouraging a surrender. I got the feeling his efforts were largely successful because most Germans knew they were in a losing position. It was better to be occupied by American soldiers than by Russian soldiers. Below is a list of Bronze Star recipients from the 778 AAA. Sgt. Carl T. Moser is listed on page 55, left column, seventh from the top. The Bronze Star was awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement of service, usually in combat. It should be noted that Uncle Ed Moser also served in WWII, and Dad said that he was able to contact his brother at some location during or shortly after the war in Germany.
After the war, Dad returned to the Seattle area and met Helen Louise Felton through a mutual friend, Margaret Hageman. I believe Mom and Margaret were telephone operators (aka switchboard operators) in Seattle. Margaret was from Snohomish and knew the Moser boys from her school days. She introduced Carl and Helen, and they married in 1946. Dad was a student on the GI Bill at the University of Washington at the time, but he transferred to Washington State University in Pullman after I was born in Seattle. After graduation, Dad was hired as an industrial arts teacher at A.C. Davis High School in Yakima, WA, where he stayed his entire teaching career.
Jean Felton (married to Uncle Bus), Jill Felton (flower girl), Virginia Felton, Helen, Carl, and Uncle Ed (best man)
Cousins Mary Helen and Nicole Carrie with their Grandpa Moser, June 17, 1984.
