MADE FROM THE RIGHT STUFF

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Contents

Notes From The Authors...........................................................viiAcknowlegements..................................................................ixPrelude..........................................................................xiOut Of The Jordan And Driscoll Families..........................................1A New Life Together..............................................................13Advancing In The Military During The Great Depression............................19A Second Hawaii Assignment ... Aloha, Again!.....................................27Indiana Here We Come ... As The Nation Is Preparing For War......................31Transfer To The Finance Department And On To California..........................35December 7, 1941. The U.S. At War................................................43Duty Calls In War Time...........................................................49The Joys Of Returning Home From War..............................................55To Fort Mcpherson & Atlanta Via St. Louis........................................63Retirement From A Career.........................................................69Do You Know The Way To San Jose..................................................73Challenges Of The 1950'S.........................................................79Santa Rosa Calling...............................................................85The Final Calling From God.......................................................91A Lagniappe From Our Father......................................................95Synopsis Of Special Points About Herbert And Madalene Jordan.....................97About The Authors................................................................102

Chapter One

We are all, in large part, the products of our parents; made of their genes and formed by the memories and environment of our upbringing. What good fortune that has been for the four sons of Herbert and Madalene Jordan, Bill, Bert, Harvey and myself, John Pat! But as a background, let's look at some history.

Dad's father, W. N. Jordan, was the fourth son of Reverend William Harvey Jordan, D.D. who had been born in England in 1832. His wife, Maryjane Kirkpatrick Jordan, was born in 1833 as the daughter of Reverend John L. Kirkpatrick. Reverend William Harvey and Maryjane Jordan were married in the Methodist Protestant Church in Morgan County, Illinois. William Harvey Jordan was himself a Congregational Minister and became Chaplain for the 150th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Grand Army of the Republic. He was a Chaplain for Sherman's army on its march to the sea. During the war, the Regiment also fought at the battle of Chickamauga under the command of Major General Thomas. William H. Jordan lived in Illinois near Abraham Lincoln and was his intimate friend.

W. N. Jordan's first marriage was to Mary Ellen Jordan who died in child-birth along with their child. W. N. and Mary Ellen had lived in Holyoke, Colorado, but as his business failed there in 1891, W. N. returned to Iowa. He decided to go to the Law School at Drake University, having earlier been educated at a school in Adrian, Michigan.

His second wife, Mable R. McIntyre, was born June 18, 1864 in Neponset, Illinois, and married W. N. Jordan on January 1, 1891 in Iowa. Her father, Erastus McIntyre, was said to have the largest barn in Baxter County, Iowa, and had impressively good Percheron draft horses for farm work. Although Erastus prospected for awhile in the Sacramento area of California, he returned to Iowa, became Mayor of Neponset, and for twenty years was President of the School Board. He was known as "A Baptist and staunch Republican." The home in which she grew up possessed a strong Christian environment. She enjoyed Grinnell College where she graduated majoring in music. Her younger sister, Maud, did the same, both becoming the first women college graduates from their county.

After their marriage, they moved to Des Moines where part of the family income came from renting out rooms in their home to other law students, a technique often used to supplement family income. Times were indeed tough. The second son of William Newton Jordan and Mabel McIntyre Jordan, Herbert Spencer Jordan was born on March 5, 1895, in Baxter, Iowa. Dad reported watching his father cut out cardboard to put in his worn-out shoes as he had no money to repair them. Nevertheless, within seven years after receiving his law degree, W. N. became the County Attorney for Polk County, bringing him into the political world of Iowa.

W. N. Jordan is recorded to have distinguished himself as a speaker and trial lawyer. The Des Moines Daily News reports that later, as a candidate for County Attorney, "with a tremendous burst of speed on the home stretch, W. N. Jordan is beginning to show poise of winning in the pretty three-cornered race for the nomination for County Attorney." Indeed, he won the nomination and was elected County Attorney (local title for District Attorney). At the end of the nomination process, he was predicted to win in every precinct in Polk County which includes Des Moines. Quite an achievement!

While growing up with his family, Dad had an Irish Setter whose "call name" was Brownie. Dad always liked dogs but this male Irish Setter was the first dog that was "his." Little did he know how this opened a door that ultimately brought many Irish Setters into his family nearly a half century later. Dad was accustomed to having dogs around ... he loved dogs. In fact, when Brownie died, Dad arranged for the skin and coat to be made into a rug ... a treasured rug.

Dad entered Drake University in 1913 and decided to major in history, a subject he loved for the rest of his life. During his college years, he was recognized as an athlete, running track and playing football for all four years. He graduated in 1917, and with the entry of the U.S. into WW I he and his older brother, Russell, were selected for the Second Officer Training Camp in Fort Snelling, Minnesota. Apparently they were the only set of brothers in the Training Camp.

Shortly after completing Officer Training Camp, Dad became first the Supply Officer for the 154th Aero Squadron AERO, and spent a year in Europe, both in England and then France, where he ultimately commanded the Squadron. Although he was not qualified by the U.S. Army to be a pilot because of his poor eyesight, he arranged with British pilots to do some flying anyway. The biplanes had a terrible record of crashing, but Dad did not himself experience that. According to government records, the Squadron was especially responsible for repairing and maintaining aircraft in the area called the Zone of Advance. During his entire stay in France, his outfit was attached to the Camel Prescott Squadron near Paris, but he was only in Paris itself once! When the Armistice was signed in November 1918, what joy he felt in anticipation of finally returning home in January 1919.

Madalene Marie Driscoll was born on May 14, 1898, in Adair, Iowa, about 60 miles west of Des Moines. Her parents were John Henry Driscoll and Estella {Stella} Margaret Agnew Driscoll. Madalene's father, John H. Driscoll, although born in 1851 in Springfield, Massachusetts,...