Home on Leave, a Look at the Home Front....
Above, Birmingham, Alabama's L & N (Union Station) as it neared destruction in the late 1960s. A generation after World War II this massive structure was torn down as passenger traffic declined from a high of 42 trains a day to a very few. Below, Bishop and his father, Ulyss Holliman of Irondale, Alabama.
"Arrived at L & N station (Birmingham, Alabama) at 8:15 a.m., March 1, 1942. Words will not describe my feelings." - Diary of Bishop Holliman 1942 writing of his first leave from the U.S. home to Irondale, Alabama from his duty station in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Waiting at home for the young sailor, the first of the family to serve in World War II were, among others, below Vena Holliman Daly, Ulyss and Pearl Holliman, his parents and the first grandchild in the family, Mary Daly (Herrin).
The experiences of millions of service men and women in World War II can be captured in my father's words below. He had been gone for 3 1/2 months, and like all others in uniform in those dark days, faced an uncertain future. I reproduce his words verbatim and the names of Irondale friends and families which add to our understanding of that community's history.
"Robert (Daly), Vena and Mary (Vena and Mary Daly pictured above with Ulyss and Pearl Holliman) met me at 1st and 20th (in Birmingham). Boy, was I glad to see them. Also called Paul Propst (a Methodist minister friend) while I was waiting on them. Arrived at home - really a happy occasion to see Irondale, the folks again. Grandma (Lula Hocutt Caine 1861-1957) was at the house. At 11 a.m. went to church (the Irondale Methodist Church), a great occasion and surprise. All of us had lunch at the house (the Holliman house at 2300 3rd Avenue N).
Virginia and Walter (the newly wed sister and new brother-in-law, the Cornelius's) came out. Mr, and Mrs. Runyan (Renfro Runyan ran the Irondale water department), Cecil Rhodes Holliman (a first cousin, Birmingham attorney and son of Jim Monroe Holliman, photograph below), Ralph (his younger brother, photograph below) and Vista (his mother's younger sister - Vista Caine Robbins), Paul Propst, Charles and Mrs. Pugh (neighbors, Charles a good friend), Joe and Lena Daly Minyard (Lena was the sister of Robert W. Daly, Sr.; Joe worked at the Birmingham Electric Company) and Karl Daly (father of Robert W. Daly, Sr., a farmer and native of Ireland (1875-1950). I went up to see Mr. and Mrs. Count (Irondale neighbors). I ate supper with the L.L. Jones (the Methodist minister in Irondale) and Charles Pugh. Saw Archie (the 22 year old son of the Jones). Enjoyable occasion. Went to Young People's meeting at church. Made a few remarks. Very, very nice to be back."
A few of the relatives seen on this first leave were left, Ralph Holliman, in a school photograph (b 1924) and the family of Cecil Rhodes Holliman (1902-1986), Cecil, his son Rhodes Burns Holliman (b 1927), his daughter Cecile (Youngblood) (1938 - 2012), and wife Ruby Burns Holliman (1903-1980). Cecile Holliman Youngblood is the mother of Glenda Norris, an active Holliman and Blakeney family historian.
Other friends and relatives seen on this short leave home were his brother-in-law Charles Ferrell and friends Earl McBee and the lovely Marsh sisters (Lois especially) of Woodlawn, Alabama.
As with millions of GIs during World War II, the time away from the military passed all too quickly. Within a week Bishop was back in the Navy at the New Orleans base, learning to be a Navy aviator. Would this new training and duty work out for him?
In the Pacific the Japanese fleet still was running amuck, and Hitler prepared to launch a second spring offensive against the Russians. Rommel still controlled central North Africa....the world was a dangerous place.
Next posting, a continued Look at Irondale, Alabama and military lives during the War....
Have questions about Holliman family history? You are invited to join the Hollyman Email List at Hollyman-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com and the Hollyman Family Facebook Page located on Facebook at "Hollyman Family". Post your questions and perhaps one of the dozens Holyman cousins on the list will have an answer. For more information contact Tina Peddie at desabla1@yahoo.com, the list and Facebook manager for Hollyman (and all our various spellings!).
Or join your many cousins at MyFamily.com and view an expanded Holliman family tree and many files on the history of the family. Just write to glennhistory@gmail.com for an invitation.
