My Daddy Was Drafted in 1943 With 6 Children

I took John Fooks Writing Your Memoirs class a few Saturday's ago.  I wish I had taken it before I wrote my book.  It would have saved me having 3 or 4 complete rewrites!  lol 

He talked about the importance of talking with the older generation and write down their memories of historical data...  Hey,  I am quickly becoming a part of that generation myself!  The original purpose of writing my book was to give our kids a view of their father and the love story we had!


I talked today with my brother, Orace, who is 85 and wounded in the Korean War in 1950 something.  I remember I was old enough to remember the telegram being delivered to the house saying he was "missing in action".  My grandmother and mother went to the door to receive the news!  I wasn't old enough to know exactly what it mean but I remember that everyone was upset!  He did survive without being captured but had some physical injuries and I am just glad to have had him all these years.   He is the one I talk about in my book "Against All Odds(We Found The Perfect Love) several times especially in the Chapter "Spoiling Suzie".  

He was instrumental in spoiling me along with all my family because when I was just a baby, my dad was drafted in the Army at age 35 years of age.  There was an article in the Gazette about him being drafted with 6 children at 35 years of age.  He went to Germany and served until the war was over in 1945.


He told me about he and my dad going to college at Texarkana College in 1953 and 1954 when it was a two year college.  They both received an associate degree in business.  My brother had 3 classes with my dad over those two years.  One class was a math class with a Professor Glass. He said he studied twice as hard in those classes because he did not want his daddy making better grades than he did.

 Private P.J. Edwards, who is enroute to Camp Haan, California from Fort Bliss, Texas had something to come home to.  The 35 year old soldier has a wife and six children who live at 1101 Grim Street.
He had been away from home five months, having just completed basic training at Fort Bliss.
Pvt. Edwards entered the Army March 13.  He was employed at the railway mail terminal at Union Station before entering service.  When Pvt. Edwards was drafted by the Miller County Board, He left behind his wife and six children and Mrs. Edwards' mother, who makes her home with them.  The allotment check which the family receives monthly amounts to $230.00, he said.
The oldest child, James Cornelius, is 16 years of age.  The other children and their ages are Orace Leon, 13, Nona Mae, 11; Racine 8; Kenneth, 5; and the baby Rita Sue, 2.
James is a student at Arkansas Junior High, and the other children are enrolled in Arkansas Central High School.
Pvt. Edwards said although he missed his big family, he was glad to be of service to his country "because I want a decent place for my child to grow up in".