To all interested Woolsey researchers: For over three years, I have been attempting to "document" the WOOLSEY family, and have had some success in doing so. In my research, I have documented Woolseys in the French and Indian Wars, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War (North and South), Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, etc. Although I was too young to join up during WWII, I had three older brothers and three brothers-in-law who were in WWII, and fortunately, all returned home safely. I was ready to join up during the Korean War ("Police Action") but because I would have been in for the "duration" (which at the time looked as if it would last forever), I did not volunteer but waited for them to "draft" me, which would have been for only two years. I never received the call. Possibly because of that, I have been extremely interested in the war-time activities of all my ancestors and relatives. For some time now, I have been thinking of all the Woolseys who have served in our nation's armed Forces. Because we are losing, every day, veterans of WWII, I was thinking that we should honor and commemorate those, living and dead, who have served. Perhaps I could act as a central point in gathering, documenting and preserving the life stories of our WOOLSEY family who have served in WWII. If you or your parents, grandparents, etc. participated in WWII, I would appreciate hearing from you. Do you have favorite stories and anecdotes that have been passed to you? Perhaps you would like to share them with us. Do you have any stories about "Rosie the Riveteer" in your Woolsey family? With the present interest in Iwo Jima, it may be of interest to some of you that my brother-in-law A. Theodore Tuttle was the Marine Lt. Commander who went back to his ship to get the second flag that was raised on Iwo Jima, and took it up the hill, to be raised in that historic moment captured in that memorable photograph. Well, I would appreciate hearing from any of you regarding this. Now is the time, before it is too late, to begin to record this fast-disappearing part of Woolsey history. I would find this particularly fascinating because most of the Woolseys in the USA descend from our immigrant George Woolsey of New Amsterdam (New York). Sincerely, Wilford W. Whitaker

Dear Wilford, My grandmother's brother, Stanley Woolsey (1912-1965) was in the Navy in WWII. I don't yet know very much about his life, but I think he may have been in the Navy as early as the early 1930s. He was injured in an accident involving a torpedo or depth charge. In the 1950s he moved to San Diego and worked as a real estate agent. He died in 1965 partly as a consequence of the old war injury, and is buried in St. Rosecrans cemetery there. He was a member of the VFW, and I've contacted them to find out if they have anything about him. There's a tidbit in his obituary that I suspect is just not true: he was supposedly the great-grandson of an admiral in the British Navy. I haven't worked back to all of his great-grandparents yet, but I think Andrew Woolsey, country doctor in SW Missouri, is a more likely candidate than a British Admiral. I wonder where this "fact" came from? Do you know whether the National Archives will let me have any information on him although I'm not a direct descendant? I'm trying to find his daughter and grandchildren and see if they'll talk to me about family stuff. No luck so far. I will certainly let you know any more details I find out! - Heather On Mon, 16 Apr 2001, Wilford Whitaker wrote: > To all interested Woolsey researchers: > > For over three years, I have been attempting to "document" the WOOLSEY family, and have had some success in doing so. > > In my research, I have documented Woolseys in the French and Indian Wars, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War (North and South), Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, etc. > > Although I was too young to join up during WWII, I had three older brothers and three brothers-in-law who were in WWII, and fortunately, all returned home safely. > > I was ready to join up during the Korean War ("Police Action") but because I would have been in for the "duration" (which at the time looked as if it would last forever), I did not volunteer but waited for them to "draft" me, which would have been for only two years. I never received the call. > > Possibly because of that, I have been extremely interested in the war-time activities of all my ancestors and relatives. > > For some time now, I have been thinking of all the Woolseys who have served in our nation's armed Forces. Because we are losing, every day, veterans of WWII, I was thinking that we should honor and commemorate those, living and dead, who have served. > > Perhaps I could act as a central point in gathering, documenting and preserving the life stories of our WOOLSEY family who have served in WWII. > > If you or your parents, grandparents, etc. participated in WWII, I would appreciate hearing from you. Do you have favorite stories and anecdotes that have been passed to you? Perhaps you would like to share them with us. Do you have any stories about "Rosie the Riveteer" in your Woolsey family? > > With the present interest in Iwo Jima, it may be of interest to some of you that my brother-in-law A. Theodore Tuttle was the Marine Lt. Commander who went back to his ship to get the second flag that was raised on Iwo Jima, and took it up the hill, to be raised in that historic moment captured in that memorable photograph. > > Well, I would appreciate hearing from any of you regarding this. Now is the time, before it is too late, to begin to record this fast-disappearing part of Woolsey history. I would find this particularly fascinating because most of the Woolseys in the USA descend from our immigrant George Woolsey of New Amsterdam (New York). > > Sincerely, Wilford W. Whitaker > > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! >