Individual Details
Donald Ross McCanless
(December 26, 1911 - )
"Don R. McCanless was born in the farmhouse on the "Gibson Farm" out in the country. Don's family, and therefore Don, were farmers. His family tells stories about how Don used to hate to pick cotton and how he was always the slowest worker and picked the least amount. His father died when Don was about 16 years old. Don was the youngest son and was still living at home. He was "expected" to take care of his mother, which he did until he was 25 years old. His mother made the decisions about the farm, and life in general, as long as Don was living with her. With the exception of the time Don spent in the U.S. Army during World War II, Don basically lived with and took care of his mother until he married.
"Don left the farm about Christmas, 1936, when he went to San Antonio, Texas. He went to San Antonio because his brother, Jodie (Joseph Eldridge Greenberry McCanless, Jr.), was living there. Don got a job working in a gas station but that only lasted a short time. He also drove an ice truck for a while, then worked at a different gas station. Basically, he couldn't find any work there. The boss at the second gas station heard about a good wheat crop in west Texas. He told Don and another person to take his truck to west Texas and see if they could make any money with it. So, they went out west where they hauled grain and bundled hay for a while.
"Also during 1936, Don lived with his two brothers, Bascom and Jodie, and his sister, Faye, for a while. As he put it, he "sponged off" them for a while. In 1937, Don went back to Files Valley, Texas, where he found a job as a construction worker building the Children's Home there, but this job only lasted a short time.
"In 1938, Don went back to San Antonio. From his previous visit, he already knew Jodie's boss (named Scales) at Central Freight Lines. By now, Scales had taken a job at Brown Freight Line. Don went to see Scales, and he got him a job working on the dock for Brown Freight. He worked here for four years, eventually becoming the third foreman on the dock (the fourth most important job at Brown). He worked at Brown until receiving his draft notice.
"Then, the War (World War II) broke out and Don was drafted. Don was about 30 years old when he entered the U.S. Army (serial number 38159433). He took a train from San Antonio to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, arriving there about midnight on a Saturday night. On Sunday, he saw his first lieutenant and decided he might as well try his first salute. Don said the lieutenant must have been new, too, since he acted as frightened returning the salute as Don was giving it.
"During basic, Don was told he was going to go to Supply Sergeants School, so he spent 5 of his 13 weeks in basic at this school instead. He managed to miss a lot of "good" things in basic, like long hikes and bivouacs. Following basic training, he left for Service Company A at Ft. Knox, directly across the firebreak from where he had received his basic training. There, his Company Commander was Captain Victor L. Carruthers, who was "a good guy." Captain Carruthers introduced him to the current supply sergeant. Don was to be his assistant (a position not really authorized). When the Commander left, the supply sergeant threw the keys to the building on the table and told Don, "You're in charge!" And so, basically, he was. Eventually, Don was made the real supply sergeant when the old one was shipped to Europe.
"Don remembers Captain Carruthers fondly. Don said he would take care of any of his men that got into any trouble, and would go downtown to bail them out of jail if they ever got into trouble with the law. Should an enlisted man have family or guests visit at the Post, Captain Carruthers would always make sure they had a private table in the Mess Hall and wouldn't charge anyone for their meals. However, if an officer at in the Mess, Captain Carruthers always made sure they paid for their meals! Incidentally, the food was great since the cook was the former chef at the Mayflower Hotel in St. Louis. Captain Carruthers was also very good about making sure his men received rank, plus he seemed to really like Don. Don got promoted quickly to Technical Corporal (T5), and Captain Carruthers put him in for buck Sergeant soon thereafter. That list wasn't approved "due to the people from the motor pool on it" but Don was resubmitted for promotion, this time to Staff Sergeant-and made it.
"Finally, Don's turn to go overseas arrived, and he shipped out in the fall of 1944. He spent five days on the "Isle d'France," finally arriving at Glasgow, Scotland. There, they got on a train and went to South Hampton, England, where they boarded another "old and filthy" ship across the English Channel. Everyone was sick on this ship. They finally got off the ship at Omaha Beach, after all the fighting had happened. Don could see destroyed ships and bunkers everywhere, some of which were still smoking. They boarded another train for "several" days until they arrived in Paris, France, but went on to the suburb of Fountainbleau for a while, where they stayed in a barn. Finally, he went to the Supreme Headquarters American Expeditionary Forces Europe where Don once again handled supplies. He stayed at the University of Paris during this timeframe. From Paris, Don went to Oberammergau, Germany, arriving after the War had ended. He actually had very little work to do there. Then, Don went to Versailles, France, followed by Frankfurt, Germany, where he worked in the I. G. Farbin Building, before returning a second time to Oberammergau. He took some sightseeing trips this time to Rome and Venice. Finally, he shipped to a staging camp in preparation for returning home. This camp was COLD, and he shared his tent with 15 other men.
"Finally, Don was shipped home on the "Sea Perch." During the trip, there was a big storm and everyone, including Don, was sick. Finally, they pulled into the New York City harbor where Don could see the Statue of Liberty. They unloaded onto a train and went to Camp Shanks, New York, until he was sent to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, for final discharge in March 1946. From there, he took a Greyhound Bus to Waxahachie, Texas.
"Don took a job for a short while working in the Tyler Fixture Factory where store refrigerators were made, but the work was too hot for him. He went back to San Antonio where he finally got a job working for the San Antonio city bus company. He took this job "until he could find a better job." He began working there in June 1946, and worked there until he retired in on the last day of December 1976.
"Right after returning to San Antonio, Don met his wife-to-be, Lena Lamza Frieda. They met at Don's brother, Jodie's, house since Lena went there often to visit. Don feels his "life was always determined by someone else" and that he had very little control over it." (Interview by Donald P. McCanless of his father, Donald R. McCanless, on November 28, 1997.)
"Don left the farm about Christmas, 1936, when he went to San Antonio, Texas. He went to San Antonio because his brother, Jodie (Joseph Eldridge Greenberry McCanless, Jr.), was living there. Don got a job working in a gas station but that only lasted a short time. He also drove an ice truck for a while, then worked at a different gas station. Basically, he couldn't find any work there. The boss at the second gas station heard about a good wheat crop in west Texas. He told Don and another person to take his truck to west Texas and see if they could make any money with it. So, they went out west where they hauled grain and bundled hay for a while.
"Also during 1936, Don lived with his two brothers, Bascom and Jodie, and his sister, Faye, for a while. As he put it, he "sponged off" them for a while. In 1937, Don went back to Files Valley, Texas, where he found a job as a construction worker building the Children's Home there, but this job only lasted a short time.
"In 1938, Don went back to San Antonio. From his previous visit, he already knew Jodie's boss (named Scales) at Central Freight Lines. By now, Scales had taken a job at Brown Freight Line. Don went to see Scales, and he got him a job working on the dock for Brown Freight. He worked here for four years, eventually becoming the third foreman on the dock (the fourth most important job at Brown). He worked at Brown until receiving his draft notice.
"Then, the War (World War II) broke out and Don was drafted. Don was about 30 years old when he entered the U.S. Army (serial number 38159433). He took a train from San Antonio to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, arriving there about midnight on a Saturday night. On Sunday, he saw his first lieutenant and decided he might as well try his first salute. Don said the lieutenant must have been new, too, since he acted as frightened returning the salute as Don was giving it.
"During basic, Don was told he was going to go to Supply Sergeants School, so he spent 5 of his 13 weeks in basic at this school instead. He managed to miss a lot of "good" things in basic, like long hikes and bivouacs. Following basic training, he left for Service Company A at Ft. Knox, directly across the firebreak from where he had received his basic training. There, his Company Commander was Captain Victor L. Carruthers, who was "a good guy." Captain Carruthers introduced him to the current supply sergeant. Don was to be his assistant (a position not really authorized). When the Commander left, the supply sergeant threw the keys to the building on the table and told Don, "You're in charge!" And so, basically, he was. Eventually, Don was made the real supply sergeant when the old one was shipped to Europe.
"Don remembers Captain Carruthers fondly. Don said he would take care of any of his men that got into any trouble, and would go downtown to bail them out of jail if they ever got into trouble with the law. Should an enlisted man have family or guests visit at the Post, Captain Carruthers would always make sure they had a private table in the Mess Hall and wouldn't charge anyone for their meals. However, if an officer at in the Mess, Captain Carruthers always made sure they paid for their meals! Incidentally, the food was great since the cook was the former chef at the Mayflower Hotel in St. Louis. Captain Carruthers was also very good about making sure his men received rank, plus he seemed to really like Don. Don got promoted quickly to Technical Corporal (T5), and Captain Carruthers put him in for buck Sergeant soon thereafter. That list wasn't approved "due to the people from the motor pool on it" but Don was resubmitted for promotion, this time to Staff Sergeant-and made it.
"Finally, Don's turn to go overseas arrived, and he shipped out in the fall of 1944. He spent five days on the "Isle d'France," finally arriving at Glasgow, Scotland. There, they got on a train and went to South Hampton, England, where they boarded another "old and filthy" ship across the English Channel. Everyone was sick on this ship. They finally got off the ship at Omaha Beach, after all the fighting had happened. Don could see destroyed ships and bunkers everywhere, some of which were still smoking. They boarded another train for "several" days until they arrived in Paris, France, but went on to the suburb of Fountainbleau for a while, where they stayed in a barn. Finally, he went to the Supreme Headquarters American Expeditionary Forces Europe where Don once again handled supplies. He stayed at the University of Paris during this timeframe. From Paris, Don went to Oberammergau, Germany, arriving after the War had ended. He actually had very little work to do there. Then, Don went to Versailles, France, followed by Frankfurt, Germany, where he worked in the I. G. Farbin Building, before returning a second time to Oberammergau. He took some sightseeing trips this time to Rome and Venice. Finally, he shipped to a staging camp in preparation for returning home. This camp was COLD, and he shared his tent with 15 other men.
"Finally, Don was shipped home on the "Sea Perch." During the trip, there was a big storm and everyone, including Don, was sick. Finally, they pulled into the New York City harbor where Don could see the Statue of Liberty. They unloaded onto a train and went to Camp Shanks, New York, until he was sent to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, for final discharge in March 1946. From there, he took a Greyhound Bus to Waxahachie, Texas.
"Don took a job for a short while working in the Tyler Fixture Factory where store refrigerators were made, but the work was too hot for him. He went back to San Antonio where he finally got a job working for the San Antonio city bus company. He took this job "until he could find a better job." He began working there in June 1946, and worked there until he retired in on the last day of December 1976.
"Right after returning to San Antonio, Don met his wife-to-be, Lena Lamza Frieda. They met at Don's brother, Jodie's, house since Lena went there often to visit. Don feels his "life was always determined by someone else" and that he had very little control over it." (Interview by Donald P. McCanless of his father, Donald R. McCanless, on November 28, 1997.)
Events
| Birth | December 26, 1911 | Ellis County, Texas | |||
| Marriage | April 19, 1952 | San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas - Lena Lamza |
Families
| Spouse | Lena Lamza (1918 - ) |
| Child | Donald Paul McCanless (1954 - ) |
| Father | Joseph Eldridge Greenberry McCanless Jr. (1873 - 1928) |
| Mother | Susan Fannie Sabina "Bina" Clark (1870 - ) |
| Sibling | Lenora Annie McCanless (1896 - 1950) |
| Sibling | Charlie Clark McCanless (1898 - 1901) |
| Sibling | Joseph Eldridge Greenberry "Jodie" McCanless III (1901 - 1988) |
| Sibling | Leonard Lambeth McCanless (1902 - 1905) |
| Sibling | John Bascom McCanless (1905 - ) |
| Sibling | Bina Fay McCanless (1907 - 1996) |
| Sibling | Paul Leonidus McCanless (1909 - 1909) |