Comments on: ‘Seagoing cowboy’ Ralph Witmer returns to Poland with son and grandson 69 years after making the post-war voyage /now/news/2016/seagoing-cowboy-ralph-witmer-returns-to-poland-with-son-and-grandson-69-years-after-making-the-post-war-voyage/ News from the ²ÝÝ®ÉçÇø community. Wed, 03 Feb 2016 21:53:17 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 By: Moderator /now/news/2016/seagoing-cowboy-ralph-witmer-returns-to-poland-with-son-and-grandson-69-years-after-making-the-post-war-voyage/#comment-99305 Wed, 03 Feb 2016 21:53:17 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=26477#comment-99305 My father Paul A. Hershberger was a seagoing cowboy. He didn’t talk about it very much but he was proud to serve by taking cattle to Poland. One of six brothers who grew up on a farm he was a natural pick for this joint effort between the Brethren Service Committee and UN Relief and Rehabilitation. He spoke of the excitement of seeing the free city of Gdansk from the bow of the ship on his trips to Poland. Only two of the six brothers had an interest in farming. My father later learned how to make raw-milk emmental Swiss cheese from first generation Swiss emigrants in Holmes County, Ohio. He eventually had his own company that produced the cheese and won numerous awards. He was 84 living in Lancaster PA when he died in November 2002 from injuries in an auto accident.

His brother William O. Hershberger Jr., who was two years older had a very different story. His response to the pleas to help worn-torn Europe was to enlist in the Army in 1939. He served in Army Intelligence and was part of a covert operation code-named PO Box 1142. The facility was destroyed but it is was set up to interrogate high-level German scientists to find out what they knew The operation is now declassified and I discovered that he also received a letter of commendation for his contribution to the development of the atom bomb. The letter was written by General Leslie Groves who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and also directed the Manhattan Project. He also was part of the group that briefed President Truman in the Oval Office after FDR died.

My Uncle Bill died at the age of 95 in March 2012. He was proud of his military service and was buried with military honors. His life continues to fascinate me.

Steven K. Hershberger ’75

]]> By: Leroy Kauffman /now/news/2016/seagoing-cowboy-ralph-witmer-returns-to-poland-with-son-and-grandson-69-years-after-making-the-post-war-voyage/#comment-99147 Fri, 08 Jan 2016 02:40:33 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=26477#comment-99147 My father sailed on the USS Whitney to Poland with a load of about 2,000 horses. I think the time frame was about 1946. I was the last event of his CPS days. He never talked much about it and has now passed so I can’t have that conversation.

]]> By: Peggy Reiff Miller /now/news/2016/seagoing-cowboy-ralph-witmer-returns-to-poland-with-son-and-grandson-69-years-after-making-the-post-war-voyage/#comment-99145 Thu, 07 Jan 2016 16:28:08 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=26477#comment-99145 Ralph’s seagoing cowboy experience was a remarkable one. So glad you picked up his story!

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