My Friend Marvin C. "Jack" McGraw by Herk McGraw

MY FRIEND MARVIN C. “JACK” McGRAW

As well as I remember Jack was a short heavy set fellow. At least he was shorter than my dad. I guess I liked him because he was short like me. He was always laughing or smiling when I was around him. He seemed like a fun guy. He was a favorite around our house.

Mom bought me a army uniform when I was 6 or 7 years old. I was proud as punch and wore it all the time.

"Jack" in Milwaukee, WI, with his future wife Lois Wittemann.

Jack had joined Uncle Sam's Army and was home on leave. Whenever I saw him I would always salute and he would salute back. On this day, I was in my uniform in the front yard when I saw him coming down that old dirt road toward Ravencliff. We lived on the left side of the road and he had his left hand on the steering wheel. I jumped to attention with a salute. He had a great big smile and tried to salute me with his right hand and he couldn't get it where it should be with his head toward me so he saluted with his left hand. After he went back to camp I wrote him a letter, with Mom's help, and he answered it.

We had moved before he returned home and I never saw him again. But I will never forget the short little guy who saluted me. He was my friend.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.
Herk McGraw

(Administrator: Herk remembers Jack as a short fellow. The below picture was shared by "Mack" McGraw's son Gerald (Jerry). It was taken by his mother Rose and while we don't have a date we think it was taken in the 1950’s. Without looking at the list of people under the picture, can you guess which one in the picture is Jack?)

From left to right: Horace McGraw, G.C. "Jake" McGraw, Earl McGraw, Huey McGraw, Robert C. Byrd, Dennis Mack McGraw, Jack McGraw, Woodrow McGraw, and unknown.

An Article from the Raleigh Register about Jack's wartime exploits...

Jack admiring the hole shot out in the rudder above the windows where he sat.