MOUNT OLIVE MESSENGER: VFW Post 9959 and friends honor Frank Germano, a Marine who served in
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on July 6, 2017 10:02 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Frank Germano, center, and Bob Weishan, his friend of more than 60 years, hug after Therese Spiller presented Germano with a Quilt of Honor during the Mount Olive VFW Post 9959 meeting on Tuesday, June 27. The men served together during the Korean War.
Bob Weishan wrapped a
colorful Quilt of Valor around the shoulders of Frank
Germano, his friend of more than 60 years.
"We could have used this in November and December of 1950," Weishan said. "We were up in North Korea, the First Marine Division. We were about 35 miles below the Yalu River (that separates Korea from China near the Chosin Reservoir). The temperatures up there were brutal.
"During the daytime it would be about 25 below zero. At nighttime when it was overcast or some days when it was supposed to rain, it would be anywhere at night from 35 to 45 degrees below zero."
The quilt was just one of the surprises for Germano, 88, who thought he was just bringing his longtime friends to last Tuesday night's meeting of VFW Post 9959.
Not only did he get a quilt and a bag of goodies, he was presented his high school diploma.
A native of Broadace, Ohio, about 13 miles from Steubenville, Ohio, where Dean Martin grew up, Germano left school after the 10th grade.
But a Ohio law allows veterans of World War II, Korea or Vietnam who did not complete school to receive their high school diploma.
Germano's daughter, Mary Frances Maker, who lives in Maine, contacted Annette Hansen with the post auxiliary about her efforts to secure the diploma for her father.
The logistics were a challenge, but Tuesday night they were able to surprise Germano with the diploma.
It worked out that Bob and Nadine Weishan, who live near San Diego, Calif., were visiting. Another friend, Therese Spiller of Myrtle Beach, S.C., who works with Quilts of Valor, stopped on her way to visit family in Maryland.
Germano had asked her about one the quilts, but was told it would take months, not knowing she already had one for him.
The friends were in on the surprise so when Germano told his daughter he was expecting company she was trying to figure out where he could take them. She eventually said the VFW meeting -- all a set-up for the diploma presentation.
"The Quilts of Valor wishes to recognize you for your service to our nation," Mrs. Spiller said. "We consider it a privilege to honor you through we may never know the extent of your sacrifice and service to protect and defend the United States of America. As an expression of gratitude we award you this Quilt of Valor."
Mrs. Hansen read a letter from the superintendent of the Indian Creek School District congratulating Germano and commending him for his service to the United States of America as a veteran member of the armed forces.
The information was received too late for the 2017 graduation, but Germano was invited to the 2018 graduation ceremony.
"I did not expect this," Germano said. "I didn't know anything was going on. Somebody had to do a lot of work. I tell you, I was surprised because there was so much going on."
"What we have here is a true diploma," Mrs. Hansen said. "This is from Indian Creek. I understand you went to Mingo Junction. It is now Indian Creek, but this is a diploma, and this is what we would like to honor you with. This is something that Mary Frances heard about, fell in love with the idea."
Mayor Pro Tem Joe Scott presented Germano, Weishan and Mrs. Spiller with bags that included Mt. Olive Pickle Co. caps, jars of Mt. Olive pickles, peanuts from the First United Methodist Church and a town lapel pin shaped like the town seal.
Germano was one of six children, and his father worked for the railroad.
"I did work on the railroad during World War II," he said. "I told them I was 18, and I was 15 years old. They found out I wasn't old enough. We tamped ties, and we had a couple of tunnels there.
"What happened I don't know. I just got lost of going to school. I went to the tenth grade."
He joined the Marines on April 6, 1948. He was 18 and a half years old.
His enlistment was for three years. Four others from his hometown went in at the same time.
They completed boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. He went through the motor transport school at Camp Lejeune. From there he spent 13 months on Guam.
He was part of the invasion force at Inchon, Korea, Sept. 15, 1950.
It took five days to travel the 75 miles down from the mountains and the Chosin Reservoir, he said.
They couldn't get in the vehicles parked along the road because they had to stay outside with their rifles in case one the Chinese were to get through, he said.
"A mortar come in there and hit my buddy in the leg," Germano said. "They evacuated him. It knocked a hole in a gasoline tanker. That was a loud bang. I started losing my hearing back in probably in the '60s. Right now my hearing is zero without my hearing aids."
He wonders if that contributed to his gradual hearing loss.
"We took all of our dead, our vehicles, everything out with us," Germano said. "You know, when you are young like that you don't think nothing about dying or anything like that. It's the only life that you have so you just have to do the best you can and try to stay warm if you can."
Germano said he suffered frostbite on the end of his toes and fingers.
"My toes, they tingled for 20 years before the tingling went away," he said.
He returned home in November, 1951. The tour had been extended a year by President Harry Truman because of the war. He was corporal when he mustered out.
Germano later worked as a mechanic before joining the Marines. He went back to that profession after his four years in the Marines and at one time had his own shop. He retired in 1985.
He and his wife,
Florence Britt Germano, live in the Grantham community.