David H Gordon Jr.

 

I like to look at old pictures at antique stores. Some people buy pictures to decorate with, or make into bookmarkers. Others buy them because they don’t have any family of their own. My dad calls it adopt a relative. It makes me sad to think that what I consider irreplaceable heirlooms up for sale and I always end up wanting to know their stories. Everyone has a story.

 

I was looking through a box of old photos. There were children, family portraits and single girls. I was sifting through them, until I came upon a closed photo holder. On the outside it said An Opal Portrait, and of course the curiosity got the best of me so I opened it up.

 

Inside was a picture of a smiling young man in uniform. He doesn’t look any older than nineteen or twenty. I can’t tell the rank or even which faction of the military he belongs to, but I’m pretty sure it’s from World War II.

 

I can see that the photo is loose in the holder. Most of the time they are glued in, but this time it wasn’t, so I slipped it out.  On the back was written:

 

PFC David H Gordon of Weatherford, Texas

Killed in Action Nov 23- 1943

 

I pick up the back of the picture holder. The seller wants $8.00. I place it with the others items I intend on buying. The price really doesn’t matter. I wasn’t about to leave him behind.

 

My dad wanted to know what I am going to do with it. I inform him I’m going to see if I can find his family. He says, "Well if you don’t, maybe you can find a place in your home, to give him the honor he deserves."

 

I get home and start my research. I am a genealogist by hobby.

 

Here is the story of David H Gordon:

 

David H Gordon Jr, was born in 1920 to David and Clara Gordon in Weatherford, Texas. The son of a furniture repair man, he is the second oldest of six children. His siblings included Mary, Herbert, Lorene, Clara and Louise. By all accounts, David Jr grew up in Weatherford and completed two years of high school, not unusual for that time.

 

David enlisted in the National Guard on November 25, 1940 as part of the Field Artillery. He was twenty years of age; he was a mere 145 pounds and only five foot seven. His serial number was listed as 20815095 and his religion as protestant. He never married.

 

He was killed in action on November 23, 1943, almost three years after his enlistment. He was 23 years old. He is buried in Texas.

 

I haven’t located his ancestors yet, but even if I don’t, he has a family who knows his story.

 

Reviews

[Sue Lewis]

JC, I am married to David H Gordon's nephew. Please contact me! We would love to get the photo you have. The young man in the photo was killed in Italy. He went by DH. His youngest sister, my husband Gordon's mother, passed away the 8th. My email is [email protected]

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

WOW JC what an honorable thing you are doing... it is sad to think people treat things like that as decoration like it is some ceramic statue... it's like when i see an old abandoned house in the country, many pass by thinking what dump I always look and try to picture it when it was ne and a family played and worked in the yard... anyways what you are doing is truly humanity at it's finest.

[Otter]

JC, you brought tears to my eyes with this. Thanks for sending me the read request, I hold a special place in my heart for veterans, and more importantly, those killed in action, thank you.