Ed & Ray Hersman in WWII - Robert Marks.org

2.4. RETURN TO WEST VIRGINIA Ed & Ray Hersman in WWII2.4.3 GrantsvilleWe could not meet payments on the farm and lost it.My mother decided to continue her education so we moved to Grantsvilleso she could go to high school (1932?). Although she had went to GlenvilleNormal School when she was young apparently it wasn’t equivalent to a highschool education.I remember reading an average of a book or more a day at Grantsville.The principal finally ordered that I was not to be allowed to sign out anymore books from the school library. I read pulp magazines, then from theDemocratic Headquarters (Hoover vs. Roosevelt) until the principal saw mein there one day reading and told them not to let me in.There were two loosely organized gangs in Grantsville, the “town” gangand the “south side” gang. I was the unofficial leader of the “town” gangand we would skirmish with the other group. Our gang generally won theseskirmishes since we were equipped with single band sling shots (from myAkron days), rubber band guns (also from my Akron days) and bows andarrows. The other gang could only throw rocks. No one was ever really hurtin these fights. They organized a troop of Boy Scouts which I joined, but Iwas kicked out when I had a big fight with another boy. (No winner, he waskicked out as well).When my mother graduated from high school she obtained a school teachingposition at Cotrell.Cotrell was six miles from the nearest hard surfaced road. In winter thedirt roads could only be traveled by horse or foot. This was my freshmanyear in high school. My mother wanted me to board with someone on thehard surfaced road but I decided to try to walk to school, to save money.(1935)The trip each day consisted of walking twelve miles over two mountainseach way and riding a school but for about 50 miles.I was joined in this walking by another boy named Waldo McClain. Waldowas a direct descendent of the Scotch Irish who settled this area and knew13