Walter John Zabower was born in Bethlehem Pennsylvania September 20th, 1920 to Polish (Russian?) immigrants. Research into the family names that have been found on paperwork (Czpla, Zaba, Zabawa, Zabower, Ilia, among others) revealed several interesting census documents from the very early 1900s', which were all very confusing. I did meet my grandmother once in 1974. She did not speak English and this was the first time that my Dad revealed that he DID speak fluent Poliska!
Walter's birth certificate is also confounding:
Name: Wolle Zaba
Born: 19 September 1920
Place: Northhampton - Bethlehem
Mother: Francis Gavovitch
Father: Stanley Zaba
Not sure what any of this means.
I met several of Walter's siblings in the 1970's. Harry and his family, Helen and her family, and Mary, they were good people - the others we met... I don't really remember. I understand that Mary committed suicide in the early 70's and Harry died in 2003, as far as I know the others still survive.
As a young man, Walter left home and joined the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) at age 15 (this was a common practice during those tough economic times when the family had too many mouths to feed). The CCC was one of Roosevelt's programs that attempted to end the depression. Walter helped to build Sky-Line Drive (Daniel Boone Trail) in Appalachia while in the CCC. Walter then secured a job and went to work for US Steel at the Bethlehem PA Plant. Walter first went to Coastal Artillery Defense at age 20, and then eventually volunteered for the Army Air Force in 1942 at age 22 as the war in Europe and the Pacific raged. He attended specialized radio and gunnery schools during his training and he achieved the rank of Staff Sergent.
His primary position was was right-waist gunner (backup radio operator) - his gunnery training would pay off - resulting in a personal kill (BF-110). Walter completed his 25 missions, and then completed his service obligation by training others on the B- 24 Bomber. After departing from the service he convalesced at the Fort Harrison Hotel (now the scientology home base) in Clearwater Florida.
There is a time period that is basically unknown to me after 1945. What is known: during this time Walter and his first wife, Geraldine, lived in Pennsylvania and had 5 children; Dennis, Bruce, Scott, Sherry, and Larry. At some point, Walter and Geraldine divorced and Walter moved to Florida. In 1961 Walter married his second wife, Mary, and had 2 children; Stanley and Carl. Walter became a regional manager for McDonald's restaurants for 8-10 years. Walter then became a carpenter working primarily on modular homes. Walter was involved in an altercation at work in 1973. This altercation resulted in several broken vertebrata and put him in extreme pain and on disability for the rest of his life. The man was never the same after that.
As a son, I knew Walter to be a very severe man - not abusive...but severe and intimidating...and although we were never rich (or even really well off) Walter always provided for our family - we had what he thought we needed. He was an emotionally aloof person who did not relate well to others in general. Walter would never speak about the war unless he was drunk - and he would not talk about his childhood, my grandparents, or his other children unless he was REALLY drunk. Do not misunderstand what I am communicating here; I am not suggesting that Walter was a full time drunk, because he was not. He was a binge drinker who would go for years on the "wagon" and then he would shift into drunk-mode for a couple of days...and then back on the wagon. Combine this with the pharmacy of narcotics that the VA provided to him in the 1970s and the 1980s...unpredictable (at best).
Walter and Mary (my mother) were divorced in 1980. Walter died of a stroke (his second stroke) in March 1984 - at the domiciliary at Bay Pines VA Hospital in St.Petersburg, FL at the age of 63.
Walter is buried in the Largo City Cemetery located in Largo Florida.
What I know about Walter's family...
Father - Stanislaus Ilia ( Stanley Zaba??, Stanley Zabawa???) - committed suicide in the late 20's based on newspaper articles
Mother - Francis Gavovitch - died at a very old age - exact date not known
Brother - Harry Zabower - died in 2003
Nephew - (Harry's son) Richard Zabower - died May 2011
Nephew - (Richard's son) Garth Zabower - unknown
Sister - Mary Zabower - committed suicide in the 70's
Sister - Helen Zabower - unknown
Brother - Johnny Zabower - unknown
1st wife - Geraldine Titus Zabower - unknown
Son - Dennis Zabower - unknown
Son - Bruce Emerson Zabower - last known to reside in Tennessee
Son - Scott Zabower - unknown
Daughter - Sherry - unknown
Son - Larry Zabower - living in Pennsylvania
2nd wife - Mary Nell Nelson Zabower - died in 2008
Son - Stanley Zabower - my older brother - born 1962- living in Virginia
Son - Carl Zabower - me borm 1964- living in Florida
Many unknown siblings, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great grandchildren?
Walter's birth certificate is also confounding:
Name: Wolle Zaba
Born: 19 September 1920
Place: Northhampton - Bethlehem
Mother: Francis Gavovitch
Father: Stanley Zaba
Not sure what any of this means.
I met several of Walter's siblings in the 1970's. Harry and his family, Helen and her family, and Mary, they were good people - the others we met... I don't really remember. I understand that Mary committed suicide in the early 70's and Harry died in 2003, as far as I know the others still survive.
As a young man, Walter left home and joined the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) at age 15 (this was a common practice during those tough economic times when the family had too many mouths to feed). The CCC was one of Roosevelt's programs that attempted to end the depression. Walter helped to build Sky-Line Drive (Daniel Boone Trail) in Appalachia while in the CCC. Walter then secured a job and went to work for US Steel at the Bethlehem PA Plant. Walter first went to Coastal Artillery Defense at age 20, and then eventually volunteered for the Army Air Force in 1942 at age 22 as the war in Europe and the Pacific raged. He attended specialized radio and gunnery schools during his training and he achieved the rank of Staff Sergent.
His primary position was was right-waist gunner (backup radio operator) - his gunnery training would pay off - resulting in a personal kill (BF-110). Walter completed his 25 missions, and then completed his service obligation by training others on the B- 24 Bomber. After departing from the service he convalesced at the Fort Harrison Hotel (now the scientology home base) in Clearwater Florida.
There is a time period that is basically unknown to me after 1945. What is known: during this time Walter and his first wife, Geraldine, lived in Pennsylvania and had 5 children; Dennis, Bruce, Scott, Sherry, and Larry. At some point, Walter and Geraldine divorced and Walter moved to Florida. In 1961 Walter married his second wife, Mary, and had 2 children; Stanley and Carl. Walter became a regional manager for McDonald's restaurants for 8-10 years. Walter then became a carpenter working primarily on modular homes. Walter was involved in an altercation at work in 1973. This altercation resulted in several broken vertebrata and put him in extreme pain and on disability for the rest of his life. The man was never the same after that.
As a son, I knew Walter to be a very severe man - not abusive...but severe and intimidating...and although we were never rich (or even really well off) Walter always provided for our family - we had what he thought we needed. He was an emotionally aloof person who did not relate well to others in general. Walter would never speak about the war unless he was drunk - and he would not talk about his childhood, my grandparents, or his other children unless he was REALLY drunk. Do not misunderstand what I am communicating here; I am not suggesting that Walter was a full time drunk, because he was not. He was a binge drinker who would go for years on the "wagon" and then he would shift into drunk-mode for a couple of days...and then back on the wagon. Combine this with the pharmacy of narcotics that the VA provided to him in the 1970s and the 1980s...unpredictable (at best).
Walter and Mary (my mother) were divorced in 1980. Walter died of a stroke (his second stroke) in March 1984 - at the domiciliary at Bay Pines VA Hospital in St.Petersburg, FL at the age of 63.
Walter is buried in the Largo City Cemetery located in Largo Florida.
What I know about Walter's family...
Father - Stanislaus Ilia ( Stanley Zaba??, Stanley Zabawa???) - committed suicide in the late 20's based on newspaper articles
Mother - Francis Gavovitch - died at a very old age - exact date not known
Brother - Harry Zabower - died in 2003
Nephew - (Harry's son) Richard Zabower - died May 2011
Nephew - (Richard's son) Garth Zabower - unknown
Sister - Mary Zabower - committed suicide in the 70's
Sister - Helen Zabower - unknown
Brother - Johnny Zabower - unknown
1st wife - Geraldine Titus Zabower - unknown
Son - Dennis Zabower - unknown
Son - Bruce Emerson Zabower - last known to reside in Tennessee
Son - Scott Zabower - unknown
Daughter - Sherry - unknown
Son - Larry Zabower - living in Pennsylvania
2nd wife - Mary Nell Nelson Zabower - died in 2008
Son - Stanley Zabower - my older brother - born 1962- living in Virginia
Son - Carl Zabower - me borm 1964- living in Florida
Many unknown siblings, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great grandchildren?