My Grandfather's WWII Helmet

My grandfather, William Andrew Cannon, around 1942.

On October 24, 1942, my grandfather William Andrew Cannon enlisted in the Air Force at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He would become a pilot based out of Foggia, Italy during the war. During his time in Italy, he met my grandmother on the Isle of Capri. They married in December 1945 and moved to Meridian, Mississippi in 1946. They would eventually move back in Italy in 1955, where they lived until he retired from government service in March 1990. They moved to Booneville, Mississippi later than year. 

On October 25, 2014 (72 years and a day after my grandfather first enlisted), a man named Grant sent me a message through the G&J website. He owns an Ebay store called Circa1941 that specializes in WWII helmets and other military gear. He had purchased a helmet with the name Cannon written on the inside along with the serial number 4357. A quick search of this website told him the helmet belonged to my grandfather. Another quick internet search led him to Gerald & Joan and the blog posts I've written about my grandfather. We connected a few days later, and he offered to send us the helmet as a gift. My grandfather passed away on February 28, 2002, so being reconnected to him in this way is a true gift that means a great deal to our family, especially my grandmother. 

There have been times over the past two years that I've wondered what I'm doing with this blog. It has really become more of a family history/photo preservation blog, and while it provides inspiration for my work, it doesn't really do much for my business. When Grant emailed me, I was reminded why I started this business and this blog -- Through my work, I wanted to tell stories, preserve history and share memories. Because of this blog, we were reunited with a piece of our family's history and we're able to honor my grandfather's memory. If that isn't Gerald & Joan in a nutshell, I don't know what is.

Thank you, Grant, for this wonderful gift.

My grandfather, Lt. William A. Cannon, is at the bottom left. 

Update: My dad with the helmet!

Family Stories: The Childhood of Lucy de Forcade Cannon

My paternal grandmother, Lucy de Forcade Cannon, was born in Arona, Italy on Lago Maggiore in 1923.

She attended a private school throughout her childhood, where she was required to wear a uniform -- it was a black and white checked pinafore with blouse. She was accompanied to and from school by her German governess. All of her teachers were Marcelline Sisters. She liked those who taught French and Italian (she speaks Italian, English, French and German). She disliked her math teacher (I shared this dislike of math). My grandmother was an external student in a boarding school. To discourage vanity, the internal students did not have mirrors in their rooms.

Lucy on Capri. 

At home, her father was strict, and her mother was lenient. Her favorite toy was her doll, Rosalda, who she loved to place in her baby bed. She often entertained friends on Saturdays. She loved playing store with friends.

Her favorite colors have always been green and turquoise, because they remind her of Capri. Her favorite flowers are freesia and bougainvillea, and she loves music of all kinds, especially jazz.

In 1945, she met my American grandfather on the tennis court on the Isle of Capri. They played doubles and won. They were married a short time later.

After the war, she was reunited with her father. He was an officer and had gone into hiding from the Germans.

In 1949, my grandparents welcomed my father. They named him Ernest Fred to honor her grandmother's wishes. On Halloween 1955, my aunt, Tina Jennie, was born. They named for her after her mother and my grandfather's late mother respectively.

My grandmother with my father in the 1950s.

My grandmother and father at Christmastime, 1966.

Family Stories: Lucy de Forcade Cannon

When my grandfather died in February 2002, my grandmother wrote the following poem. At the time I was 18 and knew little about love. As naive as I was, I realized how devastating it would be to lose the love of your life after 56 years of marriage.

In August of that year, shortly before she left Mississippi to move back to Naples, Italy, she wrote this poem commemorating their life together:

Bill and I

He came from the clouds On the Isle of Capri And his blue eyes Matched our beautiful sea. We played tennis, swam, danced Looked at the stars and the moon above And to our own surprise We soon were in love.

 It was 1945 when I walked down the aisle And to the amazement of friends I became a war bride. We spent our honeymoon on the Isle of Capri And that was a real treat to me. Then there was Foggia in south Italy Where Bill was stationed And where we lived.

Six month flew by fast Bill was first to return to the U.S. I followed shortly And in 1946 it was Corinth, Mississippi also for me Later Meridian was our home For almost nine years And there we rejoiced For the birth of our son, Fred Blonde curls and blue eyed And of course the joy of our life. The years went by fast And when he was five We went back to Italy And without knowing it To start a new life.

 There in Naples Our little girl was born To join our darling son. Tina Jennie was so pretty Sweet and blonde A real bundle of joy And our dreams were filled With a girl and a boy. In Naples we stayed For 36 years Spending our summers on Capri The children were loving it And so did we.

Time was flying by With incredible speed The children were growing so fast And soon were to leave The family’s nest With a husband and a wife Each couple starting a new life.

Our hair was now graying But we hoped for the best And with Bill’s retirement It was back to the U.S. Our 12 years in Booneville Were nice and quiet Some trips, much golf And good friends were our pastimes. My life is now changed There is a great void For my loved one is gone After 56 years.

It is hard to be alone But my children are near me With much love and affection For this I am so grateful But I am aware still That a chapter is closed And another begins So I pray the good Lord That wherever we go He will bless us from above And keep us all three always united With our strong bond of love.

When she wrote this, she had no idea that she would ever see her adopted Mississippi home again, but she was able to return for our wedding in December 2007. She turned 90 earlier this year and is still in excellent health. I believe much of that is due to the wonderful Capri air and delicious Italian food. Both are exceptionally good for the soul.