My father Bernard was in seminary studying for the Catholic priesthood during the 1930s, later leaving prior to ordination. He returned to Indianapolis and worked in several jobs prior to enlisting in April 1941. He was subsequently assigned to a base in Denver CO.

On Christmas Eve that year he looked to join a choir at a local parish to sing Midnight Mass. He was directed to St. Philomena parish and serendipitously met my mother, Margaret Ellen McQuaid that evening while they sang at Mass. They began dating and soon after on February 14th, 1942 my father proposed to my mother while kneeling in a snowy City Park in Denver. Not long after that he was reassigned to Miami leaving her behind as they continued to court via mail correspondence.

This continued over the spring and summer. With only days notice, Bernard sent a telegram to Margaret sharing he had secured a few days of leave for a wedding and brief honeymoon. Margaret packed a few bags and took the train from Denver to Indianapolis where she briefly met her in-laws to be at Union Station before boarding her next train to Miami.

They were married on Thursday September 17,1942 at 0900 in the base chapel by the Catholic chaplain. They had a few days together in Miami Beach and later relocated back in Indianapolis where Bernard was administrative assistant to the Stout Field adjutant general.

Bernard worked his entire career after active duty discharge with the Veterans Administration in mortgage service. He retired in 1976. They were married 37 years and had nine children before Bernard’s death in 1978. Margaret passed away in 1981. Theirs was a great WWII love story and as their daughter I enjoy continuing discovery of the family genealogy. My family and I live on the decommissioned base where he originally enlisted in 1941, Ft Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis.

Bernard J Traub