Clayton "Johnny" Ryder

The Life and Times of Clayton O. Ryder
By Clayton O. Ryder

I was born March 15th, 1921. And, I was the fourth of six children of Florence “Sperbeck” Ryder and Burnett Ryder. They are Duane, Beatrice, Agnes, Marion, and Daniel. We lived on a farm near Summit. Marion and Dan were born in Charlotteville, where we moved in 1924 and lived in the Charlotteville Hotel. My father was a barber, was a dealer in livestock, ran the hotel, and sold feed and grain. We went to the school in Charlotteville and our teacher was Harold Tinklebough. I only remember a few incidents as we lived there. We used to go sleigh riding on Jeffers Hill in winter. I used to play in the barn, and there were some old auto parts there. We also used to tie a string on a horse-chestnut, which is about the size of a walnut, and twirl it around and throw it in the air. We made our own toys as we did not know about radios, TVs, and computers. I remember once my sister Agnes was standing in the kitchen door, and I proceeded to throw a stone at her; well, I missed her and the stone went through a window my father had just installed. I took off up the hill back of the barn, but being only six or less, my dad soon caught up with me, and I remember him picking up a shingle with which he tested my backside. My bedroom was over the kitchen. I remember some neighbor got married, and I could hear the hollering and shot guns blasting as they were giving them “horning”; it was quite a thrill for me. We had two pool tables in the front of the Hotel, along with my father's barber chair and glass candy counter. One time, we were in by the pool tables and this man that my father knew came in. Apparently, he had been in the spirits and probably was talking bad around us kids. So, my father threw him through the screened-door, and it was all quite a riot. There were three grocery stores that I recall, Sperbeck's, Winfield Harrington's, and John Snook's. There was also, Scabies Milk Plant and Jeffers Mill, and I guess a sawmill or two. Most of the people were dairy farmers. The men either were farmers or worked on farms; some worked on the roads or other odd jobs. There was an undertaker and a doctor, Dr. Bruce, I believe. In 1927, my father was on a trip to a cattle auction and on the way the car got stuck near the West Richmondville-Dorloo railroad crossing. My father died in the wreck. I was only a little over six years old on that day, July 16th, 1927; so, it didn't seem very upsetting to me. This left my mother with six children to take care of. We left Charlotteville, so, my brother, Duane, and sister, Beatrice, could go to high school, as there was only a grade school in Charlotteville. We lived on Union Street near the school. I remember standing on a corner near the school trying to keep my long stockings from falling down, as we wore knickers then. Our neighbor, Ben Baret, later to be road superintendent in Cobleskill, took me fishing at the pond on Elm Street, now Wallaces Junkyard pond. My brother Duane used to trap small animals, skunks, muskrats, etc. and sell the fur. I remember him getting a .22 rifle so he wouldn't have to kill the skunks with a stick. Well, the first skunk he shot peppered him; so much for that. It was quite a change living in the big town of Cobleskill after being in Summit and Charlotteville. Our mother, Florence, passed away from pneumonia on January 11th, 1929, while we were living in Cobleskill. And, on January 23rd, our grandfather, Fran Sperbeck, died of a burst appendix. After our mother passed away, our aunt and uncle, Clarence and Jessie Sperbeck took the six of us to live with them on Pashley Road in Glenville. No, first we lived on Rosa Road near the Oneida School, as I remember going to school there near Ellis Hospital. In 1930, my sister Agnes and I went to Summit to live with our grandmother, Cora Sperbeck. For awhile, we lived in the Toll Gate House on Route 10; it was owned by Mr. Fenton Warner. We were only there a short time as grandmother bought a house on High Street in Summit. It was a nice house with electric and a small garage with a concrete driveway. We also had a “two-holer' for our outside duties. My grandmother was very strict, something we could use a lot of today (1999). We had a garden, as we raised all our vegetables, corn, peas, potatoes, popcorn, radishes, beets, carrots, lettuce, pumpkins, and squash. Grandmother canned a lot of the vegetables and the carrots, potatoes, and beets were kept in baskets in the cellar. The cellar was our refrigerator at the time; it was cool down there so the produce kept good. Grandma would buy two or three bushels of apples for the winter and store them there as well. In the fall, we would get half a hog about a hundred-fifty pounds, and grandma would cut it up and put the ham and bacon in brine for awhile to cure them. She had a small wooden barrel and hung the ham and bacon there and smoked them. I think she used maple wood to do the smoking. This was her project, and we, Agnes and I, did not touch it. She would make sausage and would can that, as well as the rest of the meat, as we had no refrigerator. She would use the left over lard to make soap, with lye and wood ashes. I remember she would put it in a big pan, and when it set, it would be put in an upstairs store room. She would slice it before it got too hard, and we would use the soap during the winter. I remember it was very hard but would eventually make suds. Back to the dreaded garden, we had an old push type cultivator, and I remember the ground was very stony. Sometimes my sister would push and I would pull it with a rope; we had to do this several times during the summer. We used to have to take the bugs off the potatoes; I remember knocking them in a pan, and then stomping them in the ground to kill them. I used to make radish sandwiches; they were very good. Also, we would dig artichokes, not the ones you see in the supermarket, but Jerusalem artichokes. They were very tasty; you could eat them raw or cooked. In the summer, we would go strawberrying all day. We would get several pails full, and at night would have to hull them. Grandma would make biscuits, and we would have shortcake with homemade whipped cream. I had to do all the outside work. We had a drum-wheel lawnmower, and it was quite a job to get the lawn done. Saturday night was bath night in the tub on the kitchen floor. And, every Sunday afternoon, I would have to fill all the water tubs, it would take about seventeen pails every time. Wash day was always on Monday, rain, snow, or shine. In the winter, we would get some apples down cellar and would pop corn and have a feast while listening to the radio. We had a Kalamazoo woodstove in the kitchen that had a reservoir on the end to make us hot water. Grandma made her own biscuits; boy they were good. She would make two loaves of bread and two pans of biscuits every week. Grandma slept in the bedroom off the kitchen, but my sister and I slept upstairs. There was a grating in the floor to get the heat up from the living room, and also the stove pipe ran through our room which made it a little warmer. We slept in a feather bed with two or three blankets on top; you would sink right down in it. Sometimes, we would heat a soap-stone in the oven and wrap it in a cloth, then put it in our bed. After a couple years, Agnes went to Schenectady to live with Aunt Elsie and Uncle Loren Gordon, on Swaggertown Road. I stayed with my grandmother and helped her around the house. We had two wood and coal stoves. So, we would get five tons of coal for the winter and five cords of wood. Also, every summer, we would order a truck load of slabs from Frank Churchill's sawmill on Wharton Hollow Road. To a lad of thirteen or so, that looked as high as a house. I would have to cut this up with a buck saw and split the slabs, as well as make two or three piles of kindling. My grandmother belonged to the Summit M.E. Church. We would go to church every Sunday one hour before church service for Sunday school. Our Sunday school teacher was Miss Alma Wharton, an Aunt of Ernest J. Wharton. She was a very nice lady and quite strict; we learned a lot from her. Sometimes on Sunday, Mr. Miles and Earnest Crapser would entertain us with a few numbers on their violins. We would also have prayer meetings on Thursday nights; they were a little less formal than regular Sunday services and would have some entertainment. In the 1930's, there were three boarding houses or “hotels” in Summit, the Lakeview which was owned by Peter Odell a relative of my grandfather, Daniel Odell. Later on, the Lakeview was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Wharton. There was also the Crows Nest, across the road from the Lakeview, run by a Mr. Wanders. These places would hold thirty to forty summer boarders; they would come by train up from New York City to Richmondville and then on up to Summit. There was also the Summit Rest on the corner and also Dingman's Hotel on the other corner. While I was in Summit, Charles Hingmon owned Dingman's Hotel, but it was later purchased by Joseph Haslun. Mr. Haslun sold farm machinery and cars at the hotel. Summit Rest was at one time Ryder's Hotel; later on, Mortin Stelzer ran it. This was a “dry time” in Summit as prohibition was in effect. They had beer licenses later on. When I was in my early teens, I worked for Mr. Wharton; I would mow lawns, cut firewood, and work on the tennis courts, etc. They also had a boat house and docks on the lake; there were several row boats, and we could take them out on the lake sometimes. At the time, Summit had three grocery stores and three gas stations. The grocery stores were Al Jump and Son, Mr. Emerson Coons', and also there was a store earlier on the corner of Still Hill (the road to Lakeview and West Fulton) that was once run by Frank Ryder. I remember going down there with my grandfather, Frank Sperbeck, must have been about 1928. My grandfather purchased a whet stone for thirty-five cents. As we started back up the hill towards his farm, I asked him if I could carry the whet stone, to which he generously consented. We had walked just a few feet, and I dropped the stone and broke it in two or three pieces. My grandfather never scolded me at all; he was a very kind man. He just went back to Ryder's store and bought another one; I guess he carried that one. The times I spent in Summit were good times. Our next door neighbor, Hiram Felter, was a farmer from Emminence, where he had a large farm. He had a few cows and some horses. I used to help him work. Onetime, he was unloading a truck full of coal, and I helped him expecting a quarter or so. But, when we got finished, he said, “thank you”. Sometimes, he would pay me; so, it was ok. Onetime, we were loading some manure on a wagon and my pitch fork slipped and struck him near his eye; fortunately, I missed his eye. I was scared, but he didn't say anything. Some of our other neighbors were Julia and Jewett Palmer. Once while throwing apples on a stick, one of the apples came off and went through an upstairs window; I took off for my hut I had in the backyard. I came in the house a few hours later, and my grandmother said Mrs. Palmer was down and said I had broken her window and I had to fix it. I went down to Jumps Store and got an 8”x10” glass for ten cents and went up and put the new window pane in. When I was finished, she asked me if I would like a glass of milk and some apple pie. When I was done eating, she laughed as she told me how the apple had gone through the window and rolled down the stairs and out in the kitchen. She thought it was amusing. They were nice people, and I went up there many times. He had a nice garden; I was amazed at how he grew celery, as no one else used to do that. He had a deep trench and had to shade it with boards, so it would bleach and not get green and hard. My first bicycle, I bought from Eli Baker for two dollars and fifty cents; it had thirty-six inch wheels and no brakes. I could out-run all the boys in town; to stop the bike, I would stick my foot between the fork and the tire. I had a lot of shoes that wore out in the middle. Onetime, I braked too hard and my foot stuck, and I went right over the wheel and down the road on my hands and face. That was painful! We had to make all our own toys. I made a wagon out of some wheels I found; we would steer it with a rope or our feet. We used to ride down Summit Street and down around the corner on Route 10. We had someone watching traffic, as we would go pretty fast. In the winter, we would ride downhill on our sleds and some of the older boys had bobsleds, which could carry six to eight people. We would start at the top of the hill and go right down across Route 10 and on down Still Hill on the road to the Lakeview. We would ride about every night and get cold and wet, but it was great fun. I went to the Summit School from 1931-1935. My first teacher was Marion Smith, later Mrs. Nicholas Moat. And, later on I had Amelia (Radez) Hellijas. I would walk to school of course. It was a one room school house; we had about twenty students in grades 1 to 6. Our toilets were outside, one on each side of the house. I remember a large potbelly stove which took big chunks of wood and coal to run. Harvey Caville and I would go down about seven o'clock and start the fire; sometimes, if was below freezing in there, but it would warm up pretty fast. At recess, we would all go out and play winter or summer. We all carried lunch boxes; I remember eating a lot of peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Up the street lived the Hellijas family, Charles, Myrtle and their sons, Howard, Ray, and Ted. I used to go up there quite often. Ray ran a garage and Charlie had a sawmill; both were very interesting to a young boy. They were a good family, staunch Republicans, and friends of mine all their lives. I used to go fishing for bullheads with Charlie; we would pick night crawlers and go over to the Bear Gulf on Summit Lake. We had a lantern and flash lights and would stay up till nine or ten at night. Usually, we would catch four or five; they were very good eating but hard to skin. My grandmother would fry them along with some fired potatoes. Boy, that was good eating. Some of the boys I played with were, Martin Stelzer, Harvey Caville, Harold Cass, George and Einar Haslun, Louis Snyder, Hauser and Clarence Becker, and Hall and Jim Von Valen. Up the hill behind our house was the stone quarry. Us boys used to go up there many times and play. There were some small caves and a large cliff. This was a quarry in the late 1800's and early 1900's when there was mostly flat stones used for side walks and cellar walls. There was a high mountain and you could look down on Summit and Summit Lake. One could see Mt. Utsayantha in Stamford on a clear day. I remember when there was a fire at the Lakeview. It was in 1933 I believe. At the time it was owned by Peter Odell, a distant relative, as my father's mother was Helen Odell. It was mostly a chimney fire, and the hotel was saved. One of the attractions was Emmerson Coons' grocery store. You could buy everything from groceries to gasoline, kerosene, hardware, tires, cow feed, etc. Sometimes, there was a pitch game going. Ten cents a game and five cents a set up; that was quite a lot of money back then. If you won a game, you could win up to a dollar. Sometimes, there was a dice (crap) game going on, but it was too high stakes for me. There was a punch board there for five cents a punch; one time I won twenty-four candy bars; what a treat that was for a twelve to fourteen year-old boy. My aunt and uncle, Melora and William Ryder (my father's brother) lived on a farm about one mile down the Summit-Charlotteville Road. I used to go down there quite often; sometimes, I would ride on the hay wagon with my Uncle Will. One time I was riding with him, and we passed two boys. My uncle stopped the horses and asked them if they were tired of walking; and they eagerly said “yes”. Well, my uncle said, “run awhile”; it surprised me and the boys. I don't think the boys thought it was funny at the time. Summit had a town baseball team. The ball park was up on the hill above the Toll-Gate House, near town. I was too young to play then, but I used to go to most of the games. Some of the players were Victor & David Bunn; Ted & Ray Hellijas; Earl & Arlon Wharton; Louis Snyder, Sr.; Maurice Bradley, Sr.; and Pat O'Neill. Us boys used to play ball in school and in the summer, but not on the town team. Also, Doug & Roger Peck played sometimes on the town team. All the games were on Sunday afternoon. To get money for balls, bats, and other equipment, they would take up a collection and get donations. Us boys would work Saturdays on local farms helping in haying and corn cutting. We got one dollar a day and our dinner. The dinners were great, roast beef or chicken, potatoes and gravy, vegetables, sweet corn, and apple pie with coffee. Some of the people I worked for were Maurice Bradley, Everett Morey, Howard Palmer, Joseph Haslun, Ed Mayster, Sam Lape, George Wayman, and Frank Ryder. Down the street from our house lived Miss Bennet from New York City. Her brother, Willard Bennet, worked for the Sun Oil Company in New York City. He would come up occasionally and spend a few days here. I used to do chores for her, mow her lawn, work in the garden, cut wood, etc. Sometimes, she would have me sit down, and she would talk to me about being a good boy. It seemed like she talked to me for hours, and I couldn't wait to get outside. I thought that was boring, but she was a good person. I suppose it didn't hurt me. Onetime, two or three of us boys rode our bikes over to the Bears Gulf, and we got throwing stones. Well, it seems some windows in a camp got broken. There were some people in a boat, and they yelled at us, and we got out of there in haste. I went home and was working on my bike just inside the garage door. I looked up, and saw the largest State Trooper in the world. He said, “I heard you boys broke some windows.” I said, “not me.” He said, “Don't lie to me.” I was shaking in my boots. He said I had to pay two dollars to fix the windows and had two weeks to get the money. I worked like the devil to make the money, and had it in two weeks. My grandmother saved the money for two years, and no one ever came to get it. I did learn a lesson I guess. Starting in seventh grade, I went to school in Richmondville. The year was 1935. Our bus driver was Bill Mosemon from Charlotteville. I think we had the same bus driver for all the five years I went to school there. Some of our teachers were Harold Wines, Mr. Schaen, Mr. Cahill (music), Mr. Kraut (sports), Mr. Stevens, Miss Hiller, Mrs. Peck, Miss McFarlond, Miss Rawlonds, Miss Bailey, and Miss Bruce. Our school Principal was Mr. Simpson, then Mr. Bidwell, and later Mr. Firman, who was also a teacher. I was in the class of 1940 along with my future wife, Alma Rightmyer. I played basketball three years and baseball three years. I either pitched or played left field. Our coaches were Mr. Kraut and Mr. Wines. Some of the team members were Stanton Wilcox, Ivan Butler, Ivan Brookes, Mike Smith, Ted Simmons, Maurice Karker, Louis Karker, and Paul Zitco. We played in a league that consisted of Jefferson, Schoharie, Middleburg, Sharon Springs, Stamford, and Richmondville. Schoharie was usually the best team, and we were third or fourth best. But, we played hard and had a lot of fun. I did a lot of the pitching, along with Jerry Rallengen; he was right handed, and I was left handed. I used to get a lot of strike outs, but I was also wild. Onetime, I struck out twelve and walked thirteen. In the summer of 1937, I went to Schenectady and spent the summer with my aunt and uncle, Jessie and Clarence Sperbeck. I got a job with a vegetable farmer. I started picking strawberries and beans for twenty cents an hour. Isn't that something? I had to walk about two miles to work, and we worked ten hours a day. So, I made about two dollars a day. I worked all summer and made enough money to buy my clothes for the year. My Uncle Clarence took me to Montgomery Ward in Albany, and I spent fifty dollars on school clothes. That would only buy a pair of shoes today! In the fall of 1937, I went back to school in Richmondville. I got a job with Albert and Maggie Sperbeck; I helped feed the cows, bottle the milk, and peddle the milk around town. I had to get up at 4:00 or 4:30 and help in the barn, then peddle the milk, and then get to school by 8:00. I walked to school with Arville Sperbeck, Pete's brother. In 1938, I went to a birthday party at Alma Rightmyer's, and we have been together since that time. We were married in 1943. I was supposed to graduate in 1939, but I missed some school due to pneumonia. So, I did not graduate until 1940, along with Alma. We went to New York City on our school trip, and went to the New York World's Fair. After graduating on June 24th, 1940, I spent the summer working around Summit doing farm work, etc. I would go down to see my girlfriend, Alma, just about every night. I was living with my grandmother, Cora Sperbeck, at the time. In November, Donald Ostranger and I went to Schenectady to work and study in the N.Y.A. Youth Program. We lived with my brother, Duane Ryder, and his wife, Margaret, in Scotia, NY while we were there. In January of 1941, Donald and I went to Eastport, ME to the N.Y.A. school at Quoddy Village. For six months, we went to aircraft school. We got room and board and five dollars a month while we were there. We traveled around quite a bit. There was an Indian village, Pasamaquoddy, nearby, and we visited that. It was a very simple existence for them, and they looked poor. Onetime, we took an overnight trip to St. Stephen, Canada; that was interesting. We had our first try at candle pin bowling; it was different. The ball was about the size of a soft ball and the pins were very slender. It was very hard to get a strike, but it was fun. At Eastport, the tide rises 28 feet twice a day and was very interesting. William Winegard was up at Eastport for a year ahead of us and got a very good education in aircraft. We studied all aspects of airplane engines and the aircraft itself. We came home in June of 1941, and I rode a bus for six-hundred miles, very tiring. I took the rear seat in the bus; that was a mistake, as it bounced all the way home. I went right to see Alma and my grandmother in Summit. On June 3rd, Bill Winegard, Harold Ostrander, and I went back to Eastport in Harold's car. On July 22nd, we came home for good having graduated from the aircraft school. In the summer of '41, I worked around Summit at various jobs. I worked at carpenter jobs with William Von Buren. We installed a new roof for Joseph Haslun in Summit. When we were finished, I went up a rope to uncover the hay we had covered up with canvas to keep the nails out of it. The rope untied, and I fell twelve feet onto a concrete walk. This happened on August 9th. I went home and bandaged my arm. That evening, I went down to see my girlfriend, but my arm hurt so bad I had to come home. The next day, I went to Richmondville to Dr. Kasday, and he put my arm in a splint. And, the next day, I went to Dr. Oliver, and x-rays showed I had a cracked bone in my wrist. It was put in a cast and was ok after a couple weeks.On August 18th, I went to Schenectady to visit my aunt and uncle, Jessie and Clarence Sperbeck. I also visited my brother, Duane Ryder, and his wife, Margaret. While I was there, I went to enlist in the Air Force on August 28th, 1941. After taking physical and mental tests, I was inducted into the Army Air Corps by Sergeant Harry Cohun. (Note: On February 23, 1993, I read a notice in the Schenectady Gazette of the death of Sgt. Cohun at 94 years old.) After enlisting in the Air Corps, I went into the service on October 2, 1941. I got a ride to Richmondville with Grant Brown, a farmer from Fox's Vly in Summit. Alma's Parents, Morris and Dora Dillenbeck, took us to Schenectady and we stayed with my brother and his wife that night. And, on October 2nd, I took a bus to Albany where we stayed overnight. I met two boys from Amsterdam, Benny Santos and Larry Stevens; we were together until April 1942. From Albany, we went by train to New York City and on to Fort Dix, New Jersey. We were in Fort Dix two weeks where we took basic training…learning to march, etc. There were hundreds of men coming in there everyday. One day, I had KP, and I was on duty fourteen hours. Some start that was! I was lucky I had it only once there. We were sent to Jefferson Barracks near St. Louis, Missouri on October 18th. This was an older army base and had very nice army grounds. We had a lot more basic training here. We were only a short ways from St. Louis, but I did not get to go there. In November 1941, we were sent by train to Biloxi, Mississippi; it was a great experience for a young fellow, as I had never went that far before. This was a new base, and, they were just finishing building it when we got there. This base was called Keesler Field. And, it was an Air Corps mechanics school. This was a large army base, and there were about 50,000 troops there. I think there were ten squadrons there of about 5,000 men each. We had ten mess halls, and it was really something to feed 5,000 men in about an hour.We had a very busy schedule, six days a week of six hour-long classes. We studied about aircraft motors, hydraulics, electrical systems, air frame, etc.Our barracks were laid out in a square of about twenty buildings with an office building, latrines, supply building, and recreation hall to each group.The officers in charge were very strict, as it was the “old army men” in charge. Later on, after we were out of school, the men in charge were of the new enlistees, and they were not so tough to get along with. Most of the fellows were nineteen to twenty-four, I was twenty at the time. Camp life wasn't too hard at this time, as we spent most of our day in school.We had Sundays off, so we usually went down to Biloxi to see the sights; we had to be back by 8pm.Onetime, Benny Santos, Mason and I took a bus to Mobile, Alabama. All we did was have something to eat and then started back. The bus only went to Pascagoula, so, we had to hire a taxi. And, we were late getting back, so we snuck under the fence and ran through the orderly room, threw our passes in the box and took off. We had our winter uniforms on and didn't have time to change. So, we put our coveralls on over our uniforms, and we had to run several blocks to school. When we got there, we were covered with sweat, and I had a hard time staying awake. We never did that again.We graduated from AM School in 1942, and I was sent to Morrison Field in West Palm Beach, Florida. That was a small Air Force base, only about 200 men. We lived in four man tents, and we had our private mess hall. The food was really good, the best I had for all my time in the service. This was an Army transport base or ATC. We serviced planes that were on their way overseas.I had my first plane ride here on a C-47; we took a trip over to Tampa, Florida. That was a great experience for us at the time. We were fairly busy there, but most of us were homesick. I missed Alma very much. We both wrote to each other nearly everyday. Sometimes, she would send cookies which we all enjoyed.We were about three miles from West Palm Beach which was a beautiful city. The people were very good to service men there. We used to go to Palm Beach and go swimming in the ocean.We met a butler of a wealthy doctor, and when the doctor was not there, we would go swimming in his pool. And also, he would make us drinks. He used to make daiquiris for us, and they were great. But, he would never tell us how he made them.In the summer of '42, we could not go on the beach after dark, as there was a black-out in the city. Some ships were hit by German subs off shore, and sometimes, the survivors were brought to our hospital.I became 21 on March, 15th; so, I got a furlough to come home to sign some papers. While I was home in April, Alma and I got engaged. We got our rings at Siegel's in Schenectady.I was home about two weeks and had a great time with Alma and my family. I took a train back to Florida; it was a Champion, a real fast train. It took twenty-four hours to go from NY to Miami.While I was in Florida, I signed up to take pilot training. In November 1942, I went to Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Alabama. The pilot training was very hard. We had a lot of school work, as well as two hours of physical training everyday. The training was very much like the training at West Point, very strict, but very interesting.After graduating from basic training at the pilot school in Montgomery, I was sent to Orangeburg, South Carolina for my flight training work. We learned to receive and send wireless Morse code and many other things.We flew in P-29s, which were biplanes; it was a great thrill. We were given ten to twelve hours of training on taking off and landing. After twelve hours, we were supposed to be ready to fly solo; however, I did not make it and washed out.I really didn't care, as I was sick of it. About fifty percent of us didn't get through this primary training. After one graduated primary training, they went on to basic training on bigger and faster planes. After basic, they went to advanced training where they learned radio air navigation, and when you graduated, you were a lieutenant. Then they went on to the flying training on the various types of planes.After I washed out of flying training, I was sent to Smyrna, Tennessee, which was where they trained newly graduated pilots to fly in B-24 heavy bombers. I was to be here for two years. We learned about air craft maintenance, and also flew on these flights. It was very interesting, almost at good as flying ourselves. We took all sorts of flights, usually about five hours at a time. Sometimes, we would practice landings ten to twenty times a day.We flew in two shifts, changing every two weeks. The night flying was much different and we would fly up to Chicago, which was a beautiful sight with all the lights. It is a very large city.Sometimes, we would fly down to Mobile, Alabama, on to Atlanta and then back to Smyrna in about four to four and a half hours. Onetime, we went to Miami, Florida and stayed overnight.My job was Aerial Engineer or “mechanic”. I had to check the engines and landing gear.I got a furlough in August 1943, and Alma and I got married on September 4th, 1943. We were married in Rexford, near Schenectady. Our former minister performed the wedding, Reverend George Swart. My brothers and sisters were there, as well as Alma's parents. We had the reception at the Circle Inn in Latham, NY.I was home for awhile, and when I went back, my wife went with me. She stayed for two weeks; we had rooms on the base, and we enjoyed that. When we had days off, we would sometimes take a bus to Nashville and see the sights. Sometimes, we would check out the bars. Nashville was the capital of Tennessee and had many interesting buildings, the Grand Ole Opry, the Parthenon, the Capitol, the Hermitage, President Jackson's home, Vanderbilt University, and the Maxwell House restaurant; Alma and I had dinner there once. It was a very nice place.I had a fifteen day furlough in March 1944. While I was home, I spent most of the time with Alma. We went to see my grandmother in Summit, as well as my brothers and sisters in Scotia and Schenectady. We also went to see my Aunt and Uncle in the city.Alma went back to Nashville with me, and we got an apartment there. I had to go back on duty on the 6th of April. I commuted by bus everyday from Nashville to the base, twenty-three miles. We had a small furnished apartment owned by landlords who lived in the other half of the house. They were nice people and treated us well. We paid fifty dollars a month for the apartment. On weekends when I was off duty, we went downtown. We visited restaurants and places of interest. This was the most enjoyable part of my time stationed in Smyrna. We were together in Nashville for nine months, and we had a great time.We got to meet several of the local people. There was store and a barber shop next door. A Mr. Ryon lived across the street, and onetime, he brought over some collard greens, an old southern dish. He also came over with a pan full of chicken in ice once.We had some great times there and will always remember them.On December 27th, the weather was bad, so we could not get in flying time. When the weather cleared up, we went to Scotts Bluff, Nebraska; it was ten below zero but did not seem so cold. We went on to Denver, Colorado for one day, and then on to Wichita, Kansas. We left Wichita on New Years Eve, and flew back to Nashville, but it was so foggy we couldn't land. So, we went back to Wichita. It was New Years Eve, and we, ten of us, were all broke, but the captain got a hundred dollar money order and let each of us have ten dollars to go out. The only trouble was that Kansas was a dry state, but we had a good time in spite of it. The next day, January 1st, 1945, we flew back home.The second week in January, I got orders to report to Burbank, California. Alma had to come home, as I thought I may be going overseas. At this time, the war was still on with Japan. This was a sad day for us, as we were having such a good time in Nashville. My unit was sent to B-17 school at a Lockheed factory for four months. The factory was in Burbank, just a few miles from Hollywood.On weekends, sometimes, we could go downtown to see the sights. We saw the Hollywood Bowl, the Palladium, and the Hollywood Canteen, where some the movie stars worked. At the Palladium, we saw some big bands, such as Gene Krupa, Harry Carle, and Harry James. They were great, and it only cost ninety cents to get in!We were there only four months, and I got a twenty-three day leave to come home. After that, I would report to Barksdale AFB in Shreveport, Louisiana. I came home, and it was good to see my new wife and relatives.When I went to Louisiana, of course I took Alma with me. We went by train to New Orleans and then on up to Shreveport. When I got to Barksdale AFB, I worked on aircrafts. This was a permanent base, and the buildings and grounds were beautiful.We lived in Shreveport and rented small apartments. We had a good time while we were there. Shreveport is a very nice city, and we got to see the sights.In August 1945, we left Shreveport, and I was sent to Savannah, Georgia. The apartments we had there weren't too good, but we enjoyed ourselves in this old city. While in Savannah, we got a surprise, as Alma was pregnant. I had some medical problems; so, we were surprised. I had as serious sinus problem, and we thought it was why I was temporarily sterile. I must have been okay then. I got my discharge on November 28th, 1945 in New York at Roosevelt Field. Alma came up to New York alone, as I had to stay one day. Alma's parents picked up Alma in Schenectady, and I came up the next day. Four years, one month and twenty-nine days and I was out of the service. It was a great trip, and I don't regret the times, some good, some not so good. While I did not fight any great battles or fly in some dangerous bombing missions, I felt I had done my job. We trained hundreds of pilots to fly B-24 bombers, and I know some of them never got to come home like me.I know for a fact that three of the men who were in AM school with me lost their lives, and I feel sorry for them and their families. So, that was my military life.In 1946, I was finally home and living with my in laws Dora and Maurice Dillenbeck. It took me awhile to get back in shape, as I had ulcers, probably from flying. I worked with Maurice doing plumbing, etc. On July 22nd, 1946, our son, James was born in the nursing home in Cobleskill, NY. He weighed 8-9 oz.In 1946, my father-in-law gave us a one acre lot up the road on high street, where I managed to build a small bungalow, four rooms and a bath. It was a cozy place, and we lived there until 1954. Our son Richard was born December 14th, 1953. We sold that place and moved to an apartment on Grove Street, next to Galdrings Green House. The house belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Herron. It wasn't such a great place, but we managed. I had been working at General Electric for four years and was laid-off in 1955.In the summer of 1955, we moved to Richmondville to Percy Davis' house over the store on Main Street. I was working at my own business, wiring and plumbing. In 1957, I went to work for Herman Shafer Plumbing & Electric in Cobleskill and worked there two or three years.On March 21st, 1958, our son Stephen passed away. That was a very low time for us. He was such a fun loving little boy, and we miss him very much. I worked at the Warnerville Garage for a year or so; Leland Manchester was building the trailer park for Burt and Shepard. They were erecting new houses on Campus Drive, and I did all the electric and plumbing work in several houses. We also did major construction on the Stamford Creamery. We had a gang of seven or eight men, and we had a good time working together.We moved to West Main Street in Richmondville in 1961, and lived there four years in the former house of Fred Beagle. It was a large seven room house with a huge living room with a fireplace. In August of 1966, we bought a house on Franzen Road, an old tenant belonging to Mrs. Piersall. It had three or more acres with a stream and also a lot of repairs to be made. And this is where I have spent the remaining years of my life with my wife.

In loving memory of Clayton “Johnny” Ryder,
March 15, 1921-July 9, 2008.