Jeanie Zalmanek

Major Harry P. Gibson

Fri 4/11/2008 8:14 PM

Steve, thank you so much!!!! that makes me very happy to see my dad on there. if you wish, get the information from randyhouse@aol.com about his US alien grandfather prisoner who was at Camp Forrest. he was an artist and did many drawings. The history part of PBS might be interested in his input. thanks again!

Sincerely,
Jeanie

Email sent: Fri 10/12/2007 4:00 PM

Message:

I was glad to see this site on here. I believe it was in 1942 that we arrived in Tullahoma to live. My father was at the northern field as the first temporary commanding officer until the chosen CO arrived months later. I remember going through Camp Forrest with my dad and seeing the POW's out there doing their chores. It was a sight to behold for a little girl! We lived in an area of houses that had been built to hold the influx of military arriving there in Tullahoma. The troops did their maneuvers nearly in our back yard! Where our back yard ended was lots of woods and I remember myself and the other neighbor kids sitting there watching the soldiers. It was exciting to me to see all that. Sometimes, the soldiers would come over and talk to us and tell us sometimes that they had a brother or sister about our age back home. Of course to a seven year old girl they looked old but now I know they were very young and very homesick. They were always very nice and talkative to us kids, I guess it looked like a little bit of home to them. Just thought I would touch base with others that remember those days. Of course, both my parents are gone now but I sure remember those days.

Jeanie Zalmanek
ZalmanekJ@aol.com

Email sent: Tue 04/01/2008 9:20 PM

Message:

HI STEVE,

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER. I SURE DO WISH I HAD SOME PICTURES BUT UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT. ONE THING I REMEMBER THAT I FAILED TO MENTION WAS THAT GENERAL GEORGE PATTON SENT HIS TROOPS TO TRAIN THERE IN TULLAHOMA WHILE WE WERE THERE. THEY DID THEIR TANK TRAINING THERE AND IN THOSE WOODS ADJOINING OUR BACK YARDS. I CAN REMEMBER HEARING THOSE TANKS OUT THERE IN THE WOODS AND CATCHING GLIMPSES OF THEM.. EVERYONE WAS EXCITED THAT THOSE TROOPS OF THAT FAMOUS GENERAL WERE THERE TRAINING IN OUR BACK YARDS ALMOST. I WAS IN THE SECOND GRADE THERE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF TULLAHOMA AND HAVE OFTEN WONDERED IF IT IS STILL THERE. I ALSO REMEMBER EATING AT THE OFFICERS MESS FOR THANKSGIVING ONE YEAR. I KNOW NOW THAT THOSE BOYS THAT TRAINED FOR COMBAT WERE PROUD OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN IT WAS A GREAT HONOR TO SERVE AND PROTECT THIS COUNTRY. I HAD TWO OLDER BROTHERS SERVING OVER IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WITH THE MARINES AT THAT TIME. I WAS SO PROUD OF MY BIG BROTHERS. AND I WAS PROUD TO BE THE DAUGHTER OF MAJOR HARRY P. GIBSON. HE WAS A CAREER MILITARY MAN. PLEASE FORWARD ANYTHING YOU MIGHT HAVE OF THOSE DAYS IF YOU COULD. I LOVE TO LOOK BACK AND SEE WHAT OUR GREAT MILITARY DID DURING THOSE YEARS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR NOTE. BY THE WAY, DO YOU LIVE THERE IN TULLAHOMA?

SINCERELY

JEANIE GIBSON ZALMANEK

Email sent: Tue 04/01/2008 9:20 PM

Message

Jeanie,

I live in Maryville Tennessee which is about 14 miles from Knoxville and about the same to the Smoky Mountains National Park. You are very kind to share with me Jeanie, and I would encourage you to please write some more memories of your childhood at Camp Forrest. There seems to be so many people trying to make a connection to a time past when integrity and honor were first in the hearts of most Americans. I feel so strongly about this that I bought www.campforrest.com and have been reworking it for a few days now.

I feel such a kinship to people who've had loved ones associated to our countries military. My dad was a prisoner of war in Korea for 3 years. My wife and family took care of mom and dad the past 2 1/2 years of their life, and I wish so much I had written more notes of the things he had hidden in his heart. Mom passed away about 3 years ago and 2 years ago this past Christmas dad got up and was not feeling well. I called for an ambulance and we went to the hospital. He never made it back home to open his gifts. I was probably closer to him the last couple of years of his life than all my years.

If you can think of anything you'd like to share with others... please do.

Thanks so much Jeanie for emailing me. May God bless you.

Steve

Email sent: Wed 4/2/2008 8:26 AM

Message:

STEVE,

THANK YOU FOR THE EMAIL. I UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PAST AND ITS MEMORIES OF OUR MILITARY. I AM SO SORRY YOUR DAD SUFFERED THE PRISONER HORRORS IN KOREA. MY HUSBAND WAS ALSO IN KOREA IN THE 1950'S ALTHOUGH WE WERE NOT MARRIED AT THAT TIME. LUCKILY, HE DIDN'T BECOME A POW LIKE SO MANY OTHERS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR FINISHED WEB SITE OF CAMP FORREST WHEN YOU GET IT DONE. I AM GOING TO FIND A PICTURE OF MY DAD AT THAT TIME AND SEND IT TO YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE SINCE HE WAS THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF NORTHERN FIELD FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. I WENT TO CAMP FORREST MANY TIMES WITH HIM WHEN HE WAS THERE. THANK YOU AGAIN AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALSO.

JEANIE

Thu 4/3/2008 11:58 AM

MAJOR HARRY P. GIBSON, HE WAS IN THE ARMY/AIRFORCE UNTIL THEY BECAME SEPARATE SERVICES AND THEN WAS IN THE AIR FORCE. HE SERVED 38 YEARS, RETIRED IN 1953. HE PASSED AWAY IN 1969 AS A LT.COLONEL. HE WAS TEMPORARY COMMANDER OF NORTHERN FIELD WHICH WAS PART OF CAMP FORREST IN TULLAHOMA ,TENNESSEE IN 1942. HE GOT HIS PILOT'S WINGS FTER TRAINING IN FRANCE DURING WW1. HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY WELL.

STEVE, BY THE WAY, THE YOUNGEST GENERAL AT THAT TIME IN THE SERVICE CAME TO BE THE COMMANDER OF NORTHERN FIELD AT THAT TIME. I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME BUT HE WAS IN HIS 30'S AT THE TIME. IF THIS IS OF ANY INTEREST YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO RESEARCH SOME OF THAT AND FIND OUT WHO HE WAS. JUST THOUGHT I WOULD MENTION IT. THE GENERAL WAS LATER KILLED IN A PLANE CRASH. HE WAS STILL VERY YOUNG.

JEANIE