Category Archives: Coates-Hoskins

Military Memorabilia – Emergency Signaling Mirror/2

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I found this Emergency Signaling Mirror among some of my Hoskins grandparents’ belongings. This is the ESM/2. The other side is the mirror.

Emergency Signaling Mirror

I assume this was part of the equipment given to my uncle, Albert Hoskins, who served in the Army Air Corp in 1944. Unless, Uncle Don, you brought this back from Korea?

The hole on the lower left was for a lanyard to go through so that it could be worn around the neck or otherwise secured.

The video below is a US government training film about the use of an ESM.

Here are a couple of links with additional pictures and information:
U.S. Militaria Forum
Anaspides.net C-1 Survival Vests

And a bit of trivia … The Smithsonian National Museum of American History has in its collection an ESM given by Julia Child:

Julia Child kept this signaling mirror in her kitchen junk drawer as a reminder of her service in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. Such mirrors were issued to members of the military, merchant seamen, and others, like OSS personnel, serving abroad. Julia’s OSS duties took her to India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and China in 1944-45.

This mirror is model 40653, manufactured by General Electric. Small and compact, it could be used to signal for assistance over a 10-mile distance. Instructions for using the mirror are provided on the device, which also includes a braided lanyard for wearing around the neck.

Did Grandma or Grandpa keep this ESM in a drawer like Julia Child – as a reminder of their son’s service?
Did the youngest brother in the family play with it as a boy?
Do you have an ESM among your family’s memorabilia?

 

Rhythm and Balance

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Rhythm and balance.

Requisite for dancing. Desired for living life well.

My grandmother, Eveline Coates Hoskins, is my example. There was a rhythm to her life. And there was also balance.

Her day followed a pattern:  Work. Rest/play. Work. Rest/play.

Work before play. But not work with no play.

Balance.

Rhythm.

The rhythm of her life was always andante – at a moderate tempo. I did not see her behave as I often do – frantically running around trying to catch up.

She rose and set each day at the same time. She served meals each day at the same time.

During the time I lived with my grandparents, Eveline was in her 50s. I feel certain she didn’t get to live with this much leisure as a young mother of six. Never the less – it is an example I always return to and wish to take as my own.

Eveline Hoskins in Ottumwa copy

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I’m still trying to get back to blogging after illness. It’s going much more slowly than I would like. I found that I have quite a few posts that I started once upon a time, but never finished. Like this one – started over two years ago. I’m sure I had more to add – perhaps I planned to write about the rhythm of Eveline’s week, or record my memories of how she spent her days. My intentions are long forgotten. I think I’ll go ahead a publish a few of these abandoned posts – more or less as they are. Maybe that will be just the spark I need.

Sepia Saturday – Wading in Walnut Creek

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Sepia Sat. 06.28.2014Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images.

It has been a long time since I’ve done a Sepia Saturday post, but when I saw the prompt, I knew I had the perfect picture, so what could I do?

Here is a photograph of my grandmother, Eveline Hoskins nee Coates, standing in Walnut Creek near Mystic, Iowa with her dress hiked up just a wee bit in back.

Eveline Coates

Eveline Coates

She looks happy, with a slight smile for whomever is taking the photograph.

I wanted to take a closer look at her dress, but I must have scanned this from someone else as I don’t seem to have the original so I can’t scan again for better resolution. It’s been over a year since I accessed all of my old photos and moved them to another room, so maybe I’m just not looking in the right place. Doesn’t say much for my organizational skills – or my memory, does it?

Here’s another picture taken that day at the creek.
Eveline at Walnut Creek copy

No smile for this picture and Eveline is partly obscured by the shadows. It looks like there is a lot of debris behind her on the left. Wood scraps? Branches? I keep trying to imagine this photograph in color. I’m sure it was a beautiful setting with the shadows and reflections.

I’m working at blogging regularly and I’m almost there, but what I haven’t been able to get back to yet is the reciprocity. As I incorporate each additional thing to my routine, it takes a bit of effort. Reading and commenting on blogs hasn’t hit the the top of the list yet. That said, I’ll make every effort to get around to as many Sepians as I can since I am participating this week.

Please join me as I happily wade through the posts submitted by other Sepia Saturday participants.