Luke's Essay

Luke will be turning this essay in tomorrow, he worked hard on it, and I was so happy to find a great picture of the two of them.

My Great Hero

By: Luke Marnell

            My hero is my Pepere, my great grandfather, Arthur E. LeBeau.  Pepere is my hero because he served in World War II, and because he raised such a great family.  Pepere had ten kids and his second daughter is my Memere.  

            During WW II Pepere was a Staff Sergeant in the Army Air Corps.  He served from September 1941 to January 1946.  He was stationed at Miami, Florida, and Trinidad near South America.  While in Trinidad he was a radar operator on a B-18 bomber, which patrolled for German submarines.  He was also stationed in the Philippines and Okinawa, Japan.  While there he was a radar operator on a C-47 cargo plane air dropping supplies to soldiers in the jungle.  Pepere also flew over Nagasaki, Japan two days after the atomic bomb was dropped. 

            Pepere said he was scared a few times.  First, at mail call in Okinawa there was a sniper in a tree that shot a couple of guys before they got the sniper.  Another time the plane he was in ran off the run way and crashed into a ditch.  When that happened, the propeller came apart and it went through the seat behind him. 

             After WWII Pepere went home to Connecticut and married Helen Gadbois, and together they raised ten kids.  This is another reason Pepere is my hero because he is such a family man.  When we go to Connecticut he makes really good pop-eyes, when he has us over for special breakfasts.  One time he flew all the way to Montana to see us, and he was 90 years old.  Also every time he sees us he gives us all 5 bucks, and that makes me feel special.  I hope to show love as he does someday.

            Pepere is my hero because he is brave, he fought in WWII.  He was also scared sometimes and taught me that being scared is okay.  He also loves me a lot and is a good family man.  I hope someday if my country needs me I am brave enough to volunteer.  Someday I also hope to be as good of a great grandfather as he is.