Tomas Querer
inherited a small grocery shop at an early age. He was fifteen when
he heard of the news that his uncle had deceased and had left him the
store in a small village at the foot of the Alps. Reluctant he accepted
this calling and runned the place with moderate success for 3 years.
Until one night, in a mood of self-loathing, he stole a lottery ticket
from his own store. To his surprise he won a nice sum of money which
sufficed for buying a passage to the
United States. Arriving there shortly before WW II he enlisted in the
army out of a feeling of guilt for having won by stealing from himself.
In 1942 he was sent to Europe, serving in the tanker “Destroyer”.
He was then transported to the 773rd battalion in General Patton’s
3rd army. He was stationed, fought or campaigned in Scotland, England,
Wales, France (Normandy Invasion), Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany (Battle
of the Bulge) and Occupational Forces in Czechoslovakia after the end
of the war. He was one of the thousands of men shipped home on the Queen
Mary.
3 years after his return he died of heart failure. He received an honorary
burial at Interment Forrest Lawn-Covina California.