Don Graves one of the few WW2 veterans around

By Don Rush

According to US Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 167,284 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2022. According to Jim Parkhurst, Oxford’s American Legion Walter Fraser Post 108 historian, “there’s only a handful left around here, five or six.”

One of the “handful” is Don Graves, 98, who still lives in the area he has called home for most of his life. “I was born in Lake Orion before we moved up to Oxford when I was in the third grade,” he said recently, “I always like living in Oxford. I didn’t care too much for surrounding towns like Orion or Pontiac.”

Up until three years ago he continued to play on a golf league at Oxford Hills Golf Club, on E. Drahner Road and was “and always will be” a member of the American Legion.

When asked what he remembered about being in the Europe Theater of Operations (ETO) during WW2 he answered, “Not a hell of a lot. It’s kinda hard to remember that far back.” He then added after a chuckle, “We got over there by ship and I was terribly sick. I think I got sea sick just stepping onto the ship.”

He quit Oxford High School after the 11^th grade and married the woman he would be with for the next five decades, Bette, on Nov. 27, 1942.

Already married to Bette for almost three months, Graves enlisted in the United States Army on Feb 12, 1943. He was 18 and sent to Fort Custer in Augusta, MI for basic training. He served just 10 days shy of four years in Comp. C of the 342^nd Infantry Regiment in the 86^th Infantry Division, seeing combat from Germany to France, before receiving his honorable discharge.

The Oxford Leader recorded the following notices on his military life.

Feb. 19, 1943: “Don Graves left for Camp Custer Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Graves were there to see him Sunday.”

March 30, 1945: Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Graves have received word that their son, Sgt. Donald Graves has recently arrived in France and is in a hospital where he will undergo an operation.

Jan. 25, 1946: Sgt. Don Graves, home on a 45 day furlough from Ft. Sheridan, his wife and Sgt. Delbert Graves, recently discharged after service in Japan, and his wife. (Editor’s Note: Two of Don’s brothers, Delbert and Walter also were in the armed services during WW2.)

Feb. 1, 1946: Sgt. Donald Graves, who was spending a 45-day leave at home, was called back to Ft. Sheridan where he received his honorable discharge. Don has been in the service three years, of which 8 months were spent in the E.T.O. He was awarded the Purple Heart, one Bronze Star and the Good Conduct Medal He is now planning to attend a trade school.

According to his daughter Kim Terry while in the war as a machine gunner, he rose in rank to sergeant and became leader of a light armored, machine gun squad. And, the reason he went to a hospital in France was to fix a hernia.

He and Bette had three surviving children, Michael, MaryLou (Moroski) and Kim. They lived on Division Street in Oxford Village. He worked as a butcher at the Oxford Food Locker, 48 N. Washington St., where Steve’s Auto is currently and eventually bought into the business with Ethel Webster and her husband J.C.

According to an Oct. 9, 1957 Oxford Leader article, “It was announced this week that effective September 24, a change of ownership for the Oxford Food Locker was completed. New owners are Mrs. Ethel Webster, a former part owner of the business, and Don Graves. Plant Improvements planned by the new owners include an addition to the back of the building, to be done in the spring, and a new front for the building. Already, the Interior has been remodeled. Mrs. Webster has been employed by the Food Locker company for ten years and during the past year was part owner. Graves, who worked four years for the company, from 1946 to 1950, has been employed by them since April of this year.”

They sold the business to Bob Tibbits in April of 1963. After that, Graves said he worked for a few months for Oxford Village and then hired on as a truck driver for the Oakland County Road Commission. “It was better pay and insurance,” he said.

Graves retired from the county in 1984.

But, that didn’t mean he was done working. From the time he got home and into butchering he also butchered deer. After selling the Food Locker Graves Deer Processing was run out of the family garage on Division Street. A 1980, Leader article reported, “Area hunters have been doing business with Don Graves of Oxford since 1946. With a clean white packing room set up in his garage. Graves carves an average of 200 animals per year. The year before last was a record season with 249 deer going across his cutting tables. The season’s kill usually comprises 85% bucks at an average of 125 pounds apiece. ‘We get some big ones,’ said Graves, ‘but there really aren’t too many that come in with a rack of 10 points or more . . .”

He operated the plant well into the 1990s. His wife Bette passed on Nov. 10, 1998.

He and Bette’s three children provided the couple with seven grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and three, great-great grandchildren. “And we all still live in the Oxford area,” granddaughter Jennifer Mosqueda said.