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Eldon And Jeanette Sherwin 56 Years Together... Bristol Couple Shares Memories With The Voice

photo by Mike Cameron

Tuesday November 20, 2012

By Mike Cameron

   Being invited into the home of Eldon and Jeanette Sherwin led to an afternoon of wonderful conversation and reminiscence about immigration, the U.S. Marines, the Korean War, Canada and U.S. relations, a career in the electronics industry and the joy of raising miniature horses.  Like all great stories it began with a great beginning.  It was the early 1950's.

    “I was in Canada and wanted to begin an adventure.  At the time the U.S. Marines were recruiting Canadian citizens and I was interested,” Mr. Sherwin remembers.  An agreement was struck with the necessary bureaucrats from Canada and the United States,  paperwork was processed and clearances achieved for this young Canadian, then 18, to become a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.  

    Eldon was off to Paris Island, South Carolina and the infamous boot camp regimen of the Corps in the 1950's.  The Marines have always had an excellent working relationship with Canada and many Canadian Nationals have served with distinction in the Marine Corps.  Some like Eldon have gone on to become naturalized citizens of the U.S.  Canadian born U.S. Marines have a legacy of excellence.

    “After boot camp some of us went to school to learn how the supply system works in the Marines,” Eldon recalls.  He attended Supply School at the Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejune, North Carolina.  It would prove to be an excellent career move for the young 'Leatherneck'.  To understand this, it's important to remember that all Marines are trained to be riflemen first and foremost.  After boot camp other avenues are open to those who qualify.

    The Korean War was stalemated in a cease-fire when Eldon was assigned to the 1st Marine Division after his training at Supply School, July 13th 1953, then shipped out to Korea from San Diego.  His troop ship eventually anchored off Inchon.  “We were aboard ship for a month or more and that was a long time for us with rifle inspections daily one wet and one dry.”  Meaning one inspection was with lube on the weapons moving parts and one with the oil and lube wiped off.  The Marine Corps infantry service weapon for riflemen at this time was the 30-caliber M-1 Garrand called by many old salts from World War II 'Old Reliable'.

    Eldon and his brothers in arms were stuck on the ship.  Going ashore was out until later approved to replace existing Marine units rotating out from their positions ashore.  “Because of the cease-fire rules which were monitored under the authority of the UN no further troops could come ashore without an equal number of troops leaving the area.  No weapons could come ashore at all.  We took possession of the man's weapon we replaced ashore and then went to our assigned units inland.  This was all watched closely by the UN inspectors.”

    Eldon spent a year in Korea from that point on, as American and North Korean troops became involved  in a kind of stare-down along the 38th Parallel now the dividing line between Communist North and Free Democratic South Korea.  The situation has not changed since Eldon Sherwin and other Marines rotated out after their year tour of duty in country.

    After returning home Eldon was stationed at the Marine Base at Quantico Virginia in 1955 and through the guidance and sponsorship of the Marines and the cooperation of the Canadian Government he became an American citizen taking the oath of citizenship in Washington D.C.   “It was a great feeling becoming an American citizen,” Eldon remarked with a smile while his wife nodded her approval as we all sat around the Sherwin kitchen table.

    Jeanette was a big influence in his life and she still is.  “We met Labor Day weekend in Boston in 1955 she said with the hint of a little grin and were married in 1956, he liked to move fast,” she recalled and we all had a great chuckle.  A 56 year love affair, bravo!

    Mr. Sherwin worked for Raytheon Corporation at their research lab in Waltham Massachusetts and he and Jeanett have raised four children who now have children of their own.  “They are now settled all across the country,” the couple explained with justifiable pride.

    In 1968 the Sherwin's moved to a  40 acre farm near Bristol and the village of New Haven where Eldon raises Miniature Horses.  “They love any kind of activity and we use them for small scale horse logging.”  The little horses love to work.  “We use them singly, which leaves the other two together at home for companionship or mischief,”  Eldon says.  He has been a member of the Green Mountain Draft Horse Association for many years which is a story in and of itself.

    The Sherwin's left me with this to think about after our conversation.  “ My children's, children will be the first generation born in the land of their father.  My grandfather was born in Ireland and migrated to England.  My Father born in England migrated to Canada and you know my story about me being born in Canada and migrating here,” Eldon said.

    When the interview was over, the Sherwin's showed me to their back porch and we briefly enjoyed a beautiful sunset on a crisp early fall afternoon.  Thanks to Janette and Eldon Sherwin it had been a beautiful day.

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