100 years of grit

PERKINS TWP. — On July 9, Duane "Curly" Forster will reach an extraordinary milestone. The World War II veteran and lifelong problem-solver is celebrating his 100th birthday, bringing a century of quiet grit, mechanical ingenuity and unwavering devotion to his family full circle. Currently a resident of the Ohio Veterans Home on Columbus Avenue in Perkins Township, Forster is a man defined by his self-sufficiency. Whether he was building race cars from the ground up, constructing a mountain cabin by hand or raising his daughter as a single father, Forster approached life with a simple philosophy: if you want it done right, do it yourself. "He was always self-sufficient," his daughter, Louann McFarlin, said. "He always did everything. If he couldn't do it, he wouldn't make it. He wanted to make things himself with hands-on experience." She recounted the events of her father's life, including his upbringing, military service and life after the service. Growing up in a different era Born at home near the railroad tracks in Sandusky, Forster grew up in a world that looks vastly different from today. Raised by his parents, Leo and Inez, he spent his childhood in a home that relied on radiator heat and lacked air conditioning. In the sweltering summers, mayflies swarmed the city so thickly they had to be literally shoveled off the streets. Known as "Curly" for his tight dark hair, he spent his youth chasing ice trucks to cool down on hot days, ice fishing on the frozen lake in the winter and taking steam engine trains to visit family in Indiana. He attended the old Sandusky High School downtown, walking miles to go swimming at Lions Park or do calisthenics at the football stadium. He completed four years of high school and graduated in 1944. Before ever putting on a military uniform, Forster put his hands to work as a machinist apprentice at Union Chain Manufacturing Co. in Sandusky from 1944 to 1945. Operating milling, metal sawing and keyseating machines set the foundation for a lifetime of building things from scratch. A call to service As World War II drew toward a close, Forster felt the call to serve. Despite initial pushback from recruiters regarding his eyesight, his sheer determination won out. He completed two months of training at the cook and baker school at Camp Lee in Virginia. He ultimately served as a private in the Headquarters and Service Co., 42nd Engineer Construction Battalion. He arrived overseas just as peace negotiations were underway, but the military immediately shipped him to Korea as tensions in that region began to boil. His time in the service left him with profound memories. A deep lover of children, he once gave a local Korean child a chocolate bar only to watch in horror as an adult local severely beat the child for accepting it. It is a heavy memory he rarely shares. On a lighter note, Forster accidentally made his first and last parachute jump during the war when he stood in at roll call for a buddy who was late returning from leave, entirely unaware the unit was scheduled to jump out of an airplane that day. When offered a reassignment to Panama that came with better pay, Forster swiftly turned it down, wanting absolutely nothing to do with the water, bugs and leeches. He received an honorable discharge at Camp Stoneman in California on July 1, 1947. Today his family preserves a letter from the White House, bearing the signature of President Harry Truman, thanking Forster for answering the call of his country and demonstrating the "fortitude, resourcefulness and calm judgment" necessary to carry out his severe task. Building a life from the ground up Returning to civilian life, Forster never lost his intense work ethic. He worked at local gas stations, drove trucks and found employment at Ward Salvage Yard on Venice Road. It was there he got his hands on his first race car, taking it to the Sandusky Speedway before the track was even paved. True to his nature, Forster refused extra help. He welded the frames, built the engines and designed the cars entirely by himself. "To be honest with you, one of his best accomplishments was building his race car and being proud he did it himself," Louann said. While working a second job at a nearby roller skating rink, he met his wife, Marilyn. Though they eventually divorced amicably, the union gave Forster what he considers his single greatest accomplishment: his daughter. As a single father from the time Louann was 3 years old, he made sure to pass down his mechanical knowledge, teaching her how to change tires, swap spark plugs and work on race cars so she would never be stranded. "He said that it was important for a woman to know how to do that because you never know where you're going to be and something may happen," she said. "So knowing a little bit of knowledge about the vehicle you were in helped you quite a bit." His need for the outdoors eventually drove him to purchase property in Republic, Washington. Surrounding himself with a national forest, Forster — well into his late 70s at the time — hauled lumber, roofing and plumbing materials from an hour away to build a small cabin entirely by hand. His rugged resilience was put to the ultimate test when he suffered a heart attack alone at that cabin. With no cell service available, he loaded his two beloved dogs into his vehicle, drove himself down the side of the mountain to drop them off safely in town and then drove himself to the hospital. A quiet, enduring legacy Forster today lives a much quieter life at the Ohio Veterans Home in the Sandusky area. He rests often and avoids the spotlight, preferring the quiet company of the nursing staff over large crowds. "He never liked the attention or being in the spotlight," Louann said. "He just was that kind of person. He was very humble." He has witnessed a century of rapid technological change. While he despised the introduction of computer chips into vehicle engines because it stripped away his hands-on mechanic work, he embraced early desktop computers, even teaching himself to program a math and sound game for his grandchildren. "It really amazes me how many changes he has seen in 100 years," she added. His legacy now lives on through his three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His great-granddaughter, Alyssa McFarlin, even followed his exact footsteps, joining the U.S. Army and serving as a sergeant. "I am proud to be a great-granddaughter of someone so special and important, and I try to live on his legacy in the U.S. Army every single day," Alyssa McFarlin said. For Louann, that legacy is defined by a lifetime of quiet sacrifices and unconditional support. "My dad has done so much for his family, his parents, nephews, nieces and myself without thinking twice," Louann said. "My dad is my hero and I am very proud of him and what he has accomplished."