NEW WINDSOR, N.Y., June 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul® was
born as World War II was coming to a close, with its first one-way
trailers made available to the moving public on or about
July 4, 1945.
Just as U-Haul is celebrating 75 years of service this year,
America will soon celebrate the 75th anniversary of V-J Day. This
signifies Victory over Japan and
is observed Sept. 2 when the signing
of surrender occurred, effectively ending WWII.
Veterans such as New
Windsor native Warren S.
Craig returned home to start a new life after the war, and
in doing so planted the seeds of prosperity for U-Haul, a product
of the peace for which they fought.
WWII-era Navy veteran L.S. "Sam" Shoen and his wife,
Anna Mary Carty Shoen, conceived
U-Haul in June 1945 when they
recognized a basic need while moving up the West Coast, having left
behind most of their belongings since one-way trailer rentals did
not yet exist. From that idea, an industry was created and a new
level of mobility became attainable for every American family.
New Display at Pearl
Harbor
Today, U-Haul is committed to honoring veterans and supporting
veteran causes. This is accomplished through recruiting veterans
and giving them hiring preference; direct assistance to veteran
groups; participation and sponsorship of Memorial Day and Veterans
Day parades; and supporting Pearl
Harbor tributes.
The Company's 75th anniversary tributes will peak triumphantly
with the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum's dedication of the renovated
Ford Island Control Tower on Aug. 29.
U-Haul Pacific Theater veterans' bios and photos will be displayed
in the tower lobby. Craig, a successful U-Haul neighborhood dealer
in the latter years of his career, will be among those memorialized
on the lobby wall.
The tower will showcase a new elevator, gifted by U-Haul CEO
Joe Shoen, providing public access
to the observation deck where America's lone WWII aviation
battlefield can be revered and our heroes remembered.
Missing … But Found
Craig was born in July 1924 to
Joseph and Mary Jane Craig in
New Windsor. He grew up on Moodna
Creek with his six brothers and two sisters. He was an honorary
graduate of Cornwall Central High School.
At 17, Craig enlisted in the Navy in February 1942. Due to his age, his parents had to
sign a consent form before he could be accepted. Craig served
aboard the destroyers USS Duncan (DD485), USS Shubrick (DD639) and
the dock-landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-1) in major campaigns in the
Pacific and European Theaters.
In October 1942, an 18-year-old
Craig was reported missing when the USS Duncan was sunk by the
Japanese during the Battle of Cape Esperance in the Guadalcanal
Campaign. More than 58 enlisted men and five officers were lost at
sea. There was no word about Craig. He was reported as dead to his
parents. A local newspaper reported him as lost at sea.
But, in fact, Craig had helped two fellow seamen evacuate the
ship and spent more than 14 hours in shark-infested waters before
being rescued. He was OK.
"There wasn't anyone else left," Craig recounted in an interview
after his rescue. "We were down in the ammunition magazine in the
bow of the ship. Everybody who could get out had already abandoned
ship by then – the ones who could get out. I really believe there
were still a few guys aboard the ship still alive who couldn't get
out. Nobody knew they were there."
In December 1942, Craig was
reassigned to the USS Shubrick, which saw action off the coast of
North Africa, assisting Allied
forces in the invasion of Sicily.
The Shubrick suffered severe damage in October 1943, returned to New York for repairs, then headed back to
Europe as part of the invasion
fleet for Normandy on June 6,
1944.
Craig returned to Philadelphia
in early 1945 for boiler and turbine training. He then shipped out
for the Pacific, again, on the USS Ashland. The Ashland was part of
the largest amphibious Pacific operation mounted by the Americans
to take back Okinawa from the
Japanese.
Craig was honorably discharged in October
1945 as a Boiler Tender 2nd Class. He was awarded the China
Service Medal; Navy Good Conduct Medal; European Campaign Medal;
European, African, Mid-Eastern Campaign with three Bonze Stars;
Asiatic Pacific Campaign with two Bronze Stars; WWII Victory Medal;
Philippine Liberation Ribbon; Philippine Independence Ribbon;
National Defense Service Medal; and the Purple Heart.
U-Haul Man of Newburgh
From the experience he gained in the Navy, Craig started Craig
Plumbing and Heating in Newburgh,
N.Y., after the war. In 1959, he started W.S. Craig Auto
Sales, Inc., and then expanded the company to include car rentals
and real estate ventures.
In 1989, Craig became a U-Haul neighborhood dealer. His business
became known as WSC Auto Sales, Inc., and U-Haul Dealership. For
more than 15 years, he tended to the moving needs of Newburgh with U-Haul truck- and
trailer-sharing services. His son, Steve, and grandson, Sean,
continue to run the family business and U-Haul dealership.
U-Haul boasts more than 20,000 dealers today. These independent
small business owners serve as the backbone of the company,
accounting for more than 90% of U-Haul rental locations throughout
its North American network.
Craig was a longtime advocate for veteran's issues before his
passing in 2015. He was a member of the Tin Can Sailors, VFW,
American Legion, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. He was
inducted in the New York Senate
Veterans' Hall of Fame in 2013.
Craig is survived by his four children: Karen Craig Norvell (Bill); Stephen W. Craig (Ann); Gail Craig Woods; and Wendy Craig; along with four grandchildren and
five great-grandchildren.
Veteran Ties and Appreciation
The Shoens started U-Haul upon Sam's discharge with $4,000 of accumulated Navy pay
and the courage formed by the cauldron of WWII. With the
help of other veterans, the young couple forged their new
enterprise from the freedom that victory produced.
Today, U-Haul serves all 50 states and 10 Canadian
provinces, helping millions of families move every
year. Craig is one of the many veterans who laid the
foundation for the present prosperity U-Haul enjoys.
U-Haul is one of a myriad of companies built by these incredible
veterans, who are to be saluted and remembered during this 75th
anniversary celebration. Thank you, Warren.
Find more veteran tributes in the History and Culture
section of myuhaulstory.com.
About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of
do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations across
all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7
offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day
through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our
proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has
enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 167,000 trucks,
120,000 trailers and 43,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly
697,000 rooms and 60.7 million square feet of self-storage space at
owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer
of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket
industry, and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S. For
information on moving safely and smartly with U-Haul during the
COVID-19 pandemic, please reference
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8601451-u-haul-moving-season-covid-19-safety/.
Contact:
Jeff
Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
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SOURCE U-Haul