PORTLAND, Ore., May 4, 2020
/PRNewswire/ -- V-E Day on May 8 marks the 75th anniversary of
the Allied victory in Europe.
Veterans such as Thomas M. "Tom" O'Donnell 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.
U-Haul is celebrating 75 years of service in 2020. WWII
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 abandoned most of
their belongings since one-way trailer rentals did not yet
exist.
From that idea, an industry was born and a new level of mobility
became attainable for every American family. U-Haul was founded in
Ridgefield, Wash., just 20 miles
north of Portland, with the first
Company-built trailers being assembled in the Carty family ranch
milk barn.
To commemorate both anniversaries, U-Haul is celebrating former
Team Members and U-Haul neighborhood dealers who served in WWII,
such as Portland native Tom
O'Donnell.
Air Force Pilot
O'Donnell was born in Portland in 1921. In 1940, he graduated
from Jefferson High School. Three
years later he entered the U.S. Air Force, where he was
commissioned and assigned to the 303rd Bomb Group of the 8th Air
Force stationed in Molesworth, England.
During WWII, O'Donnell was a B-17 bomber pilot and participated
in 35 combat missions over enemy territory. He earned the
Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with five oak leaf
clusters, and a Presidential Unit Citation. He also received
the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal with three Bronze
Stars.
One of the B-17s he piloted, the Thunderbird, flew
112 combat missions during WWII and is depicted in a mural
displayed in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
After the war, O'Donnell enrolled in the University of Portland. He graduated cum laude in
1949 with a degree in business.
U-Haul Career
O'Donnell joined ARCOA, Inc. (name
for the parent company of U-Haul at the time), in 1952 as a
management trainee. Over the years, he held a number of executive
management positions, including office manager, general manager,
director of marketing and vice president.
He left ARCOA in 1967 when the company moved its
corporate headquarters to Phoenix.
O'Donnell went to be a partner in the Royal Fork restaurant
chain, and later worked in banking, ranching and real estate
development.
O'Donnell passed away in 2009 in Portland.
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.
Veteran Initiative
Today, U-Haul serves all 50 states
and 10 Canadian provinces, helping an estimated 11 million
families move every year. O'Donnell is one of the many
veterans who laid the foundation for the present prosperity U-Haul
enjoys.
U-Haul continues to aggressively recruit veterans and gives them
preference in the hiring process, having been recognized repeatedly
as one of the nation's top veteran-friendly employers. U-Haul is
also committed to honoring veterans and supporting veteran causes.
This is accomplished through direct assistance to veteran groups,
as well as participation and sponsorship of Memorial Day and
Veterans Day parades, and Pearl
Harbor tributes.
These 2020 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. The tower will offer 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.
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, Tom.
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 our COVID-19 information page, click on
uhaul.com/announcement.
Contact:
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
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SOURCE U-Haul