ALKABO, N.D., May 4, 2020
/PRNewswire/ -- V-E Day on May 8 marks the 75th anniversary of
the Allied victory in Europe.
Veterans such as Luvern "Vern" Olson 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.
To commemorate both anniversaries, U-Haul is celebrating former
Team Members and U-Haul neighborhood dealers who served in WWII,
such as Alkabo native Vern Olson.
Tank Commander
Olson was born on Aug. 22, 1918, to Harold and
Esther Olson. He lived in Alkabo until his teenage
years, when his family moved to Aberdeen, Wash. There he attended J.M.
Weatherwax High School, and afterward, went to Grays Harbor
College.
Olson enlisted in the Army in October 1940. He served
in Europe in an armored infantry
unit as a tank commander, as well as in the Transportation Corps.
As a tank commander, Olson survived three tanks shot out from
under him.
One of the greatest feats of the Transportation Corps was
the rebuilding of France's
shattered railroad network after D-Day. It was also responsible for
the transportation of 1,500 locomotives and 20,000 railway
cars built specifically for the lighter French track system
starting with D-Day+38.
U-Haul Career
Olson's military training in the
Transportation Corps proved to be good experience for his
later life. After coming out of the Army, he spent four
years as branch manager of a truck rental outfit in Los Angeles.
In 1952, Olson joined U-Haul. He served for more than 17 years
in many capacities, including traffic and merchandising
manager, rental company president, and regional director.
Olson passed away in July 1982.
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. Olson 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, Vern.
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