[Jim Noble]

My great-uncle was on Pershing’s staff after being promoted to captain for the Mexican Punitive Expedition. Spent the war in Paris. May have never heard a gunshot.

Acclaimed as a great war hero in NY high society when he came home. Parlayed that into NY real estate, then banking.

Only had one child, a daughter. She died of an ectopic pregnancy (JUST before penicillin). He had two penthouses, a huge home in the Hamptons, and what we called “the mansion” in Central Brooklyn.

He fell out with my grandpa early, who I guess was kind of a Mama’s boy - and Mama, born under a Hanoverian King, didn’t care for her boys going off to kill Germans.

My great-uncle co-authored the first proposal for what became the World Trade Center. He died alone in the late 60s. I never knew what happened to all the money.

Neither did my parents, who always cited him as an example of “you can’t take it with you”.

[mass55th]

What a fascinating and sad story. They've always said money can't buy you happiness. My great-uncle turned 25 just before he was killed. He was the only boy in the family. There were also two girls. His name was John Stanley Holmes. He hadn't married or had children.

Here's a picture of him in uniform. I'm not sure where it was taken:

[KitJ]

That is a fascinating story. Amazing.

If you feel like sharing more, ping me on FReepmail.

Tanks.