Paul's father Blas, immigrated to America in September 1910, just two months after his son's birth on 7 July, also leaving behind his wife and infant daughter. The costs of transit were prohibitively high for most Croatian peasants, so Blas initially traveled alone. Their cultural tradition of extended family support in absences such as this gave the Emer's confidence to endure their long separation while facing an uncertain future in pursuit of a brighter one abroad. From Ellis Island, Blas made his way to Roseville in northern California and found employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad, eventually saving enough to pay for his family's transit. Those first four years after Blas left had been difficult for his family, but conditions only got worse. The great war to follow brought immigration to a virtual halt and left many thousand dead directly because of the conflict, from starvation caused by food shortages, and finally because of the devastating loss of life wrought by the Spanish Flu Pandemic. Paul, along with his sister and mother survived this series of catastrophic events but were often left underfed and struggling to simply secure the bare necessities of life. Paul and his family reached America on 12 August 1921, arriving in New York via Trieste after their 19-day voyage. But before leaving Trogir, Paul's grandmother Giovanna Emer, made coats for the children, using buttons from articles of her own clothing as parting gifts. Years later, Paul remembered their departure as having been an emotional one, with their grandmother fearing she would never see the children, or her son and daughter-in-law ever again. Giovanna died six years later in 1927.
Paul received little formal schooling in Trogir, considering the precarious nature of world events at that time, but also because education in Croatia had always lagged far behind its neighboring countries, separated from the mainstream of European culture and economic development. In fact, basic education had never been available to everyone in the country, until after the second world war when it finally became compulsory by law. So, after immigrating to America in 1921, Paul began his education scholastically disadvantaged compared to his peers. One story suggests that a teacher having grown impatient with his progress, succeeded only in promoting Paul's frustrations until he finally refused to go back. Frankly, we don't know exactly why or when Paul left school, but it was prior to the 9th grade. A review of Roseville Joint Union High School student archives, shows no records for Paul exist, indicating he was never enrolled or attended classes. Furthermore, the information Paul provided in his military enlistment records, indicates he may have left school as early as having completed the 6th grade.
As a teenager, Paul worked as a seasonal picker in Placer County orchards, harvesting fruit for shipment to destinations across the country. Attracting young people because it was easy work to acquire, Paul followed the circuit from one orchard to the next, earning his spending money while also helping to put food on the family table. The common slang describing this work was "swamping" because pickers became drenched in sweat working long hours in the hot valley temperatures. Climbing ladders into the treetops with increasingly heavy bags slung around their necks, their pay was based on the weight of their harvest. During those early years, Paul was also an auto mechanic, but by 1930 he found employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad in car repair. In October 1931, the instructor of the Americanization night school class in Roseville of which Paul and his sister Winifred were members, announced those pupils who expressed their intent on becoming U.S. citizens. But Paul apparently opted out of these classes to pursue a future in the military. Winifred was the first to become naturalized in 1934.
On 1 September 1932, Paul joined the Marines in San Francisco. His enlistment records describe him as over 6'-2", with blue eyes, dark brown or black hair, and a ruddy complexion. He claimed his place of birth had been Kane, Pennsylvania which was the home of his aunt and her family, perhaps fearing rejection from the service, had he been truthful about his non-citizenship status? After completing sea school in San Diego that November, Paul was assigned to the USS Augusta and in March of 1933, Long Beach suffered a devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Briefly serving ashore as a member of the armed guard-earthquake patrol in its aftermath, the quake's high death toll and extensive property damage, initiated our modernization of the building codes. Like many other young servicemen, Paul found himself on the wrong side of trouble on several occasions, such as the time he fell asleep while on sentinel post. So, on 21 September 1933, he was sentenced to solitary confinement for 10 days on bread & water, with full rations every third day. Paul then served as an orderly for the as-yet-unknown ship commander Chester W. Nimitz. After taking command of the Augusta in October 1933, the cruiser was deployed to the far east in December, where Nimitz turned the vessel into the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet and later, represented the U.S. at Japan's formal surrender, at the close of the second great war in 1945. During the course of his entire time in service, Paul also served aboard other vessels in addition to the August, including the U.S.S. Kittery, the Astoria, the Chaumont, and the U.S.S. Rochambeau.
By April 1936, Paul's sea service totaled 34 months and his foreign shore service, 7 months. His enlistment ended that August and he enlisted again in September, this time declaring his place of birth was Croatia. Paul was soon assigned to the General Services Unit at Mare Island, where he remained until June 1940. But it was in this second enlistment period, that Paul married Eva Tucker on 23 January 1937 in Berkeley. Shortly after his transfer to Bremerton, Washington, Paul was honorably discharged on 16 September 1940 and submitted his new draft registration the following month. Contradictions on his enlistment forms regarding his birthplace were now under scrutiny and the Navy now demanded resolution, so during the interim, Paul worked for Pacific Car & Foundry as a shipfitter and structural steelworker in Seattle and also as a bricklayer, using this talent in the construction of his home. The U.S. officially entered the Second World War on 8 December 1941 and Congress immediately acted to streamline the naturalization of non-citizens, who served honorably in the armed forces. By implementing the War Powers Act, non-citizen service members were exempted from the standard educational tests and fees, although they must have served honorably and also swear the required "Oath of Allegiance." On 22 June 1942, Paul's petition #33554 for citizenship, was granted by the U.S. District Court in Seattle. The immigration Naturalization Service (INS) actively oversaw this campaign and issued Paul's Certificate of Citizenship #5348576, as part of the program.
On 14 July 1942, Paul enlisted in the Marines as an American citizen for the first time, with his citizenship paperwork and sworn statement of accuracy, now included in his personnel file. Promoted to the rank of Corporal on 15 March 1943, Paul was originally stationed at the Navy yard at Bremerton, Washington. He soon learned his deployment to the pacific theater was a certainty, so Paul applied for a 10K life insurance policy thru National Service Life (150K today), naming his wife Eva as his beneficiary. By October 1943, Paul was stationed at the Infantry Battalion Training Center in San Diego, completing an 8-week course as an infantry rifleman. On 2 January 1944, he sailed aboard the USS Rochambeau from San Pedro to New Caledonia and then to Guadalcanal. In the months to follow, he sailed to the Marshall Islands, and on 21 July 1944, Paul participated in the initial assault landing in Guam, Marianas Islands. Attached to the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines Reinforced, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, his unit saw the heaviest action and endured the greatest casualty count of the conflict. Following the assault, Paul complained of back pain after being thrown from the force of a battlefield mine explosion and also contracted Dengue, a mosquito-transferred illness. He was admitted to the sick list on 4 August with the Amphibious Medical Corps, where after 5 days of severe illness, he was transferred to the USS Solar for evacuation to Pearl Harbor and then to the Naval Hospital in Oakland. Ongoing medical evaluations revealed numerous health problems, including that concerning issue with his spine. Transferred to the Naval Air Station in Seattle for additional testing and treatment, he served with Casual Co., until his medical survey report was released on 26 January 1945.
Recommending the extent of his back injury did not justify his continued retention in the U.S.M.C.R., Paul's medical report was approved by the Bureau of Medicine & Surgery on 28 February. Corporal Paul P. Emer was honorably discharged due to disability on 7 March 1945 after 12 years, 7 months, and 14 days of service, with Seattle his place of separation from active duty. What Paul's medical report cited, was that the onset of his back troubles had been aggravated in battle but was not caused by it, with this condition already active in his system for some time. Interpreted as infectious rheumatoid arthritis, this chronic and degenerative disease known as Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), is a rare and usually inherited condition, more often found in some European populations. Typically attacking young men between 16 and 30 years of age as in Paul's case, Doctor's considered his case a pre-existing condition. By the time Paul reached his 50s, this disease had significantly deteriorated his spine and dramatically increased his pain in the process, finally requiring several major, (if only moderately successful) surgeries over the ensuing years.
After his release from the Marines, Paul obtained a job thru the Veterans Employment Service as a Deputy Sheriff in King County in July 1945. How long he remained in Washington State is unclear, but he and Eva divorced by 1949 and he was again living in California at the home of his parents in Roseville. Having secured a job as a guard at Folsom Prison, his sister Winifred was fearful for his safety and waged her personal campaign to convince him to quit, until he finally relented under the pressures of her concern. On 1 April 1950, Paul applied for duplicates of his misplaced military records and discharge certificate, which was required to obtain a G.I. loan. Once approved, Paul purchased a home in Rancho Cordova and found employment with the Sacramento Army Depot as a mechanic, testing equipment, and inventory control until his retirement seven years later. On 29 August 1950, Paul married Doris Hulett-Holmes in Sacramento and when they divorced in the early 1960s, he rented his house and lived temporarily again at the family home in Roseville. With both his parents by then deceased, Paul shared the home with his sister Winifred and her husband Charles Millar.
It was during this time living in Roseville, that Paul met Jessie Marie Meadows. One evening when Paul was out with members of the Elks Lodge, Jessie and her friends happened to be socializing at the same location. Members of both groups knew one another and decided to enjoy the remainder of the evening together. Paul started dating Jessie shortly thereafter and they were married on 23 March 1963. The couple subsequently spruced up the Rancho Cordova house after vacating his tenants and occupied the residence for their long and successful marriage. Both Paul and Jessie unfortunately were chain smokers and as a consequence, Paul repainted different rooms in the home every two or three years. With his steady hand and flawless workmanship, Paul earned his reputation as the acknowledged pro-painter of the family. He also loved his roses and several varieties of grapes, cultivating and pampering them with the fastidious and dedicated care of a true horticulturalist. Paul also put his bricklaying skills to work on several occasions and constructed an elaborate barbeque in their backyard. The couple traveled extensively in their motor home over the years, loved to entertain family and friends, and equipped their home with an open bar, impressing any guest with its generous selection, along with a pool table popular at family gatherings.
With their union, Paul became an integral part of Jessie's family, which initially included her three adult children, two grandchildren, and as time passed, great-grandchildren as well. Paul's marriage to Jessie gave him a family life he had never known, growing particularly fond of her son Michael Henry Meadows, whom he came to regard as his own son. But tragedy struck in September 1983, when Paul and Jessie learned while vacationing abroad, of Michael's untimely death at the age of only 45, curtailing their trip to arrange his funeral. Although Paul never raised children of his own, it was rumored he'd fathered a son, apparently documented in correspondence addressed to Paul from the child's mother. Unbeknownst to Paul, his sister Winifred discovered the letter and shared said contents with their siblings, keeping the rumor alive. Unfortunately, we have nothing to either substantiate or refute this story, including the aforementioned letter and as such, it remains only a tantalizing rumor.
After Jessie passed away in 1991, Paul was increasingly in need of physical assistance. One of Paul's siblings recommended a caregiver, to attend to Paul in the absence of his immediate family. It was soon discovered, however, that jewelry items belonging to his deceased wife went missing and his caregiver also convinced Paul, to add her as co-signor to his bank accounts. She secretly withdrew thousands from his savings before finally being caught and after her arrest, it was learned she had been wanted by authorities on an earlier elder abuse charge. Paul held membership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Auburn Elks Lodge. Paul passed in 1992, with services held at Andrews and Greilich Mortuary and in accordance with his and Jessie's wish, their ashes were distributed together in the hills above their home in Sacramento.
Scott Adell,
2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
Sources:
United States Marine Corps, National Personnel Records, St. Louis, MO.
Peasant Renaissance in Yugoslavia, 1900-1950, by Ruth Trouton, PH.D., 1952.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Military Naturalization During WW II.
Petition for Naturalization and Affidavit of Witness for Paul Pete Emer.
Census Records.
Roseville Joint Union High School student archives.
Select information is taken from his 1992 newspaper obituary.
Family recollections: those of his sister Ann, mine as his nephew, and his grandson Kenton Meyers.
NOTE! This memorial will be updated, as additional information becomes available.
Paul received little formal schooling in Trogir, considering the precarious nature of world events at that time, but also because education in Croatia had always lagged far behind its neighboring countries, separated from the mainstream of European culture and economic development. In fact, basic education had never been available to everyone in the country, until after the second world war when it finally became compulsory by law. So, after immigrating to America in 1921, Paul began his education scholastically disadvantaged compared to his peers. One story suggests that a teacher having grown impatient with his progress, succeeded only in promoting Paul's frustrations until he finally refused to go back. Frankly, we don't know exactly why or when Paul left school, but it was prior to the 9th grade. A review of Roseville Joint Union High School student archives, shows no records for Paul exist, indicating he was never enrolled or attended classes. Furthermore, the information Paul provided in his military enlistment records, indicates he may have left school as early as having completed the 6th grade.
As a teenager, Paul worked as a seasonal picker in Placer County orchards, harvesting fruit for shipment to destinations across the country. Attracting young people because it was easy work to acquire, Paul followed the circuit from one orchard to the next, earning his spending money while also helping to put food on the family table. The common slang describing this work was "swamping" because pickers became drenched in sweat working long hours in the hot valley temperatures. Climbing ladders into the treetops with increasingly heavy bags slung around their necks, their pay was based on the weight of their harvest. During those early years, Paul was also an auto mechanic, but by 1930 he found employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad in car repair. In October 1931, the instructor of the Americanization night school class in Roseville of which Paul and his sister Winifred were members, announced those pupils who expressed their intent on becoming U.S. citizens. But Paul apparently opted out of these classes to pursue a future in the military. Winifred was the first to become naturalized in 1934.
On 1 September 1932, Paul joined the Marines in San Francisco. His enlistment records describe him as over 6'-2", with blue eyes, dark brown or black hair, and a ruddy complexion. He claimed his place of birth had been Kane, Pennsylvania which was the home of his aunt and her family, perhaps fearing rejection from the service, had he been truthful about his non-citizenship status? After completing sea school in San Diego that November, Paul was assigned to the USS Augusta and in March of 1933, Long Beach suffered a devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Briefly serving ashore as a member of the armed guard-earthquake patrol in its aftermath, the quake's high death toll and extensive property damage, initiated our modernization of the building codes. Like many other young servicemen, Paul found himself on the wrong side of trouble on several occasions, such as the time he fell asleep while on sentinel post. So, on 21 September 1933, he was sentenced to solitary confinement for 10 days on bread & water, with full rations every third day. Paul then served as an orderly for the as-yet-unknown ship commander Chester W. Nimitz. After taking command of the Augusta in October 1933, the cruiser was deployed to the far east in December, where Nimitz turned the vessel into the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet and later, represented the U.S. at Japan's formal surrender, at the close of the second great war in 1945. During the course of his entire time in service, Paul also served aboard other vessels in addition to the August, including the U.S.S. Kittery, the Astoria, the Chaumont, and the U.S.S. Rochambeau.
By April 1936, Paul's sea service totaled 34 months and his foreign shore service, 7 months. His enlistment ended that August and he enlisted again in September, this time declaring his place of birth was Croatia. Paul was soon assigned to the General Services Unit at Mare Island, where he remained until June 1940. But it was in this second enlistment period, that Paul married Eva Tucker on 23 January 1937 in Berkeley. Shortly after his transfer to Bremerton, Washington, Paul was honorably discharged on 16 September 1940 and submitted his new draft registration the following month. Contradictions on his enlistment forms regarding his birthplace were now under scrutiny and the Navy now demanded resolution, so during the interim, Paul worked for Pacific Car & Foundry as a shipfitter and structural steelworker in Seattle and also as a bricklayer, using this talent in the construction of his home. The U.S. officially entered the Second World War on 8 December 1941 and Congress immediately acted to streamline the naturalization of non-citizens, who served honorably in the armed forces. By implementing the War Powers Act, non-citizen service members were exempted from the standard educational tests and fees, although they must have served honorably and also swear the required "Oath of Allegiance." On 22 June 1942, Paul's petition #33554 for citizenship, was granted by the U.S. District Court in Seattle. The immigration Naturalization Service (INS) actively oversaw this campaign and issued Paul's Certificate of Citizenship #5348576, as part of the program.
On 14 July 1942, Paul enlisted in the Marines as an American citizen for the first time, with his citizenship paperwork and sworn statement of accuracy, now included in his personnel file. Promoted to the rank of Corporal on 15 March 1943, Paul was originally stationed at the Navy yard at Bremerton, Washington. He soon learned his deployment to the pacific theater was a certainty, so Paul applied for a 10K life insurance policy thru National Service Life (150K today), naming his wife Eva as his beneficiary. By October 1943, Paul was stationed at the Infantry Battalion Training Center in San Diego, completing an 8-week course as an infantry rifleman. On 2 January 1944, he sailed aboard the USS Rochambeau from San Pedro to New Caledonia and then to Guadalcanal. In the months to follow, he sailed to the Marshall Islands, and on 21 July 1944, Paul participated in the initial assault landing in Guam, Marianas Islands. Attached to the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines Reinforced, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, his unit saw the heaviest action and endured the greatest casualty count of the conflict. Following the assault, Paul complained of back pain after being thrown from the force of a battlefield mine explosion and also contracted Dengue, a mosquito-transferred illness. He was admitted to the sick list on 4 August with the Amphibious Medical Corps, where after 5 days of severe illness, he was transferred to the USS Solar for evacuation to Pearl Harbor and then to the Naval Hospital in Oakland. Ongoing medical evaluations revealed numerous health problems, including that concerning issue with his spine. Transferred to the Naval Air Station in Seattle for additional testing and treatment, he served with Casual Co., until his medical survey report was released on 26 January 1945.
Recommending the extent of his back injury did not justify his continued retention in the U.S.M.C.R., Paul's medical report was approved by the Bureau of Medicine & Surgery on 28 February. Corporal Paul P. Emer was honorably discharged due to disability on 7 March 1945 after 12 years, 7 months, and 14 days of service, with Seattle his place of separation from active duty. What Paul's medical report cited, was that the onset of his back troubles had been aggravated in battle but was not caused by it, with this condition already active in his system for some time. Interpreted as infectious rheumatoid arthritis, this chronic and degenerative disease known as Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), is a rare and usually inherited condition, more often found in some European populations. Typically attacking young men between 16 and 30 years of age as in Paul's case, Doctor's considered his case a pre-existing condition. By the time Paul reached his 50s, this disease had significantly deteriorated his spine and dramatically increased his pain in the process, finally requiring several major, (if only moderately successful) surgeries over the ensuing years.
After his release from the Marines, Paul obtained a job thru the Veterans Employment Service as a Deputy Sheriff in King County in July 1945. How long he remained in Washington State is unclear, but he and Eva divorced by 1949 and he was again living in California at the home of his parents in Roseville. Having secured a job as a guard at Folsom Prison, his sister Winifred was fearful for his safety and waged her personal campaign to convince him to quit, until he finally relented under the pressures of her concern. On 1 April 1950, Paul applied for duplicates of his misplaced military records and discharge certificate, which was required to obtain a G.I. loan. Once approved, Paul purchased a home in Rancho Cordova and found employment with the Sacramento Army Depot as a mechanic, testing equipment, and inventory control until his retirement seven years later. On 29 August 1950, Paul married Doris Hulett-Holmes in Sacramento and when they divorced in the early 1960s, he rented his house and lived temporarily again at the family home in Roseville. With both his parents by then deceased, Paul shared the home with his sister Winifred and her husband Charles Millar.
It was during this time living in Roseville, that Paul met Jessie Marie Meadows. One evening when Paul was out with members of the Elks Lodge, Jessie and her friends happened to be socializing at the same location. Members of both groups knew one another and decided to enjoy the remainder of the evening together. Paul started dating Jessie shortly thereafter and they were married on 23 March 1963. The couple subsequently spruced up the Rancho Cordova house after vacating his tenants and occupied the residence for their long and successful marriage. Both Paul and Jessie unfortunately were chain smokers and as a consequence, Paul repainted different rooms in the home every two or three years. With his steady hand and flawless workmanship, Paul earned his reputation as the acknowledged pro-painter of the family. He also loved his roses and several varieties of grapes, cultivating and pampering them with the fastidious and dedicated care of a true horticulturalist. Paul also put his bricklaying skills to work on several occasions and constructed an elaborate barbeque in their backyard. The couple traveled extensively in their motor home over the years, loved to entertain family and friends, and equipped their home with an open bar, impressing any guest with its generous selection, along with a pool table popular at family gatherings.
With their union, Paul became an integral part of Jessie's family, which initially included her three adult children, two grandchildren, and as time passed, great-grandchildren as well. Paul's marriage to Jessie gave him a family life he had never known, growing particularly fond of her son Michael Henry Meadows, whom he came to regard as his own son. But tragedy struck in September 1983, when Paul and Jessie learned while vacationing abroad, of Michael's untimely death at the age of only 45, curtailing their trip to arrange his funeral. Although Paul never raised children of his own, it was rumored he'd fathered a son, apparently documented in correspondence addressed to Paul from the child's mother. Unbeknownst to Paul, his sister Winifred discovered the letter and shared said contents with their siblings, keeping the rumor alive. Unfortunately, we have nothing to either substantiate or refute this story, including the aforementioned letter and as such, it remains only a tantalizing rumor.
After Jessie passed away in 1991, Paul was increasingly in need of physical assistance. One of Paul's siblings recommended a caregiver, to attend to Paul in the absence of his immediate family. It was soon discovered, however, that jewelry items belonging to his deceased wife went missing and his caregiver also convinced Paul, to add her as co-signor to his bank accounts. She secretly withdrew thousands from his savings before finally being caught and after her arrest, it was learned she had been wanted by authorities on an earlier elder abuse charge. Paul held membership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Auburn Elks Lodge. Paul passed in 1992, with services held at Andrews and Greilich Mortuary and in accordance with his and Jessie's wish, their ashes were distributed together in the hills above their home in Sacramento.
Scott Adell,
2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
Sources:
United States Marine Corps, National Personnel Records, St. Louis, MO.
Peasant Renaissance in Yugoslavia, 1900-1950, by Ruth Trouton, PH.D., 1952.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Military Naturalization During WW II.
Petition for Naturalization and Affidavit of Witness for Paul Pete Emer.
Census Records.
Roseville Joint Union High School student archives.
Select information is taken from his 1992 newspaper obituary.
Family recollections: those of his sister Ann, mine as his nephew, and his grandson Kenton Meyers.
NOTE! This memorial will be updated, as additional information becomes available.
Paul's father Blas, immigrated to America in September 1910, just two months after his son's birth on 7 July, also leaving behind his wife and infant daughter. The costs of transit were prohibitively high for most Croatian peasants, so Blas initially traveled alone. Their cultural tradition of extended family support in absences such as this gave the Emer's confidence to endure their long separation while facing an uncertain future in pursuit of a brighter one abroad. From Ellis Island, Blas made his way to Roseville in northern California and found employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad, eventually saving enough to pay for his family's transit. Those first four years after Blas left had been difficult for his family, but conditions only got worse. The great war to follow brought immigration to a virtual halt and left many thousand dead directly because of the conflict, from starvation caused by food shortages, and finally because of the devastating loss of life wrought by the Spanish Flu Pandemic. Paul, along with his sister and mother survived this series of catastrophic events but were often left underfed and struggling to simply secure the bare necessities of life. Paul and his family reached America on 12 August 1921, arriving in New York via Trieste after their 19-day voyage. But before leaving Trogir, Paul's grandmother Giovanna Emer, made coats for the children, using buttons from articles of her own clothing as parting gifts. Years later, Paul remembered their departure as having been an emotional one, with their grandmother fearing she would never see the children, or her son and daughter-in-law ever again. Giovanna died six years later in 1927.
Paul received little formal schooling in Trogir, considering the precarious nature of world events at that time, but also because education in Croatia had always lagged far behind its neighboring countries, separated from the mainstream of European culture and economic development. In fact, basic education had never been available to everyone in the country, until after the second world war when it finally became compulsory by law. So, after immigrating to America in 1921, Paul began his education scholastically disadvantaged compared to his peers. One story suggests that a teacher having grown impatient with his progress, succeeded only in promoting Paul's frustrations until he finally refused to go back. Frankly, we don't know exactly why or when Paul left school, but it was prior to the 9th grade. A review of Roseville Joint Union High School student archives, shows no records for Paul exist, indicating he was never enrolled or attended classes. Furthermore, the information Paul provided in his military enlistment records, indicates he may have left school as early as having completed the 6th grade.
As a teenager, Paul worked as a seasonal picker in Placer County orchards, harvesting fruit for shipment to destinations across the country. Attracting young people because it was easy work to acquire, Paul followed the circuit from one orchard to the next, earning his spending money while also helping to put food on the family table. The common slang describing this work was "swamping" because pickers became drenched in sweat working long hours in the hot valley temperatures. Climbing ladders into the treetops with increasingly heavy bags slung around their necks, their pay was based on the weight of their harvest. During those early years, Paul was also an auto mechanic, but by 1930 he found employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad in car repair. In October 1931, the instructor of the Americanization night school class in Roseville of which Paul and his sister Winifred were members, announced those pupils who expressed their intent on becoming U.S. citizens. But Paul apparently opted out of these classes to pursue a future in the military. Winifred was the first to become naturalized in 1934.
On 1 September 1932, Paul joined the Marines in San Francisco. His enlistment records describe him as over 6'-2", with blue eyes, dark brown or black hair, and a ruddy complexion. He claimed his place of birth had been Kane, Pennsylvania which was the home of his aunt and her family, perhaps fearing rejection from the service, had he been truthful about his non-citizenship status? After completing sea school in San Diego that November, Paul was assigned to the USS Augusta and in March of 1933, Long Beach suffered a devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Briefly serving ashore as a member of the armed guard-earthquake patrol in its aftermath, the quake's high death toll and extensive property damage, initiated our modernization of the building codes. Like many other young servicemen, Paul found himself on the wrong side of trouble on several occasions, such as the time he fell asleep while on sentinel post. So, on 21 September 1933, he was sentenced to solitary confinement for 10 days on bread & water, with full rations every third day. Paul then served as an orderly for the as-yet-unknown ship commander Chester W. Nimitz. After taking command of the Augusta in October 1933, the cruiser was deployed to the far east in December, where Nimitz turned the vessel into the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet and later, represented the U.S. at Japan's formal surrender, at the close of the second great war in 1945. During the course of his entire time in service, Paul also served aboard other vessels in addition to the August, including the U.S.S. Kittery, the Astoria, the Chaumont, and the U.S.S. Rochambeau.
By April 1936, Paul's sea service totaled 34 months and his foreign shore service, 7 months. His enlistment ended that August and he enlisted again in September, this time declaring his place of birth was Croatia. Paul was soon assigned to the General Services Unit at Mare Island, where he remained until June 1940. But it was in this second enlistment period, that Paul married Eva Tucker on 23 January 1937 in Berkeley. Shortly after his transfer to Bremerton, Washington, Paul was honorably discharged on 16 September 1940 and submitted his new draft registration the following month. Contradictions on his enlistment forms regarding his birthplace were now under scrutiny and the Navy now demanded resolution, so during the interim, Paul worked for Pacific Car & Foundry as a shipfitter and structural steelworker in Seattle and also as a bricklayer, using this talent in the construction of his home. The U.S. officially entered the Second World War on 8 December 1941 and Congress immediately acted to streamline the naturalization of non-citizens, who served honorably in the armed forces. By implementing the War Powers Act, non-citizen service members were exempted from the standard educational tests and fees, although they must have served honorably and also swear the required "Oath of Allegiance." On 22 June 1942, Paul's petition #33554 for citizenship, was granted by the U.S. District Court in Seattle. The immigration Naturalization Service (INS) actively oversaw this campaign and issued Paul's Certificate of Citizenship #5348576, as part of the program.
On 14 July 1942, Paul enlisted in the Marines as an American citizen for the first time, with his citizenship paperwork and sworn statement of accuracy, now included in his personnel file. Promoted to the rank of Corporal on 15 March 1943, Paul was originally stationed at the Navy yard at Bremerton, Washington. He soon learned his deployment to the pacific theater was a certainty, so Paul applied for a 10K life insurance policy thru National Service Life (150K today), naming his wife Eva as his beneficiary. By October 1943, Paul was stationed at the Infantry Battalion Training Center in San Diego, completing an 8-week course as an infantry rifleman. On 2 January 1944, he sailed aboard the USS Rochambeau from San Pedro to New Caledonia and then to Guadalcanal. In the months to follow, he sailed to the Marshall Islands, and on 21 July 1944, Paul participated in the initial assault landing in Guam, Marianas Islands. Attached to the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines Reinforced, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, his unit saw the heaviest action and endured the greatest casualty count of the conflict. Following the assault, Paul complained of back pain after being thrown from the force of a battlefield mine explosion and also contracted Dengue, a mosquito-transferred illness. He was admitted to the sick list on 4 August with the Amphibious Medical Corps, where after 5 days of severe illness, he was transferred to the USS Solar for evacuation to Pearl Harbor and then to the Naval Hospital in Oakland. Ongoing medical evaluations revealed numerous health problems, including that concerning issue with his spine. Transferred to the Naval Air Station in Seattle for additional testing and treatment, he served with Casual Co., until his medical survey report was released on 26 January 1945.
Recommending the extent of his back injury did not justify his continued retention in the U.S.M.C.R., Paul's medical report was approved by the Bureau of Medicine & Surgery on 28 February. Corporal Paul P. Emer was honorably discharged due to disability on 7 March 1945 after 12 years, 7 months, and 14 days of service, with Seattle his place of separation from active duty. What Paul's medical report cited, was that the onset of his back troubles had been aggravated in battle but was not caused by it, with this condition already active in his system for some time. Interpreted as infectious rheumatoid arthritis, this chronic and degenerative disease known as Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), is a rare and usually inherited condition, more often found in some European populations. Typically attacking young men between 16 and 30 years of age as in Paul's case, Doctor's considered his case a pre-existing condition. By the time Paul reached his 50s, this disease had significantly deteriorated his spine and dramatically increased his pain in the process, finally requiring several major, (if only moderately successful) surgeries over the ensuing years.
After his release from the Marines, Paul obtained a job thru the Veterans Employment Service as a Deputy Sheriff in King County in July 1945. How long he remained in Washington State is unclear, but he and Eva divorced by 1949 and he was again living in California at the home of his parents in Roseville. Having secured a job as a guard at Folsom Prison, his sister Winifred was fearful for his safety and waged her personal campaign to convince him to quit, until he finally relented under the pressures of her concern. On 1 April 1950, Paul applied for duplicates of his misplaced military records and discharge certificate, which was required to obtain a G.I. loan. Once approved, Paul purchased a home in Rancho Cordova and found employment with the Sacramento Army Depot as a mechanic, testing equipment, and inventory control until his retirement seven years later. On 29 August 1950, Paul married Doris Hulett-Holmes in Sacramento and when they divorced in the early 1960s, he rented his house and lived temporarily again at the family home in Roseville. With both his parents by then deceased, Paul shared the home with his sister Winifred and her husband Charles Millar.
It was during this time living in Roseville, that Paul met Jessie Marie Meadows. One evening when Paul was out with members of the Elks Lodge, Jessie and her friends happened to be socializing at the same location. Members of both groups knew one another and decided to enjoy the remainder of the evening together. Paul started dating Jessie shortly thereafter and they were married on 23 March 1963. The couple subsequently spruced up the Rancho Cordova house after vacating his tenants and occupied the residence for their long and successful marriage. Both Paul and Jessie unfortunately were chain smokers and as a consequence, Paul repainted different rooms in the home every two or three years. With his steady hand and flawless workmanship, Paul earned his reputation as the acknowledged pro-painter of the family. He also loved his roses and several varieties of grapes, cultivating and pampering them with the fastidious and dedicated care of a true horticulturalist. Paul also put his bricklaying skills to work on several occasions and constructed an elaborate barbeque in their backyard. The couple traveled extensively in their motor home over the years, loved to entertain family and friends, and equipped their home with an open bar, impressing any guest with its generous selection, along with a pool table popular at family gatherings.
With their union, Paul became an integral part of Jessie's family, which initially included her three adult children, two grandchildren, and as time passed, great-grandchildren as well. Paul's marriage to Jessie gave him a family life he had never known, growing particularly fond of her son Michael Henry Meadows, whom he came to regard as his own son. But tragedy struck in September 1983, when Paul and Jessie learned while vacationing abroad, of Michael's untimely death at the age of only 45, curtailing their trip to arrange his funeral. Although Paul never raised children of his own, it was rumored he'd fathered a son, apparently documented in correspondence addressed to Paul from the child's mother. Unbeknownst to Paul, his sister Winifred discovered the letter and shared said contents with their siblings, keeping the rumor alive. Unfortunately, we have nothing to either substantiate or refute this story, including the aforementioned letter and as such, it remains only a tantalizing rumor.
After Jessie passed away in 1991, Paul was increasingly in need of physical assistance. One of Paul's siblings recommended a caregiver, to attend to Paul in the absence of his immediate family. It was soon discovered, however, that jewelry items belonging to his deceased wife went missing and his caregiver also convinced Paul, to add her as co-signor to his bank accounts. She secretly withdrew thousands from his savings before finally being caught and after her arrest, it was learned she had been wanted by authorities on an earlier elder abuse charge. Paul held membership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Auburn Elks Lodge. Paul passed in 1992, with services held at Andrews and Greilich Mortuary and in accordance with his and Jessie's wish, their ashes were distributed together in the hills above their home in Sacramento.
Scott Adell,
2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
Sources:
United States Marine Corps, National Personnel Records, St. Louis, MO.
Peasant Renaissance in Yugoslavia, 1900-1950, by Ruth Trouton, PH.D., 1952.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Military Naturalization During WW II.
Petition for Naturalization and Affidavit of Witness for Paul Pete Emer.
Census Records.
Roseville Joint Union High School student archives.
Select information is taken from his 1992 newspaper obituary.
Family recollections: those of his sister Ann, mine as his nephew, and his grandson Kenton Meyers.
NOTE! This memorial will be updated, as additional information becomes available.
Paul received little formal schooling in Trogir, considering the precarious nature of world events at that time, but also because education in Croatia had always lagged far behind its neighboring countries, separated from the mainstream of European culture and economic development. In fact, basic education had never been available to everyone in the country, until after the second world war when it finally became compulsory by law. So, after immigrating to America in 1921, Paul began his education scholastically disadvantaged compared to his peers. One story suggests that a teacher having grown impatient with his progress, succeeded only in promoting Paul's frustrations until he finally refused to go back. Frankly, we don't know exactly why or when Paul left school, but it was prior to the 9th grade. A review of Roseville Joint Union High School student archives, shows no records for Paul exist, indicating he was never enrolled or attended classes. Furthermore, the information Paul provided in his military enlistment records, indicates he may have left school as early as having completed the 6th grade.
As a teenager, Paul worked as a seasonal picker in Placer County orchards, harvesting fruit for shipment to destinations across the country. Attracting young people because it was easy work to acquire, Paul followed the circuit from one orchard to the next, earning his spending money while also helping to put food on the family table. The common slang describing this work was "swamping" because pickers became drenched in sweat working long hours in the hot valley temperatures. Climbing ladders into the treetops with increasingly heavy bags slung around their necks, their pay was based on the weight of their harvest. During those early years, Paul was also an auto mechanic, but by 1930 he found employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad in car repair. In October 1931, the instructor of the Americanization night school class in Roseville of which Paul and his sister Winifred were members, announced those pupils who expressed their intent on becoming U.S. citizens. But Paul apparently opted out of these classes to pursue a future in the military. Winifred was the first to become naturalized in 1934.
On 1 September 1932, Paul joined the Marines in San Francisco. His enlistment records describe him as over 6'-2", with blue eyes, dark brown or black hair, and a ruddy complexion. He claimed his place of birth had been Kane, Pennsylvania which was the home of his aunt and her family, perhaps fearing rejection from the service, had he been truthful about his non-citizenship status? After completing sea school in San Diego that November, Paul was assigned to the USS Augusta and in March of 1933, Long Beach suffered a devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Briefly serving ashore as a member of the armed guard-earthquake patrol in its aftermath, the quake's high death toll and extensive property damage, initiated our modernization of the building codes. Like many other young servicemen, Paul found himself on the wrong side of trouble on several occasions, such as the time he fell asleep while on sentinel post. So, on 21 September 1933, he was sentenced to solitary confinement for 10 days on bread & water, with full rations every third day. Paul then served as an orderly for the as-yet-unknown ship commander Chester W. Nimitz. After taking command of the Augusta in October 1933, the cruiser was deployed to the far east in December, where Nimitz turned the vessel into the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet and later, represented the U.S. at Japan's formal surrender, at the close of the second great war in 1945. During the course of his entire time in service, Paul also served aboard other vessels in addition to the August, including the U.S.S. Kittery, the Astoria, the Chaumont, and the U.S.S. Rochambeau.
By April 1936, Paul's sea service totaled 34 months and his foreign shore service, 7 months. His enlistment ended that August and he enlisted again in September, this time declaring his place of birth was Croatia. Paul was soon assigned to the General Services Unit at Mare Island, where he remained until June 1940. But it was in this second enlistment period, that Paul married Eva Tucker on 23 January 1937 in Berkeley. Shortly after his transfer to Bremerton, Washington, Paul was honorably discharged on 16 September 1940 and submitted his new draft registration the following month. Contradictions on his enlistment forms regarding his birthplace were now under scrutiny and the Navy now demanded resolution, so during the interim, Paul worked for Pacific Car & Foundry as a shipfitter and structural steelworker in Seattle and also as a bricklayer, using this talent in the construction of his home. The U.S. officially entered the Second World War on 8 December 1941 and Congress immediately acted to streamline the naturalization of non-citizens, who served honorably in the armed forces. By implementing the War Powers Act, non-citizen service members were exempted from the standard educational tests and fees, although they must have served honorably and also swear the required "Oath of Allegiance." On 22 June 1942, Paul's petition #33554 for citizenship, was granted by the U.S. District Court in Seattle. The immigration Naturalization Service (INS) actively oversaw this campaign and issued Paul's Certificate of Citizenship #5348576, as part of the program.
On 14 July 1942, Paul enlisted in the Marines as an American citizen for the first time, with his citizenship paperwork and sworn statement of accuracy, now included in his personnel file. Promoted to the rank of Corporal on 15 March 1943, Paul was originally stationed at the Navy yard at Bremerton, Washington. He soon learned his deployment to the pacific theater was a certainty, so Paul applied for a 10K life insurance policy thru National Service Life (150K today), naming his wife Eva as his beneficiary. By October 1943, Paul was stationed at the Infantry Battalion Training Center in San Diego, completing an 8-week course as an infantry rifleman. On 2 January 1944, he sailed aboard the USS Rochambeau from San Pedro to New Caledonia and then to Guadalcanal. In the months to follow, he sailed to the Marshall Islands, and on 21 July 1944, Paul participated in the initial assault landing in Guam, Marianas Islands. Attached to the 3rd Battalion, 22nd Marines Reinforced, 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, his unit saw the heaviest action and endured the greatest casualty count of the conflict. Following the assault, Paul complained of back pain after being thrown from the force of a battlefield mine explosion and also contracted Dengue, a mosquito-transferred illness. He was admitted to the sick list on 4 August with the Amphibious Medical Corps, where after 5 days of severe illness, he was transferred to the USS Solar for evacuation to Pearl Harbor and then to the Naval Hospital in Oakland. Ongoing medical evaluations revealed numerous health problems, including that concerning issue with his spine. Transferred to the Naval Air Station in Seattle for additional testing and treatment, he served with Casual Co., until his medical survey report was released on 26 January 1945.
Recommending the extent of his back injury did not justify his continued retention in the U.S.M.C.R., Paul's medical report was approved by the Bureau of Medicine & Surgery on 28 February. Corporal Paul P. Emer was honorably discharged due to disability on 7 March 1945 after 12 years, 7 months, and 14 days of service, with Seattle his place of separation from active duty. What Paul's medical report cited, was that the onset of his back troubles had been aggravated in battle but was not caused by it, with this condition already active in his system for some time. Interpreted as infectious rheumatoid arthritis, this chronic and degenerative disease known as Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), is a rare and usually inherited condition, more often found in some European populations. Typically attacking young men between 16 and 30 years of age as in Paul's case, Doctor's considered his case a pre-existing condition. By the time Paul reached his 50s, this disease had significantly deteriorated his spine and dramatically increased his pain in the process, finally requiring several major, (if only moderately successful) surgeries over the ensuing years.
After his release from the Marines, Paul obtained a job thru the Veterans Employment Service as a Deputy Sheriff in King County in July 1945. How long he remained in Washington State is unclear, but he and Eva divorced by 1949 and he was again living in California at the home of his parents in Roseville. Having secured a job as a guard at Folsom Prison, his sister Winifred was fearful for his safety and waged her personal campaign to convince him to quit, until he finally relented under the pressures of her concern. On 1 April 1950, Paul applied for duplicates of his misplaced military records and discharge certificate, which was required to obtain a G.I. loan. Once approved, Paul purchased a home in Rancho Cordova and found employment with the Sacramento Army Depot as a mechanic, testing equipment, and inventory control until his retirement seven years later. On 29 August 1950, Paul married Doris Hulett-Holmes in Sacramento and when they divorced in the early 1960s, he rented his house and lived temporarily again at the family home in Roseville. With both his parents by then deceased, Paul shared the home with his sister Winifred and her husband Charles Millar.
It was during this time living in Roseville, that Paul met Jessie Marie Meadows. One evening when Paul was out with members of the Elks Lodge, Jessie and her friends happened to be socializing at the same location. Members of both groups knew one another and decided to enjoy the remainder of the evening together. Paul started dating Jessie shortly thereafter and they were married on 23 March 1963. The couple subsequently spruced up the Rancho Cordova house after vacating his tenants and occupied the residence for their long and successful marriage. Both Paul and Jessie unfortunately were chain smokers and as a consequence, Paul repainted different rooms in the home every two or three years. With his steady hand and flawless workmanship, Paul earned his reputation as the acknowledged pro-painter of the family. He also loved his roses and several varieties of grapes, cultivating and pampering them with the fastidious and dedicated care of a true horticulturalist. Paul also put his bricklaying skills to work on several occasions and constructed an elaborate barbeque in their backyard. The couple traveled extensively in their motor home over the years, loved to entertain family and friends, and equipped their home with an open bar, impressing any guest with its generous selection, along with a pool table popular at family gatherings.
With their union, Paul became an integral part of Jessie's family, which initially included her three adult children, two grandchildren, and as time passed, great-grandchildren as well. Paul's marriage to Jessie gave him a family life he had never known, growing particularly fond of her son Michael Henry Meadows, whom he came to regard as his own son. But tragedy struck in September 1983, when Paul and Jessie learned while vacationing abroad, of Michael's untimely death at the age of only 45, curtailing their trip to arrange his funeral. Although Paul never raised children of his own, it was rumored he'd fathered a son, apparently documented in correspondence addressed to Paul from the child's mother. Unbeknownst to Paul, his sister Winifred discovered the letter and shared said contents with their siblings, keeping the rumor alive. Unfortunately, we have nothing to either substantiate or refute this story, including the aforementioned letter and as such, it remains only a tantalizing rumor.
After Jessie passed away in 1991, Paul was increasingly in need of physical assistance. One of Paul's siblings recommended a caregiver, to attend to Paul in the absence of his immediate family. It was soon discovered, however, that jewelry items belonging to his deceased wife went missing and his caregiver also convinced Paul, to add her as co-signor to his bank accounts. She secretly withdrew thousands from his savings before finally being caught and after her arrest, it was learned she had been wanted by authorities on an earlier elder abuse charge. Paul held membership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Auburn Elks Lodge. Paul passed in 1992, with services held at Andrews and Greilich Mortuary and in accordance with his and Jessie's wish, their ashes were distributed together in the hills above their home in Sacramento.
Scott Adell,
2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
Sources:
United States Marine Corps, National Personnel Records, St. Louis, MO.
Peasant Renaissance in Yugoslavia, 1900-1950, by Ruth Trouton, PH.D., 1952.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Military Naturalization During WW II.
Petition for Naturalization and Affidavit of Witness for Paul Pete Emer.
Census Records.
Roseville Joint Union High School student archives.
Select information is taken from his 1992 newspaper obituary.
Family recollections: those of his sister Ann, mine as his nephew, and his grandson Kenton Meyers.
NOTE! This memorial will be updated, as additional information becomes available.
