Rene F. Elisar

Rene in the Army in Korea(?)

This is Rene F. Elisar in 1953.  Clearly, he's in the Army, maybe Korea, but where I'm not certain.  That's the usual grin. 

I know that he was a forester.  That he attended Syracuse University and the Ranger School at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and that he was in the Army.  I think that he had been posted to a district in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania before he ended up as a District Ranger in Athens, Ohio. He co-authored Portable Cone Storage Racks . He died when he was only 51.

I believe it was Rene who was in a hospital tent in Korea and awoke to find a Chinese soldier killing patients at the other end of the tent, drew his pistol and shot the enemy.  I don't know if Rene was wounded or "merely" sick.  

We visited he and his family, he was collecting old bottles at the time, in Pennsylvania. It seems that he had a daughter about 1 year younger than me and a younger son. I am now certain of the number of sons. They visited us in Bridgewater about 1969 and camped at Todd Lake. I think we all had a good time and even went in the water although it was pretty cool for that time of year (early summer I think). 

(l to r) Mom, Rene, Toni Spano at Dr. Sedgewick's

It bothers me more than a little bit that I can't find anything about him.  He always seemed to be a good person and I'd hate for him to be completely forgotten.  I'm hoping that posting this these photos will find his family.

Rene at Dr. Sedgewick's

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In fact I have since heard from his daughter and I was able to put her in touch with Toni Spano. It certainly is nice to have been able to do that. Again, Rene was a nice and interesting man. He should be well remembered.