Third Balloon Company

We don't know much about my mom's grandfather.  It is assumed by all that he was a rat.

Family member name: Alfred Vernon Sullivan
Tree branch: Sullivan
Lifetime: 1897-1960
Relation: My great grandfather (my mom's mom's dad)

He may well have been a real rat.  After all, he gave my great grandmother an STD which ruined her life, then abandoned his three children.

Recently I looked into his military history.  

Alfred enlisted in World War I just six days after the US got involved.  It was April 12, 1917, 102 years ago today.  He served in the 3rd Balloon Company, which was part of the American Expeditionary Forces, the Air Service.  Many men like him from Nebraska, were in balloon companies, since the balloon school was in Omaha.

What was a balloon company?  In 1917, there were no satellites, and planes were in their infancy.  The Allies needed to spy on the Germans.  Enter balloons.  Ninety-three balloon companies were formed during WWI. They were called the "eyes of the army".

Balloon companies were sent behind enemy lines in order to raise a hydrogen balloon (yes, highly explosive) a couple thousand feet in the sky with two men called "observers" with a telescope in the basket.  The balloon was tethered to a winch truck which would move it and haul it back in when done.  The observers would communicate the locations of the enemy troops, not by wireless phone, but with a real phone.  Yes, miles of wires were hung out of the basket to the ground and back to the base! (Can't make this stuff up.) They also made real-time maps.

Alfred was not assigned as an observer, but was a "Chauffer".  Not to be confused with an upscale driver service, a chauffer in a balloon company drove the winch truck, a hydrogen truck or anti-aircraft truck.  Anything that needed driving.  

Since they were behind enemy lines or at the front line, they were sleeping in the open and constantly shot at.  During just one campaign in France which his company was involved in, 21 balloons were shot down.  So he had to dodge fireballs and parachuting observers plummeting from the sky.  Then they had to inflate new balloons on the spot.  A first hand account says, "Personnel weakened by inhaling choride gas, suffering from dysentery... soaking wet from almost continual rain... uniforms crawling with cooties... eating magotty food."

He was in France and Germany for about a year and a half.  One of the towns where they were given leave time was known for its licentiousness, perhaps the place where 20-year old Alfred caught syphilis.

I can't imagine that the guy did not have PTSD.  We don't know if that affected his decisions going forward, or if he just made bad decisions in general.

The Third Balloon Company was assigned to Germany after the Armistice of 11/11/1918 in order to keep peace.

The above facts are not intended to excuse his behavior in any way, however it is always good to understand the bigger picture of someone's life. 

If you're interested in more info about balloon companies, here are some links.

Link to fascinating article in the Omaha World-Herald

Link to North Omaha History - Fort Omaha Balloon School

Link to NY Times article from 1919