Jump to content

... Looking for any family of Major Gilbert A. Sather ...


billpenn47
 Share

Recommended Posts

The picture I have attached, is of Major Gilbert A. Sather, and his medals. After doing some research, I know he was born on 1-sept-1908 in North Dakota, and died on 26-march-1961, and is resting at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. What I don't know is if he was married, and had any children. I bought this display at a garage/barn sale, and the guy I get it from said it came out of a storage unit sale he got at auction. I have a very hard time understanding how or why it get there, and why it was in such bad shape. I have restored the display and would very much like to find out if any family member would want this. This man fought in WWII, and in the Korean war. The top right medal is the bronze star. I refuse to give a credit card to those sites that say they have all the information, so I am asking anyone out there who knows how to use those things, or knows anything about this man, for help. I would love to rehome this display to a family member. Baring that ,,, I guess I'll just sell it.

 

ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED...

THANKS

Bill

 

post-158746-0-53734300-1491609618.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

January 4, 1956

The Kansas City Times from Kansas City, Missouri · Page 38

Capt. Gilbert A. Sather (Center), Army Bomb Disposal Expert, Holds the Mystery Device (Circled) Which was Found Yesterday Aboard a T. W. A. Plane. With Him in the Group Photographed at Wheeling, W. Va., Are William Moore (L eft ), Assistant Airport Manager photo). at Wheeling, and Sergt. J. L. McQueen, Also an Army Ordnance Man—(Wire- PITTSBURGH) —The Civil Aeronautics authority asked the FBI today to help determine whether an "incendiary device" found aboard a Trans World Airlines passenger plane last night was meant to sabotage the aircraft. Louis Reinbold, supervisor of the CAA air carrier district office here, said federal explosives experts still were running tests on the small cylindrical object taken from the plane when it landed at Ohio County airport at Wheeling, West Virginia, last night with thirty-two passengers. If the object is found to be an explosive, we will assume an attempt at sabotage and formally request the FBI to take over the investigation," Reinhold said. Reinbold said the FBI already was working with the CAA at "our request." He said officials were witnessing the disassembly of the object now and "we will act as soon as we receive the report." The object, about the length of a cigarette and about the diameter of a nickel, was described as "some sort of incendiary device" by Capt. Gilbert A. Sather. of the 145th army ordnance detachment here. Sather ran preliminary tests on the cartridge-like device and said it contained “an inflammable powder, had a percussion cap on one end and a blowout plug on the other." The device was about two and one-half inches long and had a metallic sheath. Sather said "the powder burned with a brilliant flame." He turned it over to explosives experts at the Federal Bureau of Mines laboratory at near-by Bruceton, Pa., for further tests. He said he was not at liberty to say whether it was a "commercial or homemade" device but admitted "maybe" it could have been homemade. Reinbold said the object could possibly be a shotgun starter shell, used by the military to start engines. He said it also might be an airplane seat ejector shell, used to propel a pilot from a disabled plane. Sather said the device could have been ignited by a sharp blow. According to Reinbold, the plane was searched at Wheeling airport by the crew, airport manager and the control tower crew for similar objects, but none was found after looking in all places accessible to passengers. Sather said the object contained magnesium a powerful incendiary element and a yellowish powder he was not able to identify immediately. "The mechanism had no timing apparatus to detonate," Sather said. "The only way for it to ignite would have been for someone to strike the percussion cap." The pilot, Capt. L. Ryan, had noticed the object shortly after the craft took off from Columbus, Ohio. He said it was lying in the aisle of the cargo section, between the cockpit and the passengers seats. He described it as two and one-half inches long and three quarters of an inch in diameter. Ryan told John Leeper. Wheeling T. W. A. station manager, the object was "not part of the aircraft." Ryan said he believed the object might have dropped off a piece of cargo and dropped into the aisle. He said he was so sure that it was not a bomb that he slipped it into his pocket, where it remained until the scheduled stop at Wheeling.

 

 

 

a1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I refuse to give a credit card to those sites that say they have all the information, so I am asking anyone out there who knows how to use those things,..."

 

Well since I know how to use those things (I assume that means credit - and debit - cards) here's the information I paid for:

 

His only child was born 1955: she died in 2012. No indication she had children.

 

As is almost always the case someone in the family got rid of the medals: his daughter was too young to have done it.

 

I'd would say there are no descendants - there might be some nephews, great-nephews, etc. but I can't imagine any of them having an interest in someone they likely never met, who died over half-a-century ago. He used a different last name than his father and brother. He was born in Norway and lived in Montana and in fact his wife was from my first wife's (like Sather she had Norway roots) hometown in Montana: who knows, maybe they're distant cousins :)

 

sathergrave.jpeg

 

sather.jpg

 

sather1.jpg

 

sather2.jpg

 

sather3.jpeg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This looks like one of those sad stories where his family life wasn't exactly "Leave it to Beaver". I think the focus should be to find out if Patricia had any children...they'd be the next ones in line. Having died in 2012, she should have an obituary somewhere, I'd think...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Or, looking at it again...maybe still not the right Patricia Ann Sather...though it would make sense if she moved back to where her mother's family was from. But she was married, so her maiden name would be something else.

 

And welcome to how hard it is to figure out the right family sometimes! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want to thank everyone for the time and effort. Looks like Gilbert may have had a drinking problem. That doesn't make for a good family life. I don't know how to/ or if you can, private massage people on this site, but If you can, and you find someone who might appreciate, and want the display, please PM me and I will give you my phone number....

 

THANKS Again

 

Bill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UPDATE. I checked back with the guy I bought the display from, and the storage auction he got the display out of, was in Austin Tex. I live about 50 miles north west of Austin. It may well be that after Patricia Ann Sather of Austin died, the storage unit where it was stored went into default and the owner auctioned all the contents off. Anyway. I can find no listing of any children for Patricia Ann. I went out on face book, and found a reunion site for the Sathers of Minnesota. Waiting to hear back.

 

THANKS again guy!!!!!!

 

PS. To Bob Hudson. I didn't mean the credit cards, What I was referring to were the sites that require them. I got hacked by a site that required my credit card number, along with other information, and had a really hard time clearing everything up. I refuse to give any credit card information out online. Hope you understand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...