SALMON, Idaho, June 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul® was
born as World War II was coming to a close, with its first one-way
trailers made available to the moving public on or about
July 4, 1945.
Just as U-Haul is celebrating 75 years of service this year,
America will soon celebrate the 75th anniversary of V-J Day. This
signifies Victory over Japan and
is observed Sept. 2 when the signing
of surrender occurred, effectively ending WWII.
Veterans such as Salmon
native Ansley James "Jim" Simer returned home to start a new life
after the war, and in doing so planted the seeds of prosperity for
U-Haul, a product of the peace for which they fought.
WWII-era Navy veteran L.S. "Sam" Shoen and his wife,
Anna Mary Carty Shoen, conceived
U-Haul in June 1945 when they
recognized a basic need while moving up the West Coast, having left
behind most of their belongings since one-way trailer rentals did
not yet exist. From that idea, an industry was created and a new
level of mobility became attainable for every American family.
New Display at Pearl
Harbor
Today, U-Haul is committed to honoring veterans and supporting
veteran causes. This is accomplished through recruiting veterans
and giving them hiring preference; direct assistance to veteran
groups; participation and sponsorship of Memorial Day and Veterans
Day parades; and supporting Pearl
Harbor tributes.
The Company's 75th anniversary tributes will peak triumphantly
with the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum's dedication of the renovated
Ford Island Control Tower on Aug. 29.
U-Haul Pacific Theater veterans' bios and photos will be displayed
in the tower lobby. Simer will be among those memorialized on the
lobby wall.
The tower will showcase a new elevator, gifted by U-Haul CEO
Joe Shoen, providing public access
to the observation deck where America's lone WWII aviation
battlefield can be revered and our heroes remembered.
Military and U-Haul Service
Simer was born in March 1926 near
Salmon, Idaho, to Burt and Emma Simer. He was one of 11 children.
His father was a prospector who supported the family during the
Great Depression by placer mining for gold.
In 1940, the family moved to Portland,
Ore. By the time he was 14, Simer was going to school during
the day and working in the Portland shipyards as a welder at night.
Simer joined the Army in September
1944. He served as a combat infantryman with the 41st
Infantry Division. Nicknamed the "Jungleers," the 41st
participated in the New Guinea,
Southern Philippines and Papuan
campaigns. Simer's unit fought in the Leyte and Luzon
campaigns to liberate the Philippines.
As the first scout for his platoon, Simer was injured in the
Battle of Luzon and was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze
Star for valor. He also received the Philippine Liberation
Medal (one bronze star), the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal and the
Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged in November 1946.
After the war, Simer worked on a large wheat farm in
Oregon for several years before
returning to the shipyards. In 1960, he joined U-Haul as an area
field manager, servicing U-Haul dealerships in Eastern Oregon. Simer joined the crew at the
Southgate Rental Equipment Repair Shop as a trailer repairman in
1969 and was promoted to the role of lead repairman in 1971. In
1977, Simer was named repair shop president. He held that position
until his retirement in 1988.
Simer passed away in 2013.
Veteran Ties and Appreciation
The Shoens started U-Haul upon Sam's discharge with $4,000 of accumulated Navy pay
and the courage formed by the cauldron of WWII. With the
help of other veterans, the young couple forged their new
enterprise from the freedom that victory produced.
Today, U-Haul serves all 50 states and 10 Canadian
provinces, helping millions of families move every
year. Simer is one of the many veterans who laid the
foundation for the present prosperity U-Haul enjoys.
U-Haul is one of a myriad of companies built by these incredible
veterans, who are to be saluted and remembered during this 75th
anniversary celebration. Thank you, Jim.
Find more veteran tributes in the History and Culture
section of myuhaulstory.com.
About U-Haul
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of
do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations across
all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7
offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day
through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our
proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has
enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 167,000 trucks,
120,000 trailers and 43,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly
697,000 rooms and 60.7 million square feet of self-storage space at
owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer
of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket
industry, and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S. For
information on moving safely and smartly with U-Haul during the
COVID-19 pandemic, please reference
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8601451-u-haul-moving-season-covid-19-safety/.
Contact:
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
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SOURCE U-Haul