PHILADELPHIA, June 29, 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 Philadelphia native William G. "Bill" Kreckman
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.
A number of U-Haul Pacific Theater veterans' bios and photos will
be displayed in the tower lobby.
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.
Army Air Corps Medic
Kreckman was born in November 1917 to William and
Alice Kreckman. Shortly after he was born, his father
left the family. Kreckman attended school through the sixth
grade. He then had to work to help support his mother. As he got
older, he worked as a welder in the Philadelphia shipyards – an experience
that would benefit him later in life.
In June 1941, Kreckman enlisted in
the Army. He served in the Army Air Corps as a medic in
the China Burma India Theater (CBI). The CBI is
often referred to as The Forgotten Theater of WWII. Of
the 12.3 million Americans under arms at the height of
mobilization, only about 250,000 were assigned to the CBI.
Kreckman was honorably discharged in September 1945. He was awarded the
Distinguished Unit Badge; the American Service Medal; the Asiatic
Pacific Service Medal; the European African
Medal; and the Eastern Service Medal.
Stability, Success with U-Haul
After the war, Kreckman
did assembly work at a manufacturing company in Philadelphia. As
an automobile pieceworker, he made bumpers, doors,
fenders and other parts for automobile companies like Ford and
Chevrolet, which were rapidly expanding after the
war. Unfortunately, work was inconsistent, and Kreckman
was laid off every year.
Kreckman decided he needed a more stable
job. In July 1956, he began
his U-Haul career at the Willow
Grove (Pa.) Manufacturing Plant as a welder.
He became night welding foreman three months later. Not
long after starting at Willow
Grove, he enrolled in night classes at Penn State University and eventually graduated
with a degree in marketing and management.
Over the next 26 years with
U-Haul, Kreckman served as an area field manager;
manager of quality control; director of account executives; U-Haul
rental company president; shop president; and
manufacturing plant president. He retired from U-Haul in
1982.
Kreckman died in May 2003. He is survived by his sons,
William and David (Doug).
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. Kreckman 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, Bill.
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