On February 23, 1893, Rudolf Diesel received a patent in Germany for the engine that bears his name. The diesel engine burns fuel oil rather than gasoline and is used in trucks and heavy industrial machinery. The anniversary of the invention of the Diesel engine is the inspiration for this week's family history post.
Charles William (Soltis) Summers (April 2, 1906 - January 29, 2002) first enlisted in the Army in New York City on February 2, 1924 at the age of 17. At the time, he lied about his birth year in order to enlist and said he was born in 1904. "I was sent to Mitchell Field on Long Island, New York. Then I was sent back to Ohio for mechanics training."[1] He graduated from Air Corps Tech School on February 5, 1926. This was the beginning of Charles' long career with mechanics. After being trained in Ohio, he was transferred back to Mitchell Field and became part of the First Observation Squadron. At this time, the U. S. Air Force had not yet been formed. He was part of the Air Service which later became the U.S. Army Air Corps on July 2, 1926. He was a mechanic at Mitchell Field until being discharged on February 1, 1927.