A DAY FOR MEMORIES 5 brothers who served taught her about war

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Memorial Day, for many, is but one day out of the year to remember fallen soldiers and loved ones -- memories that often stretch across decades and encompass everyone from family members to nameless heroes who briefly made a difference in one's life.
Dorothy Troxell-Yonker lives a quiet life tucked away in a quaint Boardman Township apartment. Inside that apartment, she keeps a treasure chest of items from times in her life that were not so quiet -- memories of the five brothers who fought wars for their country decades ago.
Troxell-Yonker's brothers, Clifton, Richard, Delmont and Lawrence Troxell, fought in World War II. Another brother, Eugene Troxell, fought in the Korean War.
"I feel like I missed the opportunity, for instance, to say, 'Hey Clifton, you really did a good job.' I really didn't pay attention to what they accomplished and what they did for this country," she said.
"That's all I ever knew coming up -- my brothers were off to war. At that time, I really didn't know what the war was all about."
Troxell-Yonker, now 69, is the youngest of her siblings and was only 8 when her brothers first set out to defend their country. They all grew up in Cuyahoga Falls and the Cleveland area.
Her collection
She has spent years learning to understand the sacrifices they made. She has a collection of newspaper clippings, medals and photographs to prove it.
She wrote to The Vindicator about her brothers.
Most of those clippings and photographs are of her oldest brother, Clifton, who she said had the most distinguished record of service. Clifton Troxell enlisted in 1940 and became a pilot. He is credited as a pilot with downing five Japanese fighter planes -- and an additional two while serving as Charles Lindbergh's wingman.
Clifton Troxell was shot down during one of his missions and rescued by fellow pilots a short time later. He was awarded a total of 14 medals for service and dubbed the Pied Piper of the South Pacific.
While Clifton Troxell flew overhead, Delmont Troxell was on the ground in the South Pacific Islands with the Army ground forces. Lawrence Troxell also served in the Army. Richard Troxell served with the Army Air Forces in the European Theater, where he flew over German-held territory.
All of the Troxell men managed to return from war service, though Eugene Troxell was injured during the Korean War. Delmont Troxell is the only surviving brother today, living in Cuyahoga Falls.
What changed
Troxell-Yonker said she can understand the roller coaster of emotion family members of current servicemen overseas must feel. She still remembers the family gathering around one radio hoping for any bit of information after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
"It was just so difficult because you didn't know if you would get word that they were dead or alive or what," she said.
"We didn't have the same type of communication as we do now. There was just the radio. What came across the radio was all you got."
With all the anguish and emotional distress, Troxell-Yonker said she understands why war is sometimes necessary. That's something each of her brothers said on several occasions.
One of the strongest memories from her childhood is that of Richard Troxell standing in the family living room, cigar in mouth, defining what war meant and the reasons for it.
jgoodwin@vindy.com