Lester Clinton Van Dyke, son of Lester Rushmore Van Dyke and Gertrude Catherine Walling, was born on 12 May 1924 at Oyster Bay, Nassau, New York.^2,3

     Lester Clinton Van Dyke was in Military Service on 16 November 1942 at New York City, New York, His rank was P5T (Private) and assigned to the Air Corps branch. The term of enlistment was for the duration of the war or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law. His education level was listed as four years of high school and his civilian occupation equilvant listed as carpenters. Finally, his Army serial number was 12186396.⁴

     Lester married Betty Jo Berney, daughter of Arthur George Berney and Josephine Aveline Noland, on 10 June 1944,

VAN DYKE-BERNEY

Miss Betty Jo Berney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Berney of Grandview became the bride of Cadet Lester Van Dyke of Long Island, N. Y., Saturday June 10 in the Knight Congregational church in Grandview. The Rev. L. G. Knight of Nampa read the wedding vow's in the presence of 50 invited guests and relatives. The bride wore an afternoon dress of white crepe with white accessories and she carried a bouquet of white carnations and sweetheart roses with white satin streamers. Miss Julia Eastman of Adrian, Ore., was maid of honor and wore a yellow crepe afternoon dress with white accessories and a white carnation and rosebud corsage. Cadet Harold J Smith of Staten Island N Y was best man. Preceedlng the ceremony, Mrs. Elmer Spang sang "I Love You Truly” accompanied by Mrs. Morgan Shaw who played the wedding marches. Mrs. Van Dyke is a graduate of Grandview high school and has attended the College of Idaho in Caldwell the last two years. She is to teach the 1944-45 school year at Emmett. The bridegroom attended schools in New York and at present is an air cadet at the College of Idaho. A reception was held at the church after the wedding. Mrs. Pauline Stolley, Miss Beth Palmer, Mrs David Basey, Mrs. Robert Duncan, Mrs. George Rocks, Mrs. Ross Osborn and Mrs. Harold Bailey assisted the hostess. The couple will make their home in Caldwell while Cadet Van Dyke is stationed there.^5,6

     The U.S. officially entered World War II on 8 December 1941 following an attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Just about a year before that, in October 1940, President Roosevelt had signed into law the first peacetime selective service draft in U.S. history, due to rising world conflicts. After the U.S. entered WWII a new selective service act required that all men between ages 18 and 65 register for the draft. Between November 1940 and October 1946, over 10 million American men were registered. The Fourth Registration, often referred to as the "old man's registration", was conducted on 27 April 1942 and registered men who born on or between 28 April 1877 and 16 February 1897 - men who were between 45 and 64 years old - and who were not already in the military. Lester filled out a draft card for World War II on 7 March 1946 (at age 21), while living at Grandview, Owyhee, Idaho.⁷

     Lester died on 1 September 2009 at age 85. His remains were cremated.^8,9

     Lester Rushmore Van Dyke had said, 'His Dad would dig clams, shuck them and peddle them to wealthy Long Islanders. After his death, a neighbor wrote to his son: I so well remember your father as a boy that lived in Brookville. He came with his Dad selling horseradish. His father would grate it and sell it to the eager housewife by the glass. He was such a pretty boy and how my Mom loved him. He was a good hardworking boy. I'm writing to tell you what a nice chap he was. Lester was thought to be a Master Craftsman by Walter Fuller from Boston. When quite young, he went to NC or VA and helped build a mansion. His three sons all became highly respected contractors. His first wife became ill after child birth and spent many years in a hospital. He died from emphaphsyma in a VA hospital in New York City.²

     Lester Rushmore Van Dyke, son of Stephen R. Van Dyke and Selina Seaman, was born on 5 September 1897, at Canarsie, Kings, New York.^3,4,5

     Due to a need for men to serve during World War I, the United States instituted a draft. The first registration was for men between the ages of 21 and 31. As a result, this first registration included men born between June 5, 1886 and June 5, 1896. As World War I continued to escalate, the United States instituted a second draft registration. The second registration was for men who had turned 21 since June 5, 1917, so it added men born between June 5, 1896 and June 5, 1897. Two months later, a supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918 for men who had become 21 years of age since June 5, 1918, adding the names of men who were born between June 5, 1897 and August 24, 1897. With no end in sight for World War I, the United States instituted it's third and final registration. It included all men who were between the ages of 18 and 21, and 31 to 45 years of age. This added younger men than the previous registrations, those who were born between September 12, 1897 and September 12, 1900; and added an older group of men, born between September 12, 1873 and September 12, 1888. Lester filled out a draft card for World War I on 12 September 1918 (at age 21), while living at Bayville, Nassau, New York. He was employed as as a carpenter and described as height, tall and lean build with brown eyes and dark brown hair..⁶

     Lester married Gertrude Catherine Walling, daughter of Nathaniel D. Walling and Gertrude Tappen, on 21 August 1920, at Nassau, New York.⁷

     Lester Rushmore Van Dyke was in Military Service on 4 May 1943 on the U. S. S. Chaumont.

'When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Chaumont was on one of her regular voyages from Hawaii to Manila. She was diverted to Darwin, Australia, and then sent back to the West Coast. After two runs to Pearl Harbor, the now elderly transport was assigned to service between Seattle and Alaska, bringing men and supplies to assist in the defense of the Aleutians. Selected in March 1943 for conversion to a hospital ship, Chaumont was decommissioned in August at Seattle. She returned to active service in March 1944 as Samaritan (AH-10) and retained that name and designation until she was sold for scrapping in early 1948.' (DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER.)⁸

     Lester married Thelma Nichols after September 1958.

     Lester died on 7 September 1959, at New York, at age 62. Lester was a 'CCM US NAVY World War II.^9,10 ' He was buried at Long Island National Cemetery, Farmingdale, Nassau, New York.¹¹

     Lindsey Van Dyke, daughter of Walter Carl Van Dyke and Doreen Elizabeth Maniachi, was born at New York.¹

     Loren Wayne Van Dyke, son of Dorsey Clinton Van Dyke and Jennie Ware, was born on 28 June 1902 at Greenup, Cumberland, Illinois.

     Loren married Hazel Victoria McCord, daughter of Charles Cornelius McCord and Adeline Verinda Neal, circa 1925.²

     Loren died on 21 August 1975, at Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, at age 73,³ and was buried at Sunset Memorial Park, Danville, Vermillion, Illinois.³