Remembering a veteran

John D. Summerville, the father of Cedarhurst resident Ellin Lynch, served 21 months in the U.S. Army through 1945 and ’44 in Great Britain, France and Germany during Word War II.

Born in Brooklyn, Summerville was a realty publisher and was drafted at 36. Cpl. Summerville served as an administrative non-commissioned officer with the 46th medical depot company. He received the Good Conduct and W.W. II Victory medals.

Celebrities typically entertained the troops as part of USO shows to maintain morale. Summerville met movie star Mickey Rooney in Germany. “As a Navy veteran, I can clearly remember Bob Hope performing at Christmas time in 1957 on Okinawa and how important it was to us,” said Phil Lynch, Ellin’s husband.

After the war, Summerville and his family lived in Bohemia in Suffolk County, and he returned to realty publishing. In 1950, Summerville died in an accident at 42.