William J. Dormaier was born on April 24, 1908 in Kent, Ohio. At 107-years-old, he is not only the oldest living veteran in the state, but one of the oldest Masons as well. When William enlisted in the United States Army in January 1943, he simply wanted to do his fair share for his country, but due to his age, special waivers were required. These waivers proved unnecessary as William excelled during training in California and Florida, earning an immediate promotion.
Now a Sergeant, William returned home to marry the love of his life, Jayne Dick of Marion, before shipping out to Germany. The oldest member of Battery A of the 226th Searchlight Battalion, he was fondly given the nickname Pops by the other soldiers in the unit. Although he was nearly twice the age of some of the men with whom he served, the unit quickly bonded and became true brothers in arms.
Stationed a mere 100 miles outside of his father’s hometown, William’s company used powerful searchlights to watch for enemy aircraft, and aided the anti-aircraft gunners with .50-caliber machine guns. It was dangerous work, near enemy lines, and German planes would sometimes use the searchlights as targets, with explosives hitting within feet of Dormaier’s foxhole. It was during times like this that he would pray the hardest, hoping to be able to return home safely to his wife.
After Paris was liberated in 1944, Sergeant Dormaier became the first American to tour the eerie catacombs which had been used by the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation (history.com). Although Paris had been freed from German rule, the rest of France was still in bad shape. William recalled the popular habit of leaving USO food on the tables of the bivouacs for the hungry townspeople. The French police would look away while the women would clear away the food to feed their families.
With the war in Europe dying down, William was briefly sent to the Philippines to work in a vehicle maintenance unit. As a young man he had spent many years employed by Mansfield Tire, and was fully capable of the new assignment. In late 1946, William finally returned home to Jayne, receiving an Honorable Discharge just a few days before Christmas.
During his tour, William earned many awards and medals including the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star and the World War II Victory Medal among many others. His experiences overseas made him more appreciative of his life. Although he had seen many countries during the war, William and Jayne began to explore the world, visiting foreign lands as well as almost each of the United States.
In February of 1952, encouraged by coworkers at Mansfield Tire, William became an Entered Apprentice at the Mansfield Lodge #35. He was raised a Master Mason on March 31, joining the Ohio Grand Chapter #28, the Ohio Grand Council, the Ohio Grand Commandery and the Scottish Rite Valley of Columbus in the same year.
William earned his 60-year pin in 2012; although he is now partially blind and nearly deaf, he still believes strongly in his Masonic values and those he learned in the Army. His story is one of a life lived fully and with wonderful purpose.
