Life Stories
Gooz

Thomas Flynn Howland a.k.a. Gooz- Birthdate: March 22, 1917. Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii. College/Further Education: None. Family: Father: Jim Howland(02-08-1881). Mother: Lisa Howland(deceased). Siblings: Lauren Howland(07-09-1920), Melissa Howland(05-12-1924). Occupation: Pilot.

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April 22, 1926
Age: 9

Two years after Melissa was born, he was supposed to have a little brother, Jacob. But he never met Jacob. He wasn't really sure why. But his daddy said that he was gonna meet Jacob soon. Well, he said his new brother or sister, but he had been praying for a brother, and he knew God would give him a brother. But when he went to see his mommy, his daddy wouldn't let him see her. And he never saw his mother again. Nor did he ever meet his brother.

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September 18, 1931
Age: 14

My mother used to call me Thomas, or Tommy. But then when she died, I only let people call me Flynn. But I even remember her calling me that. And I can't stand it. So, in memory of her favorite animal the goose, I will be called Gooz. Maybe it will help me move on.

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December 11, 1934
Age: 17

When I walked in and he was...on top of her like that, I immediatly knew what was going on. Melissa was pretending to be asleep, and it looked like she had done it before. Lauren locked eyes with me, pleading for help. I couldn't let that sunofabitch, previously known as my own father, know I was in that room. But I wanted to help them so bad. I just couldn't.

So I went back into my own room, and planned our escape for midnight tomorrow. I wondered how I could actually be that stubborn to not know that had been going on under this roof since mom died. Eight years!

When I heard the door close as my father left, I went immediatly in to check on them. Melissa and Lauren were huddled together. Lauren was brushing blonde hair out of Melissa's face as she tried to comfort her. "God I'm so sorry," Gooz whispered as he held his sisters. "We're leaving tomorrow. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Daddy told me not to, and I was so scared... I didn't know what to do," Lauren said as tears ran down her cheeks.

"It's okay, it won't happen ever again. We're gonna go stay in some hotels out of the city. We have enough money to make it until I get a job, I think. Do you still have the accounts from when mom made us save up for college?" he asked. Lauren noded. "Then we're good to go. Don't let anything on tomorrow, but know that it will be the last time you see your friends," he warned. They understood. He kissed Lauren's dark blonde head and Melissa's lemon colored one. "I love you," he whispered before leaving.

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December 13

Gooz and the girls had a smooth getaway from the house. They each had a duffel bag, and Gooz had another with food, drinks, and money. He also had a picture of him, Lauren, baby Melissa, and their mom Lisa that was taken days before she died.

They got into Gooz's old pickup and drove almost silently into the night, not knowing what awaited them. They could only hope it was better than the life they were leaving on National Street.

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May 18, 1936
Age: 18

They had been living off of Gooz's measly salary at a nearby diner and what they had brought with them for over a year. The run down hotel had become their more permanant home, and the girls went to nearby schools.

That was the day Gooz got connected with Helen, his mom's best friend before her death. She had moved to California, and he heard she was living a very successful life with her husband and son Mark. After reaching her, it didn't take much pleading for her to agree to let the girls stay with her. He knew it was for the best, and he would enlist in the Air Force, his dream since he was young.

The girls wanted to live better, but they didn't want to leave their brother, their savior. "Why can't you just come and work out there?" Melissa asked.

"Oh come on, you know I can't do that. I want to be a pilot, and I will. And you guys will be able to have a real mom and a nice dad, and you'll really like it."

"What she's trying to say is that we'll miss you. If it wasn't for you being so cool and nice, we'd still be...there," she said painfully.

"You know I did it because I love you," Gooz said.

"We know," Melissa said. "Because we love you too."

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August 19, 1938
Age: 20

"Damn it's hot," Gooz said wiping dirt and sweat off his face with a dirty cloth.

"You could say that again," Mike, Gooz's best friend, said as he leaned onto a broken down plane.

"Look at that," Donnie, another pilot, said as the figure of a beautiful woman started to walk towards them. The woman broke into a run. Gooz held his hand over his eyes to protect them from the harsh sunlight and to get a better look at the eager woman.

"Lauren?" he whispered to myself. "My God, is that Lauren?" he asked when the woman was still about fifty feet away. He ran to her. "Lauren!" he cried.

"Gooz!" the girl said as she jumped on him.

"Oh my God, Lauren. You look great!" he said as she landed on the ground.

He looked back at the pilots, who immediatly looked away realizing that the girl was either a girlfriend or sister. "You lucky bastard," she said looking around. "Pearl Harbor? You lucky bastard!"

"Hey," he interrupted, but then smiled. "How's Melissa?" he asked. He hadn't seen his two younger sisters since they went to California over two years ago.

"Fourteen. And she acts her age," Lauren said rolling her eyes.

"Oh God," Gooz said sarcastically. They shared a smile. "Too long...too long."

"Well, you're not getting rid of me, because I'm stationed here, too," she said cheerfully.

"What?" Gooz asked totally serious.

"I'm a nurse, I enlisted, I'm here! Yeah!" she said.

"Not yeah, not yeah," Gooz said. "This is not a good place for...a girl."

"You want to say this isn't a good place for my sister. Well, there are girls younger than me. Gooz, I'll be fine. I just want to be by you," she said placing her head on his shoulder. He patted her hair that was flying in the wind.

"Fine, but don't say I never do anything for you," Gooz warned.

"I didn't need your permission anyway, I'm eighteen now, remember?" she said.

He sighed. "I remember alright."

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December 7, 1941
Age: 23

They had come a long way since she first came to Pearl in '38. Now 21, she had a steady boyfriend. Gooz hated the guy like any normal brother. But he was scared for his sister. It had been seven years since he took her away from the hell she used to live in, but she didn't seem whole. Like a part of her innocense was taken away at a young age.

And young Melissa was talking about enlisting the second she turned eighteen to be closer to her older siblings. Gooz was happy it wasn't for five more months.

In the morning, when the bombing began, Gooz went to a small airfield with his friends. Lauren went to the hospital with the others. Looking for help, a Japanese bomb landed right in front of her. She was killed instantly.

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December 10, 1941
Age: 23

Gooz sat with Melissa staring into her blue eys. "Lauren died," he said. She nodded, she knew.

"She was brave. I knew it. I can't believe it, though. She was so young," Melissa said.

"You're not enlisting," Gooz ordered.

"Lauren's death gives me even more motive. Do you know how I felt when we were listening on the radio and I didn't know whether you and Lauren were dead or alive? That's not happening again. I love you too much."

"I know you do, but you can't do this."

"I miss her, too."

He broke down in his sister's arms. He had experienced much heartache in his twenty three years, but he was sure the loss of his sister was the worse.

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Bottom line: Gooz had a troubling childhood, but he always came out positive and on top.