Ron's parents

Unknown Location (circa  1943)

Left:  Evelyn Olga (Kaczmarek) Karpinski  (1921-1999)

Right:  Edward Joseph Karpinski, Sr.  (1919-1986)

Edward and Evelyn Karpinski were married in Chicago, Illinois, in 1940 and gave birth

to two children there -- Beverly (1941) and Edward Joseph, Jr. (1943).  Edward senior

entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, so this photo was probably taken soon after

that, while the novelty of wearing a uniform was still fresh.  Over the next three years,

Private Karpinski served as a military policeman (M.P.) at several posts in the western

United States.  He was discharged in 1946, still a private.  After the war, Edward and

Evelyn settled in the city of Long Beach, California, and produced two more offspring

-- Ronald Alan (1947) and Richard Leroy (1949).  Ed worked as a diesel truck mechanic,

repairing transmissions and differentials, reputedly at one time the best "gear man" in

the entire Los Angeles area.  Evelyn was a housewife.  To sum up their life's work, they

"had four kids to raise," as they were extremely fond of saying.