Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Letters From my Father, A World War I Mechanic

Letters From My Father, A World War I Mechanic
by Mary Jane McClintock Wilson
Thursday, March 26, 2015 - 7:00 pm 
Lansing City Hall - 124 W. Michigan Ave.

The Historical Society of Greater Lansing is hosting a program on the "Letters from My Father: A World War I Mechanic" at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 26 in the lobby of Lansing City Hall.  Mary Jane Wilson, the daughter of Freeman "Mac" McClintock, will discuss and read from the letters her father sent home during World War I.  McClintock was hand-picked for his skills as an auto mechanic; especially the repair and maintenance of WWI ambulances.

He was one of dozens of mechanics recruited mostly in the Detroit area where the burgeoning auto industry was running full tilt.  By the end of the war he was assigned the prestigious position as auto mechanic in Paris and given the responsibility of keeping the cars of President Wilson and General Pershing running while they were attending the Versailles Peace Treaty talks.

At the end of the war he returned to Michigan and at various times owned Packard and Cadillac dealerships in Lansing.  His McClintock Cadillac, now Capitol Cadillac, was located for many years at 2400 East Michigan Ave.

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