James “Jimmy Mack” McDowell was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1922. He was the Lincoln High School Senior class president and squeaked through with just enough credits to graduate by taking six semesters of typing to earn his diploma. Two months later, McDowell received his draft letter from the US Army.
Typing was a coveted skill in the Army and earned him a spot with the 231st Medical Corps. During training at Camp Atterbury in Southern Indiana, McDowell shared his first encounter with Colonel Lynwood Gable, a decorated surgeon from World War I. Gable climbed out of a car and, upon seeing the unit he was to command, declared, “What did I get myself into?! Bring me a Coke! In fact, bring me two!”
McDowell wasn’t sure of the significance of the cola request, but the colonel told his unit that they would be turned into “the best damned medical unit in the Army.” And based on the history books, it sounds like it was a mission accomplished.
Col. Gable was a music lover, and he held auditions for a band. McDowell was chosen as the lead singer in what became known as the Gable Gators. Aside from typing, McDowell as a crooner with a voice like Bing Crosby. He was a natural performer and became very popular overseas.
During training, McDowell took a trip to Indianapolis to buy sheet music, where he met the love of his life. Peggy Million worked at the Pearson’s Music Store in downtown Indianapolis. It was love at first sight. The couple developed a relationship over the next several months before McDowell shipped off to England, proposing marriage to her before he departed. Every day he wrote love letters to his “one in a million.” Peggy wrote to him as well. Their love letters, totaling over 1,000 pages, are part of a collection at the Indiana Historical Society.
The 231st Medical Unit was placed in Norwich, England. The hospital served the notorious 8th, who were the flyboys bombing German positions across the English Channel. Each day a squadron of bombers would leave, and all prayed they would return. McDowell said the casualties were high, and they would see the bombers returning with holes in the planes, hoping they would land safely. The injured were admitted to the base hospital, and McDowell was among the intake team, since he was the triage typist admitting these soldiers.
McDowell became best friends with one of his fellow Gators, accordion player Lenny Kratoska. The two of them had the idea to start a radio station on base. Gable thought it was a splendid idea and pledged funding. McDowell and Kratoska went to London to buy the equipment, which included a huge transmitter. The guys wired the hospital ward with speakers on either end replete with volume controls. They took turns on their off-hours to play records for the healing soldiers in their hospital. A true morale booster, the radio station was extremely well received, and the patients made requests and dedications for the disc jockeys. McDowell was convinced that many believed their radio station could reach their loved ones back home. This memory was one of Jimmy’s favorites of the war.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, when the men weren’t working in the hospital, the Gable Gators entertained the 8th U.S. Army Air Corps at their base in England. The band gained popularity, even having some hits of their own over the airwaves. The band performed at numerous bases around England, entertaining not only the Americans but the English troops as well.
A highlight of McDowell’s 2.5 years stationed overseas occurred on August 18, 1944, the evening he met Glenn Miller at a performance of the Gable Gators. McDowell was introduced to Miller and had a photograph taken with him in the men’s latrine.
This encounter wasn’t unique to McDowell. 1st Lt. John Woolnough of the 8th Air Corps also had a photograph taken in the latrine that night with Miller. After the war, Woolnough authored six books about his experiences with the 8th Air Corps. Woolnough mentions McDowell’s encounter with Miller in one of these books, a pleasant surprise for McDowell when he read the book.
Returning from England aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, McDowell says that one of the most amazing moments of his life was standing on deck with the other soldiers in their dress uniforms saluting Lady Liberty as they cruised into port.
On V-E Day, the Gable Gators were in London’s Piccadilly Square at the BBC Radio offices performing on-air. Jimmy shared his photo from the windows, where he watched a mass of humanity pour into the streets to celebrate.
After the war, Jimmy and Lenny went to Columbia College in Chicago. Lenny became a popular celebrity in the Chicago market, and Jimmy moved to Indianapolis to be with Petty. Jimmy was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers’ Hall of Fame. An Indiana Broadcast Pioneer herself, Peggy’s last gift to Jimmy was the Hall of Fame induction application she submitted on his behalf. She died a month before the ceremony.
Jimmy died peacefully in 2021 at the age of 99, and he could croon until his final days, bringing joy to anyone around him.