vi. Pershing Rohrer
On November 11, 1918, an armistice ending "The Great War," (to be known
as World War I) was signed in Europe. On the morning of that day, a boy was born to
Florence and George at the Western Maryland Hospital in Cumberland. They named
him Pershing for the famed American Army commander, General John J. Pershing.
His middle name honored his uncle,
Charles Webster Rohrer, who also was
serving in the Army and his maternal
grandfather, Charles McDonough.
(When informed of the arrival,
Charlie, still in France, wrote: "And
how is my new nephew Charles
Pershing, or is it Pershing Charles.")
In 1921, General Pershing visited
Cumberland and George and Florence
were given the opportunity to present
their young son to his namesake at the
Fort Cumberland hotel. "Why
handicap your son thus." the General
reportedly asked.
During Pershing's boyhood,
Florence often proudly reminded
Cumberland of the auspicious
coincidence of her son's birth by
inserting news items in the Cumberland Evening Times on his birthday.
By the age of fourteen, Pershing was a newspaper delivery boy. A sports
enthusiast since childhood, in his sophomore year he was assistant sports editor of his
high school newspaper in its first year and sports editor as a junior and senior. In The
Torch he was called "one of the most outstanding members of the senior class and no
doubt one of the most popular students of the school." While still in high school he
was also reporting local sports events for the Cumberland Daily News.9
18
Pershing Rohrer, high school graduation photo, 1937
9The Torch, LaSalle Institute, January 27, 1936.
