Harry Lesher Zerbe Jr. was born to Mary Zerbe (maiden name of Mary Lesher) and Harry Zerbe Sr. on June 18, 1913. To the left is a record of Zerbe Jr.'s baptism at Salem Lutheran Church in Reamstown, Lancaster Pennsylvania. He was baptized at the age of 1 alongside his brothers Roy and John. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zerbe Jr. lived a simple life, attending just one year of high school. As an adult, Zerbe Jr. worked in the manufacture of hats and caps as a machine operator at a hat factory. His workplace would have looked much like this hat factory shown on the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the war began in 1939, Zerbe Jr. was 26 years old. Zerbe Jr. was an able bodied young man who was unmarried and had no children. As events of WWII escalated and the United States could no longer avoid war, many young men enlisted. One of these men was Zerbe Jr., who enlisted in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. Zerbe Jr. enlisted on June 20, 1941 at age 28.