Infrequent contributor, but long time Fortean.
The nature of his Forteanism, though, is unclear.
Herbert B. Gochros was born 5 March 1918 in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Joseph Gochros and the former Lillian Gold. (One source says he was born in Brooklyn; I have not seen a birth certificate.) Joseph was a Russian Jew who had immigrated to America when he was young, under ten. (The surname had many spellings.) In 1920, at the time of the census, he owned a soda shop. Lillian was an immigrant from England; Herbert was their first child. Later, the family had added another son, Rodney, born about 1925. The household also had a boarder in both the 1920 and 1930 census; in each case, it was a Russian immigrant, one who worked as a taylor, another who worked at a novelty shop.
Herbert attended Central High School, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He went to college—I do not know where—and worked as a teacher while living at home with his family. (Which had grown by another son, Harvey, born about 1932.) Gochros enlisted in the army on 17 March 1941, just after he’d turned 23. I do not know what he did in the service, or how long he was in. At the time he was 5’11”, 196-pounds, and unmarried. Around this time, he copyrighted a couple of songs, at least, with W. O. Harrington, as Herb and Bill: “Looking for a Dream”, “Serenade to a Deb”, “Waiting to Hear From You” (all 1940); “Drop a Jitney in the Juke Box” (1941); and with Florence Friedman: “The Lady is No Lady” (1941).
The nature of his Forteanism, though, is unclear.
Herbert B. Gochros was born 5 March 1918 in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Joseph Gochros and the former Lillian Gold. (One source says he was born in Brooklyn; I have not seen a birth certificate.) Joseph was a Russian Jew who had immigrated to America when he was young, under ten. (The surname had many spellings.) In 1920, at the time of the census, he owned a soda shop. Lillian was an immigrant from England; Herbert was their first child. Later, the family had added another son, Rodney, born about 1925. The household also had a boarder in both the 1920 and 1930 census; in each case, it was a Russian immigrant, one who worked as a taylor, another who worked at a novelty shop.
Herbert attended Central High School, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He went to college—I do not know where—and worked as a teacher while living at home with his family. (Which had grown by another son, Harvey, born about 1932.) Gochros enlisted in the army on 17 March 1941, just after he’d turned 23. I do not know what he did in the service, or how long he was in. At the time he was 5’11”, 196-pounds, and unmarried. Around this time, he copyrighted a couple of songs, at least, with W. O. Harrington, as Herb and Bill: “Looking for a Dream”, “Serenade to a Deb”, “Waiting to Hear From You” (all 1940); “Drop a Jitney in the Juke Box” (1941); and with Florence Friedman: “The Lady is No Lady” (1941).