Early Life
He was born in Germany just before the outset of World War II. When war broke out, his father was sent to the Russian front and died there. His single mother struggled and in 1949 sent her 11 year old son to live with aunt in Miami, Florida who adopted the boy. Hans anglicized his first name to John and took the family surname. He gained American citizenship after elementary school. He attended Miami High School, first running hurdles and throwing events before a friend enticed him to pole vault. He cleared 10'6" on the first day, improving to 13' by the end of his first year.
Read more about this topic: John Uelses
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