Monday, May 26, 2008
DOGS OF WAR
Uncle Joe spent time in a military prison for “shooting up” a camp of displaced persons somewhere in the European theater during World War Two. Later Joe would return home and drive a Philadelphia trolley car and get implicated in stealing tokens and selling them on the black market or to black people I never got the straight story. Joe was my favorite Uncle and later worked the graveyard shift at an all night diner on the Jersey White Horse Pike or could have been the Black Horse Pike. Joe became a custodian at a small catholic school and when he died at the age of 70 the gym was named after him because Joe Kelly had the force of a charismatic personality.
My uncle Cholly floated around the Pacific Ocean during World War 2 on a boat without weapons. Every morning he would watch the kamikaze show and hope a Japanese Zero wouldn’t decide to die for a soft target. Cholly Rodgers was the greatest and most gentle guy ever and used to make boats inside bottles.
My father spent the war in the army stationed in Seattle and then Portland. He was stricken with MS and so became a disabled veteran but if some shit had jumped off in Seattle he would have been there.
His best friend was Wooden Legged Charlie who lost both legs when his jeep rode over a landmine. Charlie talked kids out of quarters and allowed them to put them inside his legs. He earned at least minimum wage which hovered under two dollars for the longest time.
Another favorite guy of mine up the street was the big rascal who drove around town in a Chrysler Imperial with three lights on tasteful fins and smoked a big cigar. This guy had survived the Bataan Death March so when he got home he just drove around and never worked.
I have age contemporary friends who grunted around Vietnam and rode shotgun on helicopters.
I salute these guys and all the souls who didn’t make it back on this Memorial Day-we should all know a person from every conflict this country ever fought- which unfortunately has become a carnivorous three day drunk in America but at least our young people don’t know anything about history.
My uncles and dad and his friends enjoyed this weekend eating and drinking in a way only those who have earned it can appreciate.
freddogg
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Thank you, Freddogg, for your tribute to some fine men that served this great country of ours.
I was surprised to hear your Dad has MS. My hubby also has it. The more people I talk to, the more people I learn have MS. It's nice to know there is someone living to a ripe old age with this disease. I hope your Dad isn't too disabled from it. Thankfully, my hubby is still able to walk, but has not been able to work since 2002 due to balance and memory problems.
I was surprised to hear your Dad has MS. My hubby also has it. The more people I talk to, the more people I learn have MS. It's nice to know there is someone living to a ripe old age with this disease. I hope your Dad isn't too disabled from it. Thankfully, my hubby is still able to walk, but has not been able to work since 2002 due to balance and memory problems.
My father passed away in 1963 at the age of 41. He just got slammed. But that is not the norm and plenty of people live on and on with MS it is just so variable.
Best of luck with all that.
Best of luck with all that.
I'm so sorry to hear that about your Dad and his battle with MS. I assumed from your last paragraph he was still alive.
You're right, that is not the norm. Nowadays, 80% of people with MS are still mobile. We have a friend in Selbyville who is paralyzed from the neck down from MS. She was diagnosed in her early 20's, but has been paralyzed for the last 15 years, since she was about 42. Her hubby takes care of her 100%. He is a saint!!
You're right, that is not the norm. Nowadays, 80% of people with MS are still mobile. We have a friend in Selbyville who is paralyzed from the neck down from MS. She was diagnosed in her early 20's, but has been paralyzed for the last 15 years, since she was about 42. Her hubby takes care of her 100%. He is a saint!!
My mother was a saintly spouse while my relatives disappeared. My dad was the greatest guy always kept the sense of humor.
People in education sometimes tried to sell me" Fredman this is important" but for a child growing up with a disabled parent we know what's important which is the health of family and friends and that is pretty much that
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People in education sometimes tried to sell me" Fredman this is important" but for a child growing up with a disabled parent we know what's important which is the health of family and friends and that is pretty much that
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