It was on the 11th hour of the 11th month in 1918 that “The Great War” ended. Thaw was what the he first World War (no one expected the second- but they should have) was called that back then. It’s the name my father learned, too- and it was among the last sanctioned battles in which my grandfather (my mother’s father) was a participant.
The words of President Wilson still resonate…
” To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day [what Veteran’s Day was first called- and the name by which it is known outside the US] will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”
My grandfather was a veteran of that war. Sol Kuchlik was never sure of the date (or day) of his birth. Because they didn’t track that well- and because my grandfather was a man in a hurry. (You think I might be related?) He was born on Chanuka (that he remembers well) in Minsk, now part of Belarus, then part of the “Pale of Settlement” associated with Russia.
He was a strapping young man with bright red hair. And, strong. Willing to do anything to get out of the Pale- and get to the ‘Goldena Medina’… Crossing Europe by himself. Getting to America and fending for himself, never letting anyone know how old [read “young’] he really was. (Yup, I learned that concept, too.)
I don’t even know how he met my grandmother. But, I do know he fell for her in a big way before he was asked by his boss to help Black Jack Pershing in a new war. (Rumor had it that all three of them had met decades before.) Thinking he might have been kind of old for the job, but strong enough and smart enough to perform the special task his boss had in mind.
Like many a soldier, my grandfather wrote to his “girl” back home. I have some of those postcards somewhere. I remember finding them after he died and realizing that there was yet another part of this man I did not know. But, I know they married soon after he returned to New York and stayed that way until they died.
Every once in a while, I could get him to talk about his exploits. Most of which he kept inside. His normal response was to immediately pepper me with arithmetic (or math, as I aged) questions. Ones that demanded instantaneous responses. He wanted me to use my brain- quickly, adeptly, and to do great things.
Here’s to you, Sol Kuchlik. I miss you very much.
And, every other Veteran. It’s your day. You earned it.
By the way, this moment, 11-11-18 at the 11th hour, was the exact birth date and time for one of my dedicated employees, who wanted to go the extra mile when my personal life was falling apart. A veteran of another war. Here’s to you, as well, Harry Thornton!
<del>Armistice</del> Veterans Day https://t.co/yVa4xZQmL6 via @RAAckerman Up close and personal.
Wonderful tribute to your grandfather, Roy. May God bless him in eternity, and may we be ever eternally grateful for those who served this country.
Blessings to you!
Martha Orlando recently posted..A Gratitude Attitude
Thanks, Martha.
We need to continually- not just one or two days a year- recall the sacrifices that folks who have lived and died on the fields of battle to ensure that our way of life is possible!
A wonderful post! Your grandfather sounds like an amazing man. Cherish those old postcards—those are truly a gem!
My grandfather was a trip, Marcia.
I’ve written about him often- for his weekly testing of my ability (arithmetic, math, science); for his reliance on my (fledgling) knowledge to help steer him though his Parkinson’s and for his advocating to have me work with his physicians, for the trips he took me…
I still miss him. It’s been almost 5 decades since he died.
Armistice Veterans Day | https://t.co/3mO1zz2cKe via @Adjuvancy
In Canada, we call it Remembrance Day. It’s also observed on November 11th. My Father was in the Royal Rifles of Canada (an army regiment) in which he had enlisted under age. He was 17, and in 1938, employment prospects weren’t the best in our home town.
Unfortunately, after basic training and shipping out to Japan, the majority of his service was done in in Prisoner of War Camp. I only know of a few of the horror that they endured. I remember the nightmares that he had all the time and the physical scars that he carried.
He died in 1977, at the age of 55. He was a man who was over 6 feet tall and when he returned from Japan weighted barely 98 lbs. He didn’t die during the war, but the war killed him. Prisoner of War conditions ravage his young body and caused many health problems as he returned to civilian life.
The anniversary of his death doesn’t bother me as much as Remembrance Day.
Jane Porterfield recently posted..Hypothermia Education and Survival
So sorry to hear that your dad had an all-expenses paid (non)vacation in a POW camp.
Remembrance Day. I like that name, too.
I had my grandfather “join” us for Shabat dinner- I put a board on a chair and enplaced the photograph from this blog upon it. So, he could hear us arguing about the fate of America and its peoples this Veteran’s day.
The 11th day of the 11th month – have they ever learned? | https://t.co/HqqGsHlI9D via @Adjuvancy
What a story! My father’s father, incidentally, came from Pinsk, and I don’t think he ever mentioned his “before” life to me. I literally just don’t know that much, except that the city was about 75% Jewish prior to World War II. After – well, if he had stayed, I probably would not exist.
So, Alana, we could be related or just geographically linked. My mom’s mom came from Pinsk. (D-uh. They were granted the name Pinsker when they arrived at Ellis Island!)
Minsk and Pinsk were the capital areas for the Pale- and from where the bulk of the Jews in the region emanated.
How great to learn more about your grandfather! My grandfather was in WWI, my dad was in WW2, (was home on leave when he met my mom) and my hubby was in Vietnam War. (I meet him on a blind date after he returned from “over there”, 51 years ago this Christmas) So many sacrificed so much for us.
Martha recently posted..WORDLESS WEDNESDAY – BARNS
51 years with the same guy. That’s a record not met very often nowadays. Take a bow!