WOW Celia. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful insight into your family. These recordings are to be treasured and should be placed among historical documents. I so enjoyed listening. We have a 96 year old friend from Poland that was put in the work camps in Germany. Her stories are stories that die with these people and forgotten history because our schools surely do not teach what they should. But the testimony of these people when captured in a book or recording are to be treasured and protected for eternity.
I'm jealous that you had a wise and knowledgeable dad who had the resources to save parts of your family's legacy like that. My dad was a ordinary Joe---WWII veteran who was hired by USPS when he returned home. He didn't read Friedrich Nietzsche (etc.) when time allowed. Instead, he watched TV to relax. But I thought at least he gave me sage advice. When I was young, he used to tell me "it takes a big man to admit he's wrong." Some 55 years later, I was watching an episode of Maverick on the Heroes & Icons channel. And I saw Bart Maverick tell a kid, "it takes a big man to admit he's wrong." Well, it ain't Nietzsche! But my dad loved me.
Gary, you know, we don't know a fraction of one another's real life stories and it's easy to look through the windowpane and the other person's life looks...like this or that.
Your father was a WW2 Veteran? That's incredible! If you grew up in a house with him (actually in the house) I consider that totally incredible. See?
I get your point. But your dad was a hero to Hungarian freedom fighters, so you have that. Also, my dad didn't talk much about the war. Most soldiers don't, I guess. Too ugly, and I was radicalized by Vietnam. Not a preferred audience for him. Especially for the experiences he could share. For example, after he died, my cousin told me a story that dad shared with him. He was in the 1st Cavalry Division in the Philippines, and platoon was returning to the lines from a recon patrol, with a Jap prisoner. The Jap kept tripping over his own feet, and the sergeant felt he was doing that on purpose to slow them down. the sergeant threatened the Jap if he did it one more time, he would blow his head off. Well, he tripped again, and that sergeant was not one to issue idle threats. Now imagine dad telling his anti war son THAT story. Dad was a couch potato and his favorite shows were Maverick, Wanted Dead or Alive, and Have Gun Will Travel. I'll have to be content to soak up his wisdom by watching those shows. Probably the way he would have preferred it.
Sina qua non wonderful audio tapestry. At one point, I think the bicycle story when Grandpa was so recently arrived that he hadn't a word of English, and his brother spoke for him, "he's just come over..." was so poignant; memories of my father and grandfather came back (my parents married late, at 33, and only my Mom saw grandchildren; she left us in 2016 at 91, but had outlived my father by 27 years. Love that Bibi the great-grand daughter is on the recording too!) My Dad's grandfather was born in Alsace and came over on the boat before the turn of the Century as well. It was told many times that every July 4 in Roslindale Massachusetts where they raised the 10 children, Thiebeault got out his formidable brass cannon and fired it (God only knows in what direction or if any damage occurred) because, it's said he said, how much he loved America for everything it gave him and his family. Your Dad's recording of interviewing Grandpa Marcus is a real treasure. The mentions of TR, and the prescient shocking bits about medicine, pharmacy, economics---Wow! I am heartened that my 'ear' for dialect and accents didn't fail me entirely: I did not know of Barry until recently, and so when the recording began I was floored by the Southern notes in his voice, I was wondering wondering and *guessed* either N.Carolina or Georgia! I'm not Jewish but I studied religion and I guess just have a natural interest in cultures--Grandpa's comment about the Space Program to the Moon, "Himmel" which (and I agree) is for God- not us---yikes! I love this post.
Wow. My grandfathers both came over from the old country about the same time. My mother’s father is also a draft dodger from the czars army. That was a supposed slaughter fest. Also my father’s dad came with his family to South Georgia where I grew up. He started as a peddler with a horse and buggy. I really enjoyed that recording as it took back in time to my youth.
Wonderful.
“I thank God every day that I raised my family in America…”
I wonder how he’d feel about America today?
WOW Celia. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful insight into your family. These recordings are to be treasured and should be placed among historical documents. I so enjoyed listening. We have a 96 year old friend from Poland that was put in the work camps in Germany. Her stories are stories that die with these people and forgotten history because our schools surely do not teach what they should. But the testimony of these people when captured in a book or recording are to be treasured and protected for eternity.
Also reminds me of my grandparents, from Kovna, Lithuania & Przemyśl in Galicia
I'm jealous that you had a wise and knowledgeable dad who had the resources to save parts of your family's legacy like that. My dad was a ordinary Joe---WWII veteran who was hired by USPS when he returned home. He didn't read Friedrich Nietzsche (etc.) when time allowed. Instead, he watched TV to relax. But I thought at least he gave me sage advice. When I was young, he used to tell me "it takes a big man to admit he's wrong." Some 55 years later, I was watching an episode of Maverick on the Heroes & Icons channel. And I saw Bart Maverick tell a kid, "it takes a big man to admit he's wrong." Well, it ain't Nietzsche! But my dad loved me.
Gary, you know, we don't know a fraction of one another's real life stories and it's easy to look through the windowpane and the other person's life looks...like this or that.
Your father was a WW2 Veteran? That's incredible! If you grew up in a house with him (actually in the house) I consider that totally incredible. See?
I get your point. But your dad was a hero to Hungarian freedom fighters, so you have that. Also, my dad didn't talk much about the war. Most soldiers don't, I guess. Too ugly, and I was radicalized by Vietnam. Not a preferred audience for him. Especially for the experiences he could share. For example, after he died, my cousin told me a story that dad shared with him. He was in the 1st Cavalry Division in the Philippines, and platoon was returning to the lines from a recon patrol, with a Jap prisoner. The Jap kept tripping over his own feet, and the sergeant felt he was doing that on purpose to slow them down. the sergeant threatened the Jap if he did it one more time, he would blow his head off. Well, he tripped again, and that sergeant was not one to issue idle threats. Now imagine dad telling his anti war son THAT story. Dad was a couch potato and his favorite shows were Maverick, Wanted Dead or Alive, and Have Gun Will Travel. I'll have to be content to soak up his wisdom by watching those shows. Probably the way he would have preferred it.
Wonderful. Reminded me of my Grandfather and Father. How I miss men who had common sense and were plain spoken. Salt of the Earth.
I loved Barry Farber's radio program back in the day.
Sina qua non wonderful audio tapestry. At one point, I think the bicycle story when Grandpa was so recently arrived that he hadn't a word of English, and his brother spoke for him, "he's just come over..." was so poignant; memories of my father and grandfather came back (my parents married late, at 33, and only my Mom saw grandchildren; she left us in 2016 at 91, but had outlived my father by 27 years. Love that Bibi the great-grand daughter is on the recording too!) My Dad's grandfather was born in Alsace and came over on the boat before the turn of the Century as well. It was told many times that every July 4 in Roslindale Massachusetts where they raised the 10 children, Thiebeault got out his formidable brass cannon and fired it (God only knows in what direction or if any damage occurred) because, it's said he said, how much he loved America for everything it gave him and his family. Your Dad's recording of interviewing Grandpa Marcus is a real treasure. The mentions of TR, and the prescient shocking bits about medicine, pharmacy, economics---Wow! I am heartened that my 'ear' for dialect and accents didn't fail me entirely: I did not know of Barry until recently, and so when the recording began I was floored by the Southern notes in his voice, I was wondering wondering and *guessed* either N.Carolina or Georgia! I'm not Jewish but I studied religion and I guess just have a natural interest in cultures--Grandpa's comment about the Space Program to the Moon, "Himmel" which (and I agree) is for God- not us---yikes! I love this post.
Wow. My grandfathers both came over from the old country about the same time. My mother’s father is also a draft dodger from the czars army. That was a supposed slaughter fest. Also my father’s dad came with his family to South Georgia where I grew up. He started as a peddler with a horse and buggy. I really enjoyed that recording as it took back in time to my youth.
He waged peace. I love that!