Prologue: Life Shaping

We are all products of our life experiences. Some shape us more than others. Some totally define us. Some of us will be tested beyond what we could imagine. Some win a future for themselves, and for all who follow.

This is a story of incredible resilience.

David Kulchar was born the youngest of six children to his mother Anna on the 22^nd of May 1922. His mother will play a significant role in shaping her youngest, as will the circumstances of his times.

His mother’s story is extraordinary in its own right. Anna was in her second marriage to Frank Kulchar, having survived her first husband, Michael Varga, and father of her first four children, George, Michael, Katie and Steven. Following the death of her first husband, Anna remarried to Frank and bore two sons, Ernest and David. Michael, Ernest and David would come to serve in the US Army in the greatest conflict of the twentieth century. She would suffer the worry and hurt of any mom sending a child off to war, but her worry would be three-fold.

Anna, was born in Hungary along with both of her husbands. She was of strong immigrant stock. Here in America’s heartland of Cleveland they came to build a life for themselves, to be part of building a future, for themselves and America. They wouldn’t have thought of their futures quite this way, they were about living and building as best as they could.

In such times they lived among the Hungarian diaspora in cramped neighborhoods where the workers of America have always been found. Where immigrants had fled to. Here they hoped to escape the incessant strife and wars of a Europe that continually saw great powers jostling for control and seeking conquest on the backs of working men, while the landed and wealth played the roles of gentry and officers of great armies that would periodically lay waste to the land and lives of the common workers and farmers. So, they would withstand the discrimination from those who migrated to America before them, and would make the best life they could. America needed immigrants. Immigrants needed America.

David’s early years were spent in a lively family bustling with energy, five older brothers and an older sister made sure he was stimulated and active from an early age.

Life was good, until it wasn’t. In 1929 the stock market crashed. Fortunes were lost over night. This seemed of little importance to the Kulchar family. After all, they knew no one who owned stock, like most working families. But then the run on the banks would come, the layoffs at the foundries and then the bakeries and suddenly there was no work. Long-lines for bread. Soup lines. Suddenly life which seemed to have so much promise would become desperate and uncertain.

The oldest, George, went North to Detroit to find work. There was a promise of a new steel mill being established in a place called Ecorse along the banks of the Detroit River. A village of sorts just south of the great city, which had become famous for automotive factories.

George did find work at the new steel mill, Great Lakes Steel. At a time when everything was crashing down, there was new hope for this family. George helped the family move North. His step-father, Frank and brother Mike would also find jobs at the mill. George would be a roller, the high precision position of controlling the floor production of steel, while Frank would be an inspector, ensuring proper quality of the process, and Mike would be a hooker, using tongs to control strands of hot molten steel. These jobs were incredibly dangerous, the work was hot, dirty, and the noise was unrelenting. Workers relied on carefully choregraphed movements and hand signals to keep the steel moving and stay as safe as possible.

They bought a house on 5^th street in Ecorse Village. At just over 1000 square feet, it was crowded with eight of them, and a new baby which would make nine. Katie became pregnant, in what amounted to a minor family scandal, and Richard was born in 1930. She would not marry the father, unusual for the times. However, in what they were now calling the Great Depression it was not uncommon for men to move on in search of work, eschewing family responsibilities.

Katie worked as a servant for a prominent village family. In total, although tough times, the salaries from the mill made it possible for the family to live free of worry from starvation and homelessness. This was not the case for many of this generation. The figure that follows is from the 1930 census. Dave was age 7 at the time of the census.

George married Irene Gorundy soon after, and bought a house on two lots, with the idea of building a second house sometime in the future. This would never happen.

This relieved at least the overcrowding as Ernie and Steve, also moved in for a time with George and Irene before eventually moving on in life. Thus with 6 people in the small house life was a bit easier.

Life was possible, affordable in very tough times, they counted themselves fortunate.

But disaster would change all this in two years.

Frank, David’s pa, was killed in an accident at the mill in early 1932. It’s not clear exactly how it happened, but he was crushed by a crane.

Once again Anna found herself without a husband and with children to look after. David was 9. The disaster hit him hard, as he was old enough to understand that this was more than a personal disaster, this was confusing and life changing threat to the well-being of the family.

The family was devastated, they held on to each other during the closed-casket funeral service, at the Hungarian church of St. John’s in Delray. The service was attended by hundreds. Help and care came from everyone, but in two weeks it was over. Everyone goes back to work, or in Dave’s case back to school. It was an early lesson that the world is a dangerous place. But life goes on for the living.

While in Europe, as in America, the Great Depression raged. And in Germany, the pain of reparations from the “Great War” weighed heavily on the people. Unemployment and inflation made life unbearable. In 1932, the Nazi Party would win the largest number of seats in the Reichstag, not a majority, but enough to eventually take control. And so in1933, an Austrian-Hungarian born, Corporal in the Great War, Adolf Hitler, became the Chancellor of Germany.

Within a year he would use the levers of government power to change the Republic to an Autocratic Dictatorship with Fascist intents and dreams of conquest and racial purification.

Industrialist backed him with his plans to build one of the largest militaries the world had ever seen. The people supported him as they went back to work, and they welcomed the marshal drums, the stories he told about the German exceptionalism and the engagement and involvement of a totalitarian and society. His popularity soared as factories were built, highways were built, and great monuments to an Aryan Race were built to proclaim their superiority. Soon it was to be followed by conquests that were rapid, total and complete.

As this was happening in Europe. Franklin Delano Roosevelt would be elected president of the United States. Being sworn into office in 1933, he would embark on some of the greatest social change ever. He would usher in a New Deal, where by there would be a social net to protect those who become unemployed, disabled and/or unable to work due to age. Banks would be regulated. People will be fed and jobs would become more plentiful until another recession hits in 1938.

The interest and intent of the nation would be one of development and growth, not conquest. Those seeking racial purification will be ever present but will be pushed into the background. After all, this was a nation of immigrants. These people from everywhere in the world and of all races and religions would build a great nation. Fighting our way out of economic tragedy and environmental ruin through legislation and regulation will be the focus. His government would lead a nation toward a modern industrial and agriculture future. The military services would receive little funding, and by 1940, the standing US Army would be about a tenth of the size of Germany’s. Poland, France, even Portugal would have more modern and larger armies.

The stage is set for two very different cultures to come together in a terrific clash. The American working class born out of resilience and personal creativity and initiative versus a culture born out of dependency on the directives of a charismatic leader and a philosophy and mythology of Aryan superiority.

The story must be told about the average American boys unexpectedly finding themselves warriors for their country at a time the country needed millions of such average, but extraordinary and exceptional men. Men who would stand for freedom and liberty and would suffer horrors unimagined.

Chapter 1: December 1937, A Cold Steel Town

Cold resiliency, intractable odds, a destiny, and a legacy. These are the winter wars of a teen in the icy cold of a steel town battle for supremacy of White Street in the December winter, 1937. An unforeseeable prologue. David calls out to Billy, “We got them on the run” as he chugs another icy-snowball at the boys from Fourth St… racing to the snow bank two houses to the East.

Billy calls out, “let’s push them back!”

Jack, huffing from the exertion of cutting quickly across the street to a stored ammo of ice-balls, yells, “Davey… you have the speed, get up to the corner, we’ll get them boxed in.”

In doing so, the boys from Fourth realize they are losing and beat a hasty retreat from their White Street incursion… and now White Street is the province of the Fifth St. boys thanks to speed, strategy and a supply of ammo.

Mom from around the corner calls out “Dávid, gyere be ide, nem játszhatsz egész nap! … “Az Isten szerelmére, a 15 éves korodra!”

“Jack, I need to go, mom’s calling me, I have some work to do, she says I can’t play all day! … and more specifically… for Christ’s sake, I’m 15 years old!”

“I never have an idea what your mom is saying, what a language! The only words I understand and care to hear is chicken paprikash… if she has any to share, let me know!”

“Jack, nice try, but if you want something you’ll need to help with the deliveries”…

“Naw, I’m heading home.”

“Me too” says Billy, “I need to study for school.”

Billy and Jack, trudge off to their homes, and whatever chores might await them.

This cold steel town is doing better than some in the middle of a depression, but not great. His brothers are getting laid off, and hours are being cut at the mill. Furthermore, people moving up from the South, looking for work are taking jobs from existing residents, as they will work for whatever scraps they can get.

Dave gets his sled and gathers the wash mom cleaned, ironed folded and put in clean laundry bags. He begins trekking across the snowy streets to the crunch of his boots with a cold wind stinging his face, he looks to the gray skies and says to no-one “it didn’t seem that cold when we were playing.”

He heads up 5^th Street to Southfield. Turning East away from the afternoon sun, he feels the wind coming from the river. At the viaduct for the railroad that crosses above the road, he heads down and the sled is nearly chasing him only to find that on the uphill side he is working hard to pull the sled up the icy sidewalk. His galoshes are slipping, but they are better than nothing. At the top of the hill, the wind again announces its presence. He pulls his scarf tighter across his face against the sting. Another two blocks and he turns right on High St.

Per mom’s instructions he drops the laundry at the Baklarz home and collects a quarter from Mrs. Baklarz as a tip… it feels good to have some change in his pocket. Moving on, he retraces his steps to the Baklarz market to deliver the clean and folded aprons, and pick up the chicken ma told him not to forget, and to get last.

Around back, Johnny Baklarz opens the door and lets him in from the bitter cold.

“Davey, you look like you could use a hot chocolate, let me get one for you. Have a seat, we’re not busy now… I think the cold is keeping people home.”

Johnny wipes his hands on a bloodied apron and pours a cup for Dave and himself from the kettle on the burner in the back.

Dave takes his mittens off… the scent of chocolate is wonderful, the warmth in his hands a welcome relief from the cold as he takes a sip of chocolate goodness.

“Johnny, you had a great football career through high school, I thought you might play in college, or at least go to college, but here you are working at your folks’ market?”

“I’d like to, I had plans to be at Michigan State studying Forestry… and Arizona State showed an interest in me for football, but times are hard. My family needs me to work here at the market. Half our customers buy food on credit, so we cannot afford to pay wages for someone to do my job. I gotta be here until people have jobs and money to pay their tabs.”

Musing further, Johnny says “I believe these tough times are going to end, the history of the world is full of difficult times as our history teacher Mr. Jackson taught. Our generation will have to innovate, build, create and likely fight for a future that will be better.”

“I’ll tell you though, if things turn around, I’d really love to go to Arizona and get out of Michigan and these cold winters and gray skies… what about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sports might be a way out of here, they do give some scholarships, if you can afford to live on campus… I know college will be difficult for your family with three brothers and a sister”…

“Well actually four brothers, but my oldest brother, George, is out of the house and working at the mill, thankfully, as he has a family of his own. But as you know pa died a few years back. My brothers Steve and Ernie got laid off at the mill last month, probably like many of your customers. My brother Mike had his hours cut so that he’s only working part-time at the mill.”

“Yeah, that is right, we’ve heard from most of Ecorse. Everyone is either looking for employment or more hours where they are. A few weeks ago, Roosevelt talked about the unemployment crisis in his fireside chat. He said that the surge in work at places like the mill over the last few years just led to over production and excessive inventories… the subsequent cut backs, hit towns like ours hard.

“Yeah, I listened to the speech. I like how he makes even bad news sound like it something we can overcome. But that doesn’t put food on the table. We have a big household and times are hard. My mom does laundry, as you know, to supplement and my sister is now working as a lived-in for one of the few wealth families in the area.”

“Dang, the hot chocolate is good. I really appreciate it.”

“Well, it’s nice to have someone to chat with, it has been a least two hours since anyone came into the store today… so tell me Davey, what are your plans?”

“I expect I’ll be enlisting after high school, there’s no family business and getting in with the mill or an auto factory seems nearly impossible. I could work at Wild Bill’s I suppose. I’ve helped there with some auto repairs, but I just don’t know if there’s enough work?”

“Hey, Johnny, what do you think about what happened in last year’s Olympics, with all the marching and chest beating about Aryan superiority – and then Owen’s showed them in track, and our boys embarrassed them in rowing… maybe the Fascists are going to make trouble, if for no other reason than we kicked their butts.”

“That was cool, but I don’t think they have their sights on us, but you never know.”

“You know I watched you during practice this last fall. You are a little small for football, but you are fast, you are smart, what about track? I won state championship in shotput, but Ecorse High could use some more speed on the team this coming spring.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll give it a try.”

“Here…” as he tosses a book to Dave… “read this book about the “Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World”, it includes in the first chapter the battle of Marathon, it is interesting! The Marathon race in the Olympics gets its name from this battle. I think you’ll find it interesting. Also, it tells us a lot about how the world has been changed through great battles. Mr. Jackson gave me the book last spring, I don’t think he expects it back.”

“Johnny, that’s swell, I’ll read it and sign up for track this spring. I hope someday you get a chance to play at Arizona, or anywhere. I’m sure you would like to see more of this world. Maybe, you’ll be famous, and not just for cutting meat here in this market.”

“Thanks a lot kid… now drink up, I gotta get back to my famous meat cutting… and take this chicken your mom asked for, on credit like the rest of the city.”

Dave, put the mug on the counter, tucked the book in his coat, and put on his mittens before leaving. He dragged his sled behind him carrying a paper-wrapped chicken.

He brazenly headed right up through 4^th St. as the sun was starting to descend behind the trees and homes along the street, the gray getting darker, like the charcoal colors that seem to fit so well a steel town in tough times.

Turning down White street he retraced his way through the battle ground of the play fight from earlier, wondering what the future might hold… he was fast, and track seemed a good way to get noticed … the girls might make greater notice of a jock with a letter on his jacket.

The wind picked up and blew cold, once again stinging his face. “Dang it’s cold, I hope mom has got some soup on the stove.”

Chapter 2: January 1938, To Work

Ma, calls for a family meeting around the dinner table. Mike, Steve, Ernie (who everyone called Bones but Ma) and Dave. Katie had moved to her live-in maid job, and George was across the street with his new young family. To know one’s surprise, Ma was the unquestioned lead in any discussion. She was tough, no bullshit kind of person who said what she meant and meant what she said.

Anna starts in her native language… “You boys have had it too easy. Layoffs, hours cut, these are no good excuses. You must bring money to the family. We don’t have enough money to cover the rent, heating costs and we are behind on our bills with Baklarz and everyone else who gives us credit. I’ve asked your brother George for help enough, he has his own family and two young ones. The $500 we got from the Mill on pa’s passing is long gone, we do not have enough money. There is only so much laundry available for me to do, as other families have had their hours cut and cannot pay.”

“Mike, your hours are cut, then you must find more work.”

“Steve, you only had the job for a short time and you are laid off. You need another job.”

“Ernest both you and David, you are old enough now that you need have jobs. School will have to wait.”

Mike replies, “ma, I’ve been thinking about the Michigan Air National Guard. I can sign up and work weekends to make some more money. It’s not that much, but it makes up for some of the hours that have been cut… but it doesn’t make sense for Bones to quit school, he only has 6 more months left to graduate.”

Ma says, “I don’t like it either, but school doesn’t matter if there’s no food to eat.”

Steve interjects, “I agree with Mike. Bones should finish school, and Dave should too… I’m sure I can find something soon.”

Ma replies, “You better get your ass out there looking, you cannot be spending time with your buddies and girls.”

Ernie pleads, “ma, I gotta finish school. It will improve my chances of finding work, and it’s just a few months more.”

Dave, knowing that he must say something… “I agree Bones needs to finish, and I want to continue. I’m doing well in my course work and I want to run track too. But I can pick up some work at the auto shop.”

David continuing, says “Ernie, it makes sense for you to finish school. People are not buying new cars, so they need to make their cars last longer and so there is more repair work than before. I’ve been hanging around the auto shop and will see if I can work there. Bill will pay me per job. I’ve rebuilt some transmissions for him, and he’s paid me $5 for doing so, maybe I can get more of that work if I quit school.”

Ma renders final judgements… “David, yes take that work. You can go back to school when times are better. Ernie, finish school. Mike sign up for the Guard, but also take any extra hours that are available. Get with your brother George and see if he can pull you into additional work at the mill, he has been there a long time, and has a boss man job. Steve, I know you’ll find something. You must. We all must work together.

—

Dave went to Bill Hines of Wild Bill’s Auto. He was under a ’32 Ford…

“Yeah kid, what do you want?”

“I know business is picking up for you, and I’d like to know if I was here more, could you use me for more transmission rebuilds, or other engine work?”

“You are pretty handy, and did good work on the few jobs I’ve given you, but what about school?”

“I’m going to drop out of school. I need to work, I need to contribute to the family purse.”

“Well, I think that’s a bad idea for you, but I could use capable help. I got yokels coming in here every day looking for work but most don’t know a socket wrench from box wrench… Okay. I’ll pay you by the job, don’t get the idea of a regular wage. If I have work for you, you’ll get paid. If not, you don’t.”

“Deal.”

With that Dave, went to the administration office first thing the next morning and withdrew from school. The office said, others have had to do the same thing this year, and suggested he think of it as a suspension of his schooling.

Mike, joined the Michigan Air National Guard and Steve took a month or two before he found a job swinging a hammer for a construction crew, doing repair work and add-ons for people who are expanding their houses to allow for lodgers to somehow make ends meet.

Ernie finished school in the summer of 1938 and joined Steve to work as a roofer on some of the construction activities the company was undertaking. Later Ernie would also join the Michigan Air National Guard to augment his pay and follow in the footsteps of older brother Mike.

Chapter 3: Spring 1940 – Back to School

Dave has been working for two years at Wild Bill’s. He’s made some money, and the family has recovered with the pickup of work as the economy is recovering from the Great Depression of 1929-1933 and then the Recession of 1937-1938. The recovery was aided by an explosive growth in steel production to meet the demands of rearmament and to meet the purchases of Britain, who need to tool up for the war with Germany. Later with Land-Lease the steel industry would hit unbelievable production capacity to meet the insatiable demand for weaponry by the US Army, the British, and the Russians. All steel was being used for military purpose, almost nothing was allocated for car production, so business was very good for Wild Bill. People needed their cars to last longer.

It’s January 4, and Dave, working too many hours at the shop, was just a bit careless and found the sting of a fan belt that tore the tip of his finger down to the first knuckle. Wrapping his hand in a bandage, he rode his bike through the winter cold, bleeding less that he had expected. Even though cold, he dared not put a glove on the damaged hand.

Ma said, “what’s the matter with you? Don’t you know what you are doing by now ügyetlen alak

(roughly translated to klutz)!”

Ma calling out to Steve… “get me the Palinka (homemade apricot brandy) from the top shelf.”

Unwrapping the hand, she looked it over, nodding, she took a drink of the brandy and then poured it over the wound …

Dave, pulled back… “SZAR!… SHIT!”… “That stings.”

Ma, says “that means it’s working… where’s the rest of your finger?”

“I don’t know, the macska (cat) got it and ran off.”

With that they all started laughing… Dave, said “give me a bit of the Palinka”, and they passed the brandy around… Steve, happy to have a snip before dinner too.

Ma said to Steve, “go in the cellar and bring me some utifu (plantain broadleaf) we stored from the garden.”

She smashed the leaves and applied it to the freshly cleaned stump and wrapped it with a handkerchief… “there, it will be as good as new”… laughing she added … “just a wee bit shorter.”

Passing the brandy around, they all laughed.

At dinner, the conversation was of course about Dave’s stubby finger, but also his inability to work for the next several weeks or more.

Mike said, “well maybe it makes sense to get back to school, after all you can’t work for a while. I’m working fulltime as a machinist at Briggs auto parts factory, making good money. Steve and Ernie are working a lot as well. In addition, I have some extra pay from the Michigan Air National Guard.

Ernie said, “yeah, Steve and I are building these Quonset hut homes like crazy near the mill as they are building an ammunition factory along Mill street in where the old foundry was, and we have lots of work right now. I think we could even get back into the steel mill if we want, and either way, I I’ll join the Guard as well, it will be better than being drafted. I should be able to get some weekend pay too.”

Steve says, “the war production effort shows no sign of slowing, I’m going to the mill to try and get my old job back as a hooker. We should have no problem making money. I just worry that this war is going to explode in more violence now that Poland has fallen and the Huns are threating Britain, Belgium and France. It seems to be a good time for ‘stubby’ to go back to school.”

Ma in agreement says “yes, this is good. Davey needs to go back to school.”

Dave in reply, “well I guess I’ll go to the administration office tomorrow and see what they say, but I’d like to stay close to the car business as well, I love cars and motorcycles.”

Mike said, “well cheers to that… just keep the rest of your fingers ‘stubby’, especially if you want to work on cars for a living.”

Over the next few weeks, Anna bathed Dave’s wound with homemade chamomile tea and applied a salve made from simmered marigold petals and lard. The thickened mixture once cooled was applied to the wound like a salve.

Davey, her youngest was a favorite of hers and she loved that this treatment gave her extra time to sit with him for longer than he would normally and talk about the world events and the future. She worried about the future and the prospect of war, so many wars had been proffered across the plains of mountains of Austria-Hungary, she prayed her sons would not be made part of this recurring madness.

Dave for his part was anxious to get back to school. In the admin office, he sat down with Mr. Jackson.

Mr. Jackson was pleased to see him, “well David, it is great to see you, I was disappointed that you quit school. You are bright and the track team could really use you.”

“I know Mr. Jackson, but two years ago we really needed the money, and we wanted to give Ernie a chance to finish school, so I worked. But I’m ready to come back. I can’t work anyway at least for another month”… with that he held up left hand showing his finger wrapped tight with the cloth his mom had applied that morning. “I caught it in a fan belt and lost the tip of my finger.”

“Does it hurt much?”

“Not really, if I keep it elevated, but throbs like a drum if I let it hang down.”

“I suggest you don’t do that then.”

“Not to worry, sir.”

“Well glad to have you back to school, here is the class listings for this semester. I suggest these classes” which he marked off on the syllabus.

“But in addition, there is an apprenticeship program starting with Henry Ford in Dearborn that would give you an opportunity to train as an electrician and work part-time while continuing your education. The program extends beyond the high school year, but I think you’d be a good candidate and should look into it.”

“Thank you, sir, I’d really be interested in such a program.”

“Okay then, here’s an application you can fill out.”

—

A few days later Davey submitted his application for the apprenticeship program with the hope that this would be a real ticket to the future, as he slipped back into the school life.

He was the new kid in class, as his former classmates were in their last semester, but then again, there were plenty of new kids having moved into the area with families to help build the “arsenal of democracy” the term coined by Franklin Roosevelt. The Detroit area would convert its auto manufacturing capability toward building tanks and bombers. Its steel manufacturing would fuel the expansion, and so too the foundries, which once shaped bed springs and such, would become ammunition factories. The area was bustling with activity and new arrivals.

Davey’s finger healed and he would show off three fingers and ask his classmates, “you know how much this is?” They would invariably answer “three”, and he would say, nope, “Two and a half.”

Instead of working every day, school seemed easy, and spring track brought an opportunity to compete. He was fast and improving. He liked that he was as old as the seniors and his body had matured and his stamina was great, so he could run with the seniors and became a star on the track team. And the girls were starting to notice too. He didn’t mind that he was a bit older than his female classmates, it seemed to give him an advantage.

In early May, Mr. Jackson pulled David into his office… “David, you have been accepted into the apprenticeship program at Henry Ford in Dearborn. You’ll have an opportunity to learn how to be an electrician while working with them. I think they’ll have you working on the production line producing tank armor. You’ll have to get yourself to the plant each day. If you accept, you start on Monday, June 3^rd. The program runs through the summer and continues on a part-time basis during the school year. With this program, you should be on track to graduate with the 1942 class. What do you say?”

“Wow, that is swell! I’ll definitely take advantage of this program. I really appreciate all your help. Oh, and by the way, I have the book ‘Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World” that Johnny Baklarz gave me a few years ago, he said it was yours… would you like it back?”

“Hahaha, no I don’t need it back, but it was nice that you remembered it… did you read it?”

“Yes, I found it fascinating.”

“Well, hopefully you won’t need the lessons of those battles in your future. For me, I fought my war, and it was brutal. I saw friends die, many wounded, and those who survived, forever changed. I fear for your generation, as too much of history is being repeated. The Germans have pushed the Brits to the edge of the continent, they must find a way out of the mess at Dunkirk. The French too appear to be on the verge of defeat. I’m afraid this war is not going to end without our involvement. Best of luck to you David. Do what you can to learn a trade and become valuable to your country beyond carrying a rifle.”

Chapter 4: June 1940, Apprenticeship Program

What a celebration! A long table, with family enjoying a sunny lunch on a clear second day of June. The family just back from church services at St. John’s, the church built and attended by Delray’s Hungarian immigrant community. This immigrant community, like so many others, have provided the needed workers over the past 30 some years to the booming industrial base of Detroit. These work-hard, play-hard people, know how to live with great appreciation for their adopted homeland. They have chased prosperity across an ocean, finding their way deep into the industrial heartland of America.

The flowers bordering the garden blooming, the tomatoes, green but looking plump, the cucumbers and watermelon on their way to ripeness. A barrel of Stroh’s for the occasion and burgers and dogs on the grill, and of course stuffed cabbage, perogies and other mouth-watering dishes on display.

The flag waving with pride on the front porch, just visible from the table set up in the front-side yard. Well not really a table, rather some boards kept in the garage placed on saw horses and covered with table cloths.

The gypsies just arriving with their musical instruments, that oldest brother George invited for the occasion. Well truth be told, he didn’t need much of an occasion to invite the gypsies to play and to tap a keg of Stroh’s.

Dave looks along the table realizing in this moment more than others that he is blessed with family. He, being the youngest, has enjoyed the affection and attention of mom, and beyond the teasing, the support and advice of four older brothers and a sister.

Ma, and Katie are flying around putting food on the table gathered from the kitchen. Mike is tending a charcoal grill with dogs and burgers sizzling and smoking.

The ladies finally all sit down, mom next to Katie, who is next to Alex, who is getting cozy with sister Katie, and next to him is Richard, her son, age 9 and not the son of Alex, will this ever work out, who knows. Next to Richard is MaryAnn, age 8, the daughter of Irene and George, who occupy the other end of the table.

George is his oldest brother who first found a job with Great Lakes Steel and then helped ma and pa to move up from Cleveland along with his brothers and Katie. He helped Katie with her surprise pregnancy, and helped pa get a job. Then helped ma get through the devasting accident that killed pa in the mill. So much is owed to my brother and his dedication to ma and the rest of the family.

Brother’s Steve, Mike and Bones are together on the North side of the table. Mike and Bones looking sharp in their Michigan Air National Guard uniforms. And, Mikey, George’s son, age 5 sitting on my lap.

We are not wealthy, but we have survived what people have been calling The Great Depression, we survived tragedy and scandal and now we are, what some would call, comfortable.

All the brothers are working. George, still has an important position as a roller at the mill, Steve got a job back in the mill. Mike is working as a machinist, and Ernie a roofer. The area is buzzing as the factories are at full throttle and workers need housing. Even Irene is working at an ammunition factory that opened up over on Mill St at the old foundry. And tomorrow I go to work at Ford’s while getting paid to learn to be an electrician.

There is a great opportunity for prosperity, and yet the cloud of war overhangs every discussion.

At St. John’s, the older folks were all in a chitter. They being acutely aware, their home country, a former part of the Austria-Hungarian empire, would soon be a target of Nazi Germany’s desire. From the talk, it seems they believe a feckless Hungarian government will likely ally with Germany to appease them … and it will probably fail, just as the Brit’s appeasement, nearly two years prior, has failed. The conversation from church was spilling over into this afternoon’s festivities, with nearly everyone believing war’s cannons will boom over Hungary, and our Army and Navy will be called to defend democracy and ensure freedom from tyranny.

Dave, glancing again at the flag waving in the light breeze, is thinking: “these are heady and exciting times, big things are happening. I’m thankful for Mr. Jackson’s push to get me into the apprenticeship program at Ford’s.”

His day dream, is interrupted when Katie’s Richard pulls MaryAnn’s hair and in quick response, she slugs him and they start racing around the table, MaryAnn trying to get in another lick… Mickey, George’s young son sitting on Dave’s lap, trying to get a sip of his beer, decides to clamber down and join the melee… and now they are all running around the table, even Blackie, the dog who has been sleeping quietly is now up and joining in the chase.

Sister Katie, grabs Richard by the collar and disrupts the whole shenanigans. Sitting him in his seat, this gave MaryAnn a chance to get one more punch to his arm as she settles into hers, and Mickey decides someone should be playing with the dog as he runs off to the yard chasing the dog.

The table erupts with laughter, creating a pause in the serious conversations about war and the future, just as the gypsies are warming up their instruments.

George, looking sharp in his white shirt, suspenders holding up his pleated, baggy pants, raises his mug in toast to Davey… “Congratulations to Davey, he may be the youngest of us, but he could well be the best of us. The apprenticeship program is a great honor, and will lead to future prosperity!”

“Now let us drink up, eat up, and start the music”… “Come on Irene, let’s dance”…

And so, the party begins!

The kids, join in immediately and Katie grabs her fiancé Alex to join Irene and George already bouncing off the improvised plywood dance floor placed over the grass lawn. Cars going by honk at the partiers for the pure fun of it, as neighbors are wandering over to join in too.

Mike, Steve and Bones with their beers seem to be having a serious conversation over by the grill, despite the music and merriment.

Davey, grabs his ma’s hand, dragging her onto the makeshift dance floor to the music of the chardash which is beginning to move from its slow initial and dramatic phase, into a faster pace. Soon the musicians will bring it to it’s inevitable lively twirling experience.

Davey’s speed and agility are matched by no one as the music picks up tempo, but ma did her best to keep up, showing she’s got some great moves despite their 40-year age difference. Davey was clapping and impressed as always, with ma’s strength and endurance. Yes… these are the moments which must be remembered.

Grabbing a dog off the grill that Mike has been tending, as well as, a beer, Davey wipes the perspiration off his forehead and joins the conversation which now moves to one end of the table.

Steve says, “the man of the hour… sit here… getting a chance to join the program at Ford’s is amazing, it’s quite the opportunity. I’d like to do something like that. Maybe I’ll get a chance later, for now, I’m thrilled to get the work at the mill. The hooker job is damn hot and difficult but it’s nice to be making some better money than construction.”

Mike, just stepping away from the grill with a burger, and sitting with Dave, Steve and Ernie saying “Yes, maybe you can get a chance to become an apprentice machinist, I’ll look out for such opportunities at Briggs, especially if I get pulled into the Army Air Corp. but there are lots of people looking for these programs.”

Bones says, “Don’t forget about me, I don’t want to be a roofer for longer than need be.”

Mike says, “Yeah, I know, but this fall you and I are going to be in the Army from what I’m hearing in the guard.”

Steve, says “well the draft board gave me a 4-F rating due to my eyesight… so I’ll keep working at the mill until something better pops up.”

Bones changing the subject some, “Davey, how are you getting to the bus station for Ford’s tomorrow morning?”

“Well, Mike how about you give me a ride as you leave early to Briggs? I expect you are going up on Fort St. to get to Mack Ave. Can you drop me on the way at the bus station in Lincoln Park?”

“Yep, that sounds good. Just be ready to leave by 6:30.”

“I’ll be up and ready to go by 6!”

“Sure, you will.” Mike replies with a knowing smile.

—

At 6 the next morning, the Stroh’s from yesterday and the toasting of Palinka around the table was doing a number on Dave’s head as Mike rounded him from bed and pushed him rudely through an abbreviated morning routine so they could leave in time for Dave to catch the 7AM bus .

Dave, quite sure he slept through the bus ride to Dearborn, filed off the bus with all the other workers… and managed to find the new employees’ line.

Dave handed over his application acceptance letter, and was ushered through the paperwork and an orientation before being put in a classroom of young men looking equally anxious and excited.

After class, he was shown to a production line where he measured armor thickness, prepared reports and tracked overall progress of the production line under the supervision of Robert Randle.

He said, “Call me RR… do what I need done, and you will get a chance to work on the line sensors and electronics as your education proceeds.”

Dave replied, “Thank you sir.”

One afternoon that summer, as Dave had grown in responsibilities and he was picking up more of the electrician duties in addition to production flow monitoring. He and RR sat down over lunch and talked about the events of the day as they had a few times before.

“RR, what do you think about this ‘Atlantic Charter’ that Churchill and Roosevelt just signed?”

“Dave, in one way I think it is great, it defines an ideal state of existence between nations, especially the rights of self-determination, no nation should forcibly take over the territory of another, and there should be freedom of the seas.”

“Why only in one way?”

“Because it is in essence declaring war on the ideas of Fascist conquest, and declaring that the seas shall be open to commerce. The Nazi’s are not going to stop until they take over all countries of Europe and certainly will not allow the military equipment and food and energy resources free passage to Britain.”

“This is no different than 1916, our ships will be torpedoed, and men will die, and we will be dragged into this war directly. This is a stick in the eye of Hitler, and Roosevelt knows what he’s doing, this creates the environment for us to enter the war. I think he wants it.”

“But RR, the Nazi’s certainly don’t want war with us, we beat them in the last war, right?”

“Dave, I was there. It was not like they portray in the movies. The Germans were tough and we were green. We fought but we were under equipped and beat them back, only because they had been at war for nearly four years and they were exhausted of men and material. But it was bloody and awful… and we are not ready today.”

“My brothers are in the Air National Guard. They feel that war is coming and they expect to be mobilized, and the draft is getting men ready now even though we are not at war.”

“I know what that means. I was young once, and full of piss and vinegar, thinking we were going to be ready in no time to go kick the Huns ass… it just doesn’t work that way.”

“We should’ve kept a professional Army, not try to raise one overnight. I have a buddy from the Great War who is now a company commander and participated in the 2^nd Army maneuvers last summer in Wisconsin. He tells me it was a disaster. The idea was to stress-test the Army against the type of fast-moving success the Germans were having in Europe. The results were abysmal. Equipment was in short supply and often did not work. Trucks were painted with the word ‘TANK’ on the side. Some riflemen carried sticks labeled ‘rifle’. The National Guard troops proved to be out of shape and operated poorly against the US Army as an opposing force. Trucks broke down and there were no repair teams even contemplated. Radios failed. Written messages took too long to get from command to front lines, and there were too few phone lines installed fast enough. Officers performed poorly, failing to respond to fast changing situations and most commanders stay away from the front.”

“Well, I’m sure this can be fixed.”

“Dramatic changes need to be made, command structure should be changed, the leadership should be younger more aggressive commanders, the logistics chain needs dramatic upgrades in equipment and planning. We are not yet prepared for war, but we weren’t prepared last time either.”

“Maybe they need you back in the Army?”

“Hell no, they need young men, not guys like me. Besides, I’ve led men in battle, and I don’t think I have the stomach any longer to see men permanently maimed, to see men die, and to have to write the letters home to their mothers.”

“You are too young to be drafted … my advice is don’t enlist, stay with your training here and build a future that doesn’t involve shipping to Europe as a cog in a war machine … now speaking of machines, let’s get back to the production line, these machines will only run so long without our attention.”

“Yeah, I guess we are the cogs in these machines… I’m ready to get back to it.”

Chapter 5: Spring 1941; Life is Good

Life is indeed good. School is going well, the electrical apprenticeship 9 months in, is exciting. Dave is making measurements and reporting on critical parameters of production at the Dearborn factory. He studies on the bus ride to work two days a week. He’s ‘kicking it’ in track, and the girls are starting to really notice him, with his athletic posture, easy smile and fun-loving nature. Going to bed, tired from the track meet that day, but happy with the win, and the new records he’s set. What could be better for a young man soon to be 19, or so he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

But dreams are not always cooperative. Dreams are a journey in space and time. They take you where they want to take you, they make you realize that all things change, and life when it is good is really good, when not, it can be a nightmare. In this nightmare he found himself freezing, hungry and in pain, wishing for home for warm food, a girl to talk to, but feeling hopelessly lost. He was in a hell unimagined, a nightmare he was sure, yet he could not quite shake the feeling it was somehow very real in some other space and time. He rose and dressed in the clothes he left at the foot of the bed, well really just a cot, for there’s not a lot of room for much more.

Stiffly walking off the sore from the race yesterday, and following the scent of some fried eggs and bacon grease, he ambles into the kitchen. His brother, Steve was sipping coffee, just finishing his breakfast. The warmth of the kitchen, the smell of food was a sharp contrast to the nightmare so recently visited upon his soul.

“Davey, congrats heard you won the mile and cross-country race yesterday against Wyandotte … Ma left early to get some laundry from Mrs. Kovac, and I think another family, so you want me to make you some breakfast?”

“Sure, I’m hungry”… “and hey I’d like to talk to you about the future.”

Steve says, “Whattya got on your mind?”

“I have another year of school, and the apprenticeship at Ford’s is going well, but from all I see, there’s a war coming, Roosevelt announced the Land-Lease, which means we have picked a side and are providing weapons to Britain, the Nazis are in North Africa, I saw their flag in Paris on the newsreels at the Ecorse theater and the draft is underway. Mike and Ernie are in the Army already and training in Louisiana. What are we going to do? What will I do?”

Steve says, “you are too young to be drafted. You have to be 21 for the draft and out of school. I don’t see the problem.”

Dave replies, “well when the time comes, should I enlist, or wait for the draft?”

Steve asks, “scrambled or fried?”

“Scrambled is good by me, and a cup of joe too.”

“Look, you have time to figure this out. Just enjoy for now… Hey, I got a letter from Mike. He said that he and Bones are doing pretty good in Louisiana… Found that the food is kind of exciting, with some interesting spices, and the locals sound really different than we do.”

“It was good that Mike bought that used J2 cub and took pilot training through the New Deal program for civilian pilot training… he is getting further training as an Army fighter pilot. Bones is getting weapons training, they are going to send him to Florida for more training. The rumors point to them doing a coastal mission looking for German U-boats which are threatening shipping.”

Steve goes on, “I wish I could get in on this, but they won’t take me because of my eyesight, but if I can, I want to serve.”

“In the meantime, my job is making sure there’s steel for the war effort. The mill is running full steam, and I’m happy to get back in after those layoffs in 1937.”

Dave adds on, “the steel is being put to good use as armor in the production line I’m working. We are both contributing in important ways.”

Steve musing further, “the Huns might be unstoppable based on what they did in Poland and France, and the Japs are moving across China and taking advantage of the Brits and French having to fight the Nazis. This is why all of the Detroit area is on fire with production growth.”

David answering, “Mr. Jackson our athletic director and history teacher talked about his service in the Great War, he says our generation is going to be put in a similar situation as his. The history of the world is shaped by epic battles and campaigns … he says we need to be prepared and trained, they were too green when they went to France in 1917. This was the same thing that RR told me at Ford’s. They say it is only through the weight of numbers and fighting spirit that we beat back the Huns and the fact that they were exhausted by years of war before we got there. Our generation should learn from the past and do this better.”

“Hey, by the way, these eggs are good, a little skimpy on the bacon there… but thank you.”

“You’re welcome, bacon is expensive, and your skinny ass doesn’t need much anyway” and goes on with… “I agree with your Mr. Jackson and RR, this storm is coming and we all are going to be involved, but enough of that, who are you seeing now? Any girls in your target sites soldier?”

Smacking his lips as he wipes the grease off his plate with bread and finishes the last bite of eggs, Dave says… as a matter of fact there’s a girl out of Wyandotte who is a knockout. I saw her after the race yesterday… I took her bike for a joy ride, if she wasn’t already looking at me, it certainly got her attention.”

“I’m hope to see her this evening at the Friday Evening Hop… the Ernest Cooper Band is playing and they are great.”

“That’s cool, what’s her name?”

“Millie.” “I hope they play “In the Mood” cause, I’m in the mood!”

“I bet you’re in the mood… well have a great time ‘Romeo’, just don’t get hooked up right now, you have this apprenticeship program and a changing world ahead of you. I need to get to work and you need to get to school… but first clean up the kitchen for Ma, she ain’t gonna be happy if you leave it a mess!”

“Hey, this isn’t just my mess”

“It is now.” As Steve made a quick exit.

After cleaning the kitchen, he washed up… put his hair in a nice wave, held in place and shiny with Brylcreem, and donned his letter sweater before stepping out the door to school.

Chapter 6; December 1941, War!

Sunday morning, 7 December 1941… Dave is waking from a deep sleep. He’d been out the night before at a Dance and hung out with the guys afterwards comparing notes on the girls they danced with. Dave being a bit older than most of the guys and a track star no less. He was a main attraction for many of the girls. He danced with a half-dozen of the best looking. Given his choice, he’d sure would like get to know Betty better… but also, he realized this was only because Millie wasn’t visiting from Wyandotte. He still had a crush on her and wish she had been available, but rumor was that she was otherwise engaged and involved with some guy named Bill. Oh well, he wasn’t going to let that get in the way of his plan to ask Betty to the Christmas party at George and Irene’s next weekend. Certainly, there might be some chance to steal some alone time with Betty and get to know her better. At the dance there were too many prying eyes and listening ears.

Rising and getting cleaned up for church, he looked out on a light dusting of snow. Thinking it should be a good day today. Ma had prepared a chicken and there would be Chicken Praprikash and cabbage noodles and some Hungarian sausage for lunch after church.

They all climbed into the 1937 Ford, A tight fit, as Mike and Bones were home on leave. Mike drove, with Ma and Bones in the front seat, and Dave, Steve, Richard and Katie in the back bench. Richard sat on Dave’s lap to make it all work. The drive to DelRay was 20 minutes, as the roads were pretty quiet and the dusting of white made the world seem quite peaceful and clean.

As usual, the church services were excruciatingly long, featuring rhythmic chanting, and long prayers, all of which was in Hungarian. The incense, which would probably bother most who are not used to it, had a calming effect on Dave. It was as if the incense was for the purification of the world, part of chasing the odors of a nervous and yet distracted congregation. Very much like the world outside, where the fires of war raged across the world and here we profited from the conflagration with only a slight worry that it might yet catch hold here. And yet it hadn’t. After all, the last two and half years the news has been horrible, but we remain safe. Maybe the incense and prayers were working, it was chasing away the evil, it was somehow protecting this enclave of industrious people in the heartland of America who were oceans away from chaos and calamity.

After liturgy, gathering in the hall for coffee and donuts and the chatter of many, the kids, Maryann now almost nine, played as usual with Richard and Mickey. George, attentive to Irene, pregnant and looking like she was about to pop, got her a coffee and donut. In the meantime, Katie slipped away to visit with the Horvath’s and butter up to Alex and his family. As usual Mike, Steve, Ernie and Dave crowded together to joke about their Saturday evening adventures, and talk about the Lions 21 to 3 victory last Sunday against the Chicago Cardinals. Making plans for the day, they concluded the only game available on the mutual network feed would be the Brooklyn Dodgers vs. the New York Giants, broadcast from the Polo Grounds. Starting at 2:00, it was perfect for an after Sunday dinner relaxation with a Stroh’s.

Dinner was the usual great fare, with everyone employed, the table was laden with food, and everyone got their fill and then some. The chatter continued as it had at the church hall. It ranged from the production increases at the mill, to the work on the Ford production line, and the number of quick assembled homes being built to handle the tens of thousands coming into the Detroit area every month. Of course, there was also the gossip about who’s dating whom, who is in trouble with their family or the law, all the things that are part of any large family dinner. The discussion regarding the war was mostly about how unlikely it seemed our involvement would be now, over where it was, not very many months ago.

Mike was saying “It was really stupid of Germany to invade Russia, they are bogged down and winter is making their offensive a nightmare. I doubt we need to worry much about them as they seemed to have made a colossal error.”

George, replies “That is right, they seemed to have abandoned plans to invade England and are tied down in the East, and the Japs are thousands of miles of ocean away…. I worry for our families that remain in Hungary and some of the people I know who have family in Ukraine where the Germans are laying waste to Eastern Europe.”

Ernie says, “well we’ve been federalized and the Guard is now part of the 107^th Observation Squadron for over a year. The training in Louisiana earlier this year was pretty good. I’m glad they moved us back here for now. But for now, I’m going to enjoy the time we have at home. I’m going to aerial gunnery training in January. I think it could be fun. I just hope this is a skill I’ll never need to use for real.”

Mike replies, “Amen brother, and although I like that they’ve giving me more training as a pilot, I don’t like the idea of low-level observation flights over a battlefield. They’ve made it clear how dangerous such missions are as it requires flying a straight line to get useful imagery.”

Dave says, “I’m turning on the radio, the game is starting.”

With that they listened to the kickoff and the chatter died down, so that all could hear.

At 2:26 PM an announcement interrupts the first quarter of the Dodgers – Giants Football game:

“We interrupt this broadcast to bring you this important bulletin from the United Press. Flash: The White House announces Japanese airplanes have attacked Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.”

“Jeepers!” Dave, the first to speak, “Why Hawaii?”

Mike with a hand to his mouth says, “Hawaii has a major naval base and air station.”

“How could they cover two thousand miles of open ocean to attack us?” to no one in particular asks George.

The ladies distracted from kitchen duties came rushing in… “What happened?” said Katie.

Bones says, “the Japs attacked us.”

“What does this mean?” Asks Katie.

Steve replies, “It can only mean war with Japan. Maybe it was a minor attack.”

The buzz continues for the next half-hour until at 3:00, CBS anchor John Daly returned with a more urgent update:

“The White House has just issued a further statement on the Japanese attack in the Hawaiian Islands. The text of that statement reads as follows: ‘The Japanese attack on the Hawaiian Islands has caused heavy damage and a loss of many lives.’ This statement, just released by the presidential press secretary, Stephen Early, brings the first indication of the gravity of the surprise raid.”

By 4:00, network bulletins began reporting attacks spreading across the Pacific:

“Flash from United Press: The War Department reports that an unidentified transport ship, believed to be a charter ship carrying lumber, has been torpedoed approximately 1,300 miles west of San Francisco. Meanwhile, the White House confirms that heavy firing is now under way in Manila in the Philippine Islands.”

At 6:30, long after the football game which no one could even remember, Katie said “let’s tune into NBC to see if Mrs. Roosevelt will have anything to say on her program ‘Over our Coffee Cups’… Just as Dave got the radio tuned, they heard the thin but unwavering voice of Elanor Roosevelt:

“I am speaking to you tonight at a very serious moment in our history. The Cabinet is convening and the leaders in Congress are meeting with the President. The State Department and Army and Navy officials have been with the President all afternoon. In fact, the whole Government has been facing the fact that a modern war has been brought to our own shores.”

Knowing she would be speaking to her usual audience of women as well as the men of the nation, she went on to encourage normalcy, despite anxiety, and courage and confidence in the face of the trials to come:

“You cannot escape anxiety. You cannot escape a clutching of the heart at what the future may bring, but we must face what we must face. We must go about our daily business, whatever it may be, and we must do it to the best of our ability… I have complete confidence in the courage and capability of all our people, and together we will go through any trials that may come.”

“I remember well the days of World War I. I remember the anxieties, the heartaches, and the constant feeling that tomorrow might bring news that would change our lives forever. But we came through then, and we will come through now.”

“To the young people of this nation, I say: this is your time. You will bear the brunt of what is to come. But I know your courage, I know your devotion to this country, and I know that you will face whatever comes with a steady heart and an unyielding spirit. We must all stand together now.”

“We are fighting for the right to live in a world where freedom and justice are not just words, but realities for everyone. Let us go forward with faith, with courage, and with an absolute determination that freedom will not perish from this earth. Good night.”

—

Katie and Irene explained the full scope of the speech and the implications to Anna. She understood before they said anything, but she wanted to know more, to understand more. She understood what would be asked of her, she understood with ‘absolute determination that freedom will not perish from this earth’ … she knew this thing, this absolute determination, it was in her soul, and part of her DNA, but she wouldn’t have called it that. She called it ‘szándék’, purpose and will.

She went to Mike, first and hugged him tight, then to Ernie, and did the same, knowing these, her boys, would be going to war. She did not understand completely how this would work, but she knew from history that this would be a struggle of body and soul to be able to live in freedom from tyranny. She knew tyranny, she knew suffering and she wished this cup would pass, but understood that when it came time for wars to be fought, it is young men that do this thing, and it is mothers who will worry and pray, and so she would.

—

The next day Franklin Roosevelt asked congress to declare war on the Nation of Japan, calling December 7^th 1941 ‘a day which will live in infamy’.

This was followed 4 days later with Germany in support of it’s Axis allay Japan declaring war on the United States of America.

We were in it now.

Chapter 7; Summer 1942, Graduation and More

In May, Bones walks in on a Friday evening. George had picked him up from the bus station. Arriving home on leave he hugs his mom, Katie, Richard and Dave. Shakes the hand of Alex. Katie and Alex had finally married in a quiet small ceremony at St. John’s in April, but there is much tension in the family as Richard is twelve now and there is difficulty between him and his step-father.

Dave says “Great to see you Bones, how did you wrangle leave at this time”?

“Well my unit is flying out in a week, so I got a chance to come home and see everyone before we go.”

“They tell you where?”

“Just that we are going to England, the specific base is to be kept a secret, but I don’t get how they are going to keep it a secret when our full bomb group of 64 B-17s fly into the base. They might as well put out a press notice. But that’s the Army for you.”

Dave laughing, “yeah that sure seems silly.”

Ma, hugging Ernie, asks “my son, what is your job, are you working on the planes?”

“Ma, no I’m a gunner. I will fly on the missions and provide the bite from the middle of the plane to any fighters that find their way in to the formation.”

“I don’t like this. You are going to be shot at.”

“Ma, that’s the job. We are trained, and we have a job to do.”

Dave asks, “so you’re not worried?”

“Naw, we fly in formation and we are bristling with guns. They tell us if we fly in a box formation, there is no way enemy fighters are going to reach us, we’ll pump them full of lead with our 50 Caliber guns before they can get close enough to hit us. I’d say I’m more worried about Flak, than fighters. With flak, its’ just the luck of the draw. But we fly pretty high and the odds of flak finding us at speed at that altitude seems low. Besides, I’ve always been lucky.”

“Besides, It could be a while before we see action. I expect we’ll get to see some of England before all the capability to launch raids are available and ready to go.”

Dave says, “Bones I see they gave you another stripe.”

“Yes, the promotion to sergeant helps with a bit more pay.”

“I heard from Mike that they are offering him a commission.”

Ernie replies “yes, but he said he was going to turn it down, he’s happy to be a ‘flying sergeant’ and when the war is over he’ll be able to stay in the service and transition back to Michigan with the Air National Guard. Officers are likely to lose their commission when the war ends and would have to leave. He loves the flying and would like to stay with the service. He thinks that with the fire power we are bringing into the war and with the Nazi’s bogged down in Russia the war maybe short in Europe. I’m not so sure, but hopeful.”

“Hey, how is school and the job at Ford’s going?”

“Good, I graduate in a few weeks, but can stay on to the apprenticeship program and working the armor production line it seems.”

“What about the draft, since they changed it to include 18-year-olds, don’t you expect to be inducted?”

“Well, right now they classified me as 2-A because I’m a student and more importantly I’m in an apprenticeship program for electronics. I suppose they need more people with these skills … so, I’m going to continue to get an education while I can. As well as contribute to the war effort.”

“Great. Stay with it.”

Ma interjected, “yes, we don’t need any more of you boys in the Army.”

“Hey, let’s go over to George’s, he said he was going to have the gypsies tonight. You know how he rolls up the carpet and makes room for dancing… We should all go, enough of this war talk, we have this time to have fun, I plan to do so … also I want to see little Dave. I’ve been gone so long by now he must be walking … maybe even dancing.”

Katie says, “yeah that sounds great. That boy is a pistol, already running around like his name sake here.”

With that they packed up and walked to the corner and crossed White Street to the sound of music just getting going as George and Irene had already moved the furniture and had the windows open as the Gypsies were playing lively music.

Bones smoked a cigarette on the walk over, appreciative of the family and fun, but apprehensive about what was to come. Presenting a brave face to ma is one thing, convincing yourself of your youthful immortality is totally another thing.

—

In two weeks, Bones was on the flight to England, staying as warm as possible, bundled in a heavy wool lined flight jacket, gloves and hat. Happy that the open windows where their 50 cal. Machine guns would normally be exposed were boarded up for the flight across the Atlantic. The refueling stops in Canada, and then Newfoundland were welcome chances to stretch legs, warm up a bit and have a bite to eat before renewing their journey. Arriving into England, where they would make their home, and from where they would fight a desperate battle for liberty, they were tired and numb but excited. They were the 8^th Air Force, 97th Bombardment Group.

Over the next two months they outfitted the planes, made a few practice runs to include take off and landings and rendezvous for forming up into their combat box formations, then sliding into bombing run formation over target. Now within range of enemy aircraft, they flew armed and ready, even if they did not have bomb loads yet.

Bones was busy. The crew was becoming close, they had developed a friendship, and although the captain and the first officer were officers and technically shouldn’t mix with the enlisted men of the crew, they did. They knew they would be dependent on each other as well as the maintenance crew that made sure their plane was in tip-top operational shape. They played ball together, challenging other crews. They made the sprawling base at RAF Grafton Underwood their home. Located in the middle of England, Northwest of London.

The pleasant countryside was a pleasure to witness from the open bay of the waist gunner, of course when no one was shooting at you. The small space between the two waste gunners required a delicate dance to keep from bumping into each other. Bones became good friends with Charlie Magyar … a fellow second-generation Hungarian, whose name ironically means Hungarian. Charlie was from Cleveland and knew some of Bone’s Cleveland cousins. This and the cramped quarters made it all seem so much more like home… they would chatter some in Hungarian, to get a feel of home, and maybe, just a little to annoy the other crewmates. Like they had their own language. Bones was happy to share with home in a letter that all is good and all he knew about Magyar from Cleveland.

Their captain, was Johnny Sutcliff, from Atlanta. He had a good old boy Southern drawl, that took some time to get used to, especially over the intercom network they all tied into while in flight. But over time they all learned to speak a bit of Southern, just because the captain did, it just became part of the tapestry of the crew. You couldn’t be together as much as they were without picking up something from each of them. They named their plane ‘Southern Drawl’… and it seemed a good joke to everyone, as they made sure to use the accent they picked up from Captain Johnny when they talked to other crews.

Everyone called Bones, Bones rather the sergeant Kulchar … it seemed to fit as he was skinny and wiry, and when he pitched on the ball field, it looked like all kinds of bones coming at you before the ball arrived out of that crazy windup.

So far, the training was going quite normal. One of the crews had a rough landing and cracked up their landing gear, and they got bounced around, but everyone survived.

By July, everyone was anxious to get on with the real reason they were there, so they could win this war and get home.

By August, they would be flying real missions.

—

At home, David was graduating, but it seemed secondary to him to the apprenticeship program at Ford’s. The program was being accelerated to meet the requirements of the war effort. David expected to earn his Electricians Journeyman card by the spring of 1943, instead of 1945 as would be a normal timeline for peacetime apprenticeship. He was now spending more time at Ford’s than he was in high school. Track that spring had become far less important. He had his records in track, and he was proud of them, but the world was becoming far more serious.

The true nature of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the extent of the losses brought a seriousness to everything they were doing. The Nation cheered the Doolittle raid in mid-April on Tokyo. It seemed like a great moral victory! But now in May the battle of the Coral Sea brought home the nature of the violence that would be the Pacific theater, and the simultaneous surrender of the Philippines to Japanese forces, made clear this would not be easy or quick.

Graduation was a muted affair. After church, dinner on the lawn was interrupted by a rain storm. It seemed the world was dark and turning darker. Mike was in Louisiana still flying anti-submarine patrols in the gulf and along the Eastern seaboard of Florida. Bones was in England. Dave was now 20 and subject to the draft if it were not for his apprenticeship providing him 2-A classification. While Steve, was 4-A and unable to be inducted due to his eyesight. George the oldest was 36 and therefore beyond the draft age of 35. So thankfully three of the brothers remained home.

Ma, Katie and Irene still prepared a graduation feast and they all celebrated Dave’s graduation and they celebrated again his apprenticeship program that kept him home for the foreseeable future.

The factories were humming in Detroit. The steel town was growing, providing the armor needed for the defense of Democracy. Young men were now dying in far flung places, and the military was growing at a pace that seems unimaginable.

Mike sent a letter of congratulations, and a note to say that he and the 107^th Observation Squadron would be shipping out to England in a few weeks.

Ma was worried, but hoped that Mike and Ernie would find themselves together in England. Somehow knowing they might be together made it seem more palatable.

George, holding their newest child, Dave, said “well we are all doing good, and everyone is healthy, and Davey has completed his education and is on his way to being an electrician. Congratulations Dave, we are all very proud of you! Cheers!”

Mike Varga Musings

When Hell Froze – Draft