War Stories
Brooklyn
- December
3, 1942
Hyman
wished Ben or Yetta were home. But Yetta was living in Chicago with
Howard, and Ben was working at
the shipyards
in Maryland. He had a good job, an important job -
Ben was building ships for the war effort. He was making good money,
and the
family needed the money. Hyman hoped that Ben's job would keep
him out of the war. But still, he would've liked Ben to be home
now, because John and Sid were leaving. 
Sid was embarrassed - Ma, I'm 20. They are taking guys that are two years younger than me. He pulled the draft papers out of his pocket and waved them as if they explained everything.
Twenty. Hyman remembered when he was twenty. He was on a steamship crossing the ocean to start a life in this country. Now his sons were being drafted into the army of his adopted country, and going back over that same ocean to fight in yet another European war. His weakened legs felt unsteady. His words caught in his throat.
John stepped across the room and briefly held Fanny. We are going to be ok, Ma. Don't worry. I'll take care of him. I just know we are all going to be fine.
At the top of the stair, Hyman grabbed each of the boys by the arm and looked at them. His legs were weak, but his grip was strong. He wanted them to feel that strength. He wanted to give it to them. Then they were were down the stairs and gone.
Sid and John bounded out the front of the red brick two flat, and turned up 7th Street towards Avenue U. The grass was brown, the trees bare, the air cold and crisp. They didn't feel the cold as they walked side by side, matching stride for stride. It was two long blocks, and six short blocks to the Avenue U Long Island Railroad train station, where they would catch the train to Camp Upton.
John
turned to Sid as they walked. What
if they don't take us?
What, are you crazy? Why wouldn't they take us? Of course they'll take us.
John smiled. Shushi ... We are going to be soldiers in the army of the United States of America. The greatest country in the world. Sid smiled smiled back. Yeah.
Their pace quickened as they stepped off the familiar turf of their block, buoyed by anticipation of the adventure ahead.
John looked straight ahead. I'm going to miss them.
Yeah. Sid nodded, looked homeward over his shoulder and stopped short. Look! - He said and pointed. Pa is following us.
From half a block away Hyman's slow, unsteady gait made him look older than he was. Behind him Sam and Cubby were running to catch up.
What does he think he is doing? John said. He can't walk to the train station. It's too far.
"Pa. Go back! Go Back Pa!" They both shouted and waved.
Hyman kept walking.
Sid grabbed John's sleeve. - Lets go.
At the intersection of Avenue U they stopped and turned around again. Hyman was further away now, but still hobbling toward them.
"Pa! Go Back!" They shouted in unison.
This time, he looked up at them and stopped, realizing he would not catch up. Sam was next to him now. He put his hand on his arm. C'mon Pa. Lets go home.
John and Sid lost sight of him as they continued around the corner. Only six blocks to the train station. They walked in silence. Sid could feel the cold now, as the wind pulled at the moisture running down his cheeks.
What, are you crazy? Why wouldn't they take us? Of course they'll take us.
John smiled. Shushi ... We are going to be soldiers in the army of the United States of America. The greatest country in the world. Sid smiled smiled back. Yeah.
Their pace quickened as they stepped off the familiar turf of their block, buoyed by anticipation of the adventure ahead.
John looked straight ahead. I'm going to miss them.
Yeah. Sid nodded, looked homeward over his shoulder and stopped short. Look! - He said and pointed. Pa is following us.
From half a block away Hyman's slow, unsteady gait made him look older than he was. Behind him Sam and Cubby were running to catch up.
What does he think he is doing? John said. He can't walk to the train station. It's too far.
"Pa. Go back! Go Back Pa!" They both shouted and waved.
Hyman kept walking.
Sid grabbed John's sleeve. - Lets go.
At the intersection of Avenue U they stopped and turned around again. Hyman was further away now, but still hobbling toward them.
"Pa! Go Back!" They shouted in unison.
This time, he looked up at them and stopped, realizing he would not catch up. Sam was next to him now. He put his hand on his arm. C'mon Pa. Lets go home.
John and Sid lost sight of him as they continued around the corner. Only six blocks to the train station. They walked in silence. Sid could feel the cold now, as the wind pulled at the moisture running down his cheeks.
Editors
Note:The above is an interprettion of how we think this
important day
in the life of the Hyman Wallach might have transpired.
Dialog in quotes are from interviews, dialog without quotes are based on the understanding we have of their lives and personalities.
Dialog in quotes are from interviews, dialog without quotes are based on the understanding we have of their lives and personalities.
| Brothers |
In
Their Words |
Historical
Context |
|
Sid's
Service Service:
Infantry, Army Corp of Engineers Dates: Drafted 3-Dec-1942 Active Serivce: 10-Dec-1942 Honorable Discharge 28-Jun-1946 Unit: unknown engineers at BW1 763 red aaa aw btry Rank: Corporal Decorations: Victory medal, American Theater Ribbon, European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, 3 overseas service bars, 1 Service Stripe, Good conduct medal, Sharpshooter w/ Rifle Deployments: From 27-Apr-43 to 2-Dec-44 at Bluie West 1 secret airbase in Greenland. Camp Livingston, Louisiana Infantry Training Center until discharge. |
 "It took us 7 days of zig-zagging around to get to Greenland. There were a lot of German submarines at that time. They were shooting our ships down. They were looking for strays like we were. We had this Corvette tag along with us, because we were unarmed. We were just a passenger ship. A corvette is a small ship that is very fast and carries a lot of ammunition and stuff. One time during the night we could hear them dropping depth charges - boom, boom, boom. We were all terrified..because here we were - sitting ducks. One guy in the hold of the ship really cracked up. He ran to the foot of the stairs going up to the deck. He screamed back at us "You’re crazy! We’re all gonna die!" He became hysterical... He just collapsed right on the floor of the stairs going up. He was just so terrified... After that I got to thinking and I couldn’t sleep. I went up on top deck. I found a corner up there. I figured, if they sink the ship, I’d have a chance to get off. I didn’t know at the time they say if you are in the water for more than five minutes you’d freeze to death. But I didn’t know that. I thought I’d take a shot at it. In case they sank us, I’d be able to get off. I stayed there. It was so blasted cold on that deck you know. But I huddled in the corner, and I slept there all night." |
"Long-range aircraft were not assigned to convoy protection duties in sufficient numbers to cover the convoys across the entire Atlantic until the middle of 1943. Consequently there was an "air gap" south of Greenland... The storms of the winter of 1942 and 1943 were the worst to hit the North Atlantic in more than 50 years. The weather, in conjunction with a renewed U-boat offensive on the North Atlantic convoys, led to the period being nicknamed the "Bloody Winter." March 1943 proved to be one of the most devastating months of the campaign for the Allies. The Germans changed their naval radio cipher, depriving the Allies of the precious Ultra information, and consequently the Allies were unable to locate all of the wolf packs. During the first three weeks of the month the Allies lost 97 ships, and at that rate American production could not keep up with losses." |
|
John's
Service Service:
Infantry, Army Corp of Engineers Dates: Drafted 3-Dec-1942 Active Serivce: 10-Dec-1942 Honorable Discharge Unit: 15th Infantry 3rd Division Company K Rank: Private First Class Decorations: Purple Heart, 3 Battle Stars, Victory medal, American Theater Ribbon, European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, Overseas service bars, Service Stripe Deployments: Amphibious landings at Casblanca, Italy and France. Wounded in the "Colmar Pocket" Campaign. |
 "I told my buddy that I would keep first watch while he slept. Those hours when you were one of the only ones up were the loneliest. Although, any movement of any kind got our attention. After my friend had gone to sleep for about an hour, I heard footsteps. As the footsteps got closer I realized that they were Germans. These Germans were about one hundred yards away. They weren't fighting, they were just walking. They started coming closer and I shot at them. My buddy woke up by the loud noise. Then there was silence again. About twenty minutes later we saw a tank coming towards us. We all started to run. Missiles were being shot at us but no one was hit. We looked for cover everywhere. When I got to the edge of the forest there was a big explosion. I felt a hot burning in my leg and I lost my gun. When I got up to try to run I just fell. I looked down at my leg. There was a big chunk of shrapnel. My friend came back to get me. We ran together to the Eo River. The whole group jumped in and started to swim to the other side. My friend Ronny, who was already half way across the river, saw me lying there. Ronny screamed for me to jump in. The problem was that I could not swim with two legs, let alone only one..." |
 "The Third Division was called to eliminate all hostilities in the Colmar Pocket in mid December 1944 just days before the start of the German's Ardennes Offensive. As history played out it was an eventful end to 1944 on the Western Front, and the beginning of the end to the German bridgehead around Colmar... Eisenhower's order to the Seventh Army in December 1944 was to straighten its lines around Strasbourg and eliminate the 40 by 20 mile German bridgehead centered around Colmar.The Third Division was chosen to deal with the Colmar problem... A strongly defended Sigolsheim was attacked by the 15th Regiment on December 26 after they fought long and hard for Hill 351 to the north in action commenced on Christmas Eve." |
|
Ben's
Service  Service:
Navy Dates: Enlisted 2-Jun-1943 Active Service 9-Jun-1943 Honorable Discharge 17-Dec-1945 Unit: Standard Landing Craft Unit #36 boat pool baker Navy #1172 boat pool baker Navy #3256 Rank: Gunners Mate 2nd Class Decorations: American Theatre Ribbon Asiatic - Pacific 1 Battle star Victory Ribbon Honorable discharge button Honorable service button Honorable service emblems Deployments: Nts sampson ny Nts newport Ri Ntsch dearborn mi Aatc pacific Lc sch (PAC) Beach, California, Morro Bay Calif, ABPD San Bruno Calif. Okinawa. |
 "Most of the island was under control, but around Naha there was a lot of snipers and there was still fighting there. So we brought the Marine’s in. .. it was a rainy day, a real rough day, the water was rough. And we dropped them off and started to pull out and another marine waves us back in... we picked up the wounded and there was a hospital ship out there and we drove to the hospital ship...We ran across a tank. - Did you ever see those amphibious tanks? - In the water they look like they are sunk they are so low. They called us over they had a guy over there that was injured and they wanted him to go over to the hospital ship. What a time I had. One foot on our gunwale and one foot on theirs. The water was going like this (gestures big waves) this guy was a big guy; he had a shoe that big (gestures) full of mud right on my chest. I thought we were all going overboard. I was very lucky to stay aboard. Then we picked up a bunch of marines and one guy his mouth was shot up, he had a little piece of lip left. He wanted a cigarette, so I put a cigarette right into the little piece of lip he had left. He said to me I’m through with this war and he handed me this Japanese rifle and this big knife that they carry. I kept it for a while but then I gave it to someone else. What was I going to do with it?" |
 " ...Meanwhile LST's and LSM's, which had carried to the target both the men composing the first assault forces and the amphibian vehicles in which they were to ride, spread their yawning jaws and launched their small craft, loaded and ready for the shore. Amphibian tanks formed the first wave at the line of departure, 4,000 yards from the beach.... After approaching the reef, the gunboats turned aside and the amphibian tanks and tractors passed through them and proceeded unescorted, the tanks firing their 75-mm. howitzers at targets of opportunity directly ahead of them until landing... When the assault wave moved in, the landing area had been under constant bombardment for three hours.... LCM's and LCVP's could cross the reef for four or five hours at each flood tide and unload directly on the beach; during middle and low tides their cargoes had to be transferred to amphibian vehicles at transfer barges. LST's, LSM's, and LCT's were beached on the reef at high tide to enable vehicles and equipment to be discharged during the next low tide, and the bulk cargo by DUKW's and LVT's at any tide,.. On L Day beach-exit and shore-party dump roads were improved; next, the main supply routes to the troops and roads to permanent and semipermanent supply installations. During the rains of 4-5 and 10-11 April the spinning wheels of endless lines of trucks soon tore through the crusts of the more traveled highways and became mired... The 69th Field Hospital landed on 3 April and received its first casualties two days later. Until it was established, the divisions had evacuated their casualties immediately by LCVP's and DUKW's to one of eight LST(H)'s lying off the Hagushi beaches. Each hospital ship could take care of 200 patients and perform emergency surgery. " From: OKINAWA:THE
LAST BATTLE
Chapter III: Winning The Okinawa Beachhead by -Roy E. Appleman, James M. Burns Russell A. Gugeler, and John Stevens |
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| Sam's
Service |
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| Sisters |
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| Edith's Story |
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Lilian's
Story |
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| Babes' Story |
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| Husbands and Wives |
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Jack's Story |
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| Will's Story |
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| Howard's Story |
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| Gloria's Story |
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| Gladys' Story |
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Barb's
Story For most of the war, Barbara Neumann Wallach, was attending high school in Negaunee, Michigan. Her she is pictured on a float in a 1945 parade. |
Barbara Neumann Salutatory Address
June 7,1945 Negaunee High School Negaunee, Michigan "Parents ….. Friends….. Classmates We, are in the midst of a conflict waged to make certain that American ideals of government and life may survive. We look forward to victory, not just a victory in war, but a victory that will mean the triumph of those ways of living, of feeling, and of thinking, that are the very soul of our people and our history. In the very midst of this crisis, while we are making plans and developing high hopes for the future, it is only natural that we should look back. We look back to see what it is in our heritage, that has made us what we are. In a moment’s refection into the past, we rediscover several outstanding incidents that have illustrated the great American spirit and helped to form this great nation. Shining in radiant immortality are shades of the Boston Tea Party, Bunker hill, Old South Church, Paul Revere’s Ride, Valley Forge, York Town. Why do these names live in history? What is so memorable about a small number of men dumping tea into the ocean; Or a few thousand men fighting for possession of a hill; Or a lantern in a church; Or one man galloping through the night on horseback….Why, do these names live in history?.... It is because these men had the True American spirit which has made American history. The men , who took part in all of these historic occasions, were not extraordinary people. The main thing which made them so different from their ancestors whom they had left behind in the Old World was that……THEY WERE FREE!! They were the type of men who could get excited over righting fundamental wrongs, who believed that there were things worth fighting for, who rose above the ordinary every-day routines of cleverness and selfishness and fought for a cause bigger than themselves. They strived for, what Justice Brandies say is the right most highly prized by civilized people,….”The right to be let alone.” Those men at Bunker Hill, and Valley Forge fought gallantly because they knew what they were fighting for. They were all united for one strong purpose to gain “ that right to be let alone.” This was their highest ideal, and they were willing to fight to the death, if need be, to acquire this ideal. It was this powerful spirit which finally gained for them, this , their greatest desire. And, it is this spirit that has kept the flame of freedom burning through thecenturies. Each generation has had its chance to let this flame go out; but each, in turn, has made it burn brighter than ever before. Americans have always fought gallantly for their freedom during its many trials. The sons and daughters of the famous men who fought in the Revolutionary War showed their fighting spirit in the War of 1812. In turn, their children fought in the Civil War, and a few generations later their grandchildren-----our own mothers and fathers---- fought in World War I to preserve this nation for us. The people of America have always dreamed of peace and freedom from oppression; but they have always had to fight and sacrifice to make their dreams come true. Now, as we, the graduating class of 1945 are about to step out in the world on our own, we are being thrust into the midst of World War II. And rising before us are a multiplicity of past war problems anyone of which maybe the foundation for the rise of another totalitarian demigod of the Hitler variety. This time it is our chance to either let the flame of freedom, flicker and go out, or to make it burn brighter and stronger than ever before. The prayers of the people of the nation are with us, They are as one voice. With the guidance of Almighty God, we must and we shall fulfill the purpose for which we are going out into the world. Friends…..Parents…..Teachers….Older Americans; On behalf of my generation, I wish to thank you and salute you for keeping this great nation of ours so strong and so free. When we reach the divine strand where the heroes of every nation lie in peace at last, I hope that we shall be able to say…..”We followed the light of your torches, we have kept the trust, we have not failed.” |
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| Phyllis' Story |
