A Belated Veterans Day

I was struck on Monday by the absence of something that I had grown up with – the appearance of paper poppies adorning jacket lapels and buttonholes.  I also noted that it seemed a little hard to find a veteran who was selling them.  When I was growing up, it seemed that my Mother would be able to stop and buy one for a small donation during any small errand she might run. Now the reminders were a little harder to come by.

In my office, I have the Remington manual typewriter that used to belong to my Uncle Charlie – my Grandfather’s younger brother.  Charlie died about two years ago, but he and I got to spend a good deal of time with each other in the last five or so years of his life.  I would go by and have breakfast or lunch with him at his home in the assisted living facility in Creskill, NJ every time I went down to the NY area for business. He would talk to me about things going on, we would discuss cars, and business, and family.

As I understand it, the Remington typewriter was his from when he’d served in the Army in World War II.  While my Grandfather served stateside as a supply clerk in Atlanta for much of the war, Charlie was a mechanic and was sent to the UK in the motor pool.  He was destined to be sent across the Channel to see combat, but his typing skills changed his course.

As they mustered one morning, an officer walked up to the assembled lines and asked “Is there any one of you who can type 60 words a minute?”  Charlie – who had run his own garage and had therefore done billing and invoicing in the past – raised his hand.  The officer took note and then moved on.

The next day as they were again mustering and getting ready to pack up and move on, another officer stepped up and yelled, “I need the clerk to come with me.  Now!”

No one stepped forward.  “Clerk!  Now!” repeated the officer.  No response.

“Steele!  Step forward right the hell now!”  As Charlie put it, he didn’t know until that point he was a clerk.  So there you go.

Charlie spent the rest of the war at an Army Air Corps base in the west midlands of England, ensuring the movement of goods and personnel between the US and Europe.  One of the more difficult jobs that he had was cataloging and processing the information on those who were killed in action.  He saw the names of many who he grew up with and many who he served with typed out by the Remington.  When the fighting stopped, he continued to serve in an administrative role in Germany and then went home to his wife, and to the remainder of his life.

When Charlie passed, he was laid to rest in one of the family plots in the cemetery in Tappan, NY and the local veterans arranged for an honor guard to remember his service. He had never raised his weapon in anger nor had he seen combat, and yet these men who had remotely shared in the experience of the war and of wearing our nation’s uniform felt it fitting and right to remember and honor that service.

I know it is late to be suggesting this – Veterans’ Day has already come and gone, and many are already thinking of the Thanksgiving to come in a few weeks.  Perhaps there is still an opportunity.  If you had to work on Monday, if you were not approached by the veterans or the Legion with a poppy, remember the stories and the service, and offer a thank you whenever you can.

Chris Steele is a husband and a father of 2 children in the Newton Public School system.  He is also an economic and community development consultant as well as an activist and volunteer.  You can contact him at steelch@yahoo.com

May I also suggest that as the holiday season comes upon us, the USO does tremendous work to help our current servicemembers and their families.  You can find ways to help them achieve their mission at http://www.uso.org/act-now.aspx