Veterans

My dad was killed in the Korean war. Never met him. I was eight months old, sucking up whisky from my mom’s legendary partying after shifts at Lockheed, building P-38’s. My placenta had a cherry stuck it in when I was delivered….Speaking of P-38’s…Have to tell my Dick Bong story in memory of all the vets….Bong was an all American boy. Flew the P-38 in the Pacific theatre against the Japanese Zero’s. He recieved the medal of honor. Had 40 kills in dogfights. He had his girlfriends, later wifes, name, Marge, on the nose of his various planes. Usually old planes shot full of holes. He comes home to become a test pilot for Lockheed in Burbank. My grandma is hanging laundry on Witnall hwy. She hears a jets motor cut out. She looks up to see a smoking jet clear some trees. It was Bong testing a new jet…The tower told Bong to ‘punch out’. Bong’s last words? “Can’t do it, kids in a school yard”! He did his duty…A REAL hero…

I said goodbye to George Gruber yesterday. The family held services at a Catholic church in Canyon Country. He was Dead Horse Todd’s father. A nice man, Always kind to me. I didn’t know one person, so, I sat in the back pew. Plus, I always look like a street person, why embarrass the family…I was early. I listen to some elderly men talking about how George and his family had been chased out of Europe by Hitler and the Nazi’s. One man said, “So much for the master race. Joe Louis showed Hitler and that piece of shit Schmeling, who the real bosses were!”…I say nothing….In case you’re unaware, Joe Louis was considered the free worlds hope, Max Schmeling represented the Nazis. Nothing could be further from the truth. Max had already knocked out Louis. He had watched films and said to his trainer, “I zee’s zomting!” He noticed Louis dropped his hand after he jabbed. When he beat Louis, it was right hands over the top, all night‎…Hitler pulled Max aside and told him that this time, he would have to destroy Louis. Max said to Hitler, “I’m older and slower now. Louis is a much better fighter then he was the last fight!” Hitler didn’t care. After Louis destroyed him in two rounds, Max lost everything. He was cast aside and treated like dirt. His family too. He had never been a Nazi. He was just a stooge for their propoganda machine. He did remember one nice thing during those times. Kind words from his old opponent, Joe Louis. Our propaganda machines wanted Louis to talk about the fight and how he prevailed over the Nazi trash. Louis would only say that Max was a good man in a bad spot….The war is over. Joe Louis became one of our greatest heavyweight champs. Max went to work for Coca-Cola in Germany as a salesman….Joe Louis ends up in a wheel chair, working as a greeter at Ceaser casino. That’s where I shook his hand once. The IRS took everything Louis had. Hounded him to his grave. His widow was going to be on the street. No money for a new suit or a grave for old Joe. Frank Sinatra and all the rest blew himi off. He wasn’t champ no more. A sad ending. But hang on a second. Joe’s burial, coffin, transportation of the family, accomodations, deed to the house and his tax debt had been taken care of by an annonymous friend. It was pennies from heaven…It was years later that the family found out who this person was…Max Schmeling.