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Gee, do you ever get the feeling that this section of the forum simply gets more use than the others as of late? Sigh! My condolences to Larry and his family.
Hello Marion,
My name is Larry Edelstein, son of Irving Edelstein ... on your distribution list and a veteran of the combat engineers corps in WWII (I believe he is seen in the center bottom of the picture that was taken on the Autobahn). I regret to say that my Dad passed away in May. He was 90 and I'm guessing he was one of the few surviving WWII vets. To his last days, he held a strong passion for not only WWII vets but all vets and proper treatment of vets.
I was (and always will be) very proud of him and his achievements in WWII. Many times, he and I spoke about his experiences in WWII ... and we watched "the Longest Day" together. :-) Soon after his death, we discovered a four page narrative that he apparently wrote to a high-school student out in California documenting his experiences in WWII and Normandy. I've since been in touch with this "student" who is now 24 and has since served with the Marines in Afghanistan. He seems to have spent a lot of time on the computer related to this ... unbeknown to us.
My Mom and I continue to miss him deeply, but I am glad that he connected with you. I'm sure that this enabled him to continue his passionate connection with his military service.
Certainly, you can leave his email address on your list for now as my Mom will check it from time to time. Thanks and take care!
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
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Dear Marion and All,
Thank you for recognizing my Dad's passing. It's only been 6 months, but his passion for veterans and the military resound as loud as if he is still here speaking to me right now. It's so hard to say goodbye to a father that you've had the good fortune of having a loving relationship with for 55 years, but I believe his legacy ... as well as all the other WWII vets ... will live on forever.
My Dad once wrote (I'm paraphrasing) that holidays like Veterans Day are not to take advantage of sales at department stores, but to honor the men and women who sacrified so much ... and who enable us to enjoy these sales. On this Veteran's Day, on my facebook page, I wrote to my friends:
Please pause just for a moment today and think about what this day really means, and about the sacrifices made by those who made it possible for you.
To all the WWII vets who are still alive and reading this, please take some time to pull aside your children and your grandchildren ... and tell them some stories from your experiences in the war. You might even consider writing a brief article or two and posting it on this site describing any experiences that you recollect. Please make sure that they don't forget. I wish I had spent some more time with my Dad doing the same. G-d bless you.
Larry Edelstein
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Larry, what a great letter. Thanks for becoming a member, so we can learn more about your dear father and the great 49th Engineers. Yes, it is a shame that so often holiday like Memorial Day and Veterans Day turn into "shopaholic" days. But thank God there are so many people out there who haven't forgotten the REAL reason for the holiday. It's great to see places like Applebees and others, who give discounts to the vets that day and honor them.
We had three new members join on this Veterans Day and that sure makes me very happy.
Again sorry for your loss, but we shall make sure he lives on here. Here's to your dad!
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
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Sorry to hear. Rest in peace!
Larry, that is a very nice letter and sentiment. I agree 100% on your feelings on Veterans' day. I am in the Marines and actually got the chance to speak to all of the Marines in my command element (over 100) about how Veterans' Day came about. Most of them did not know. As for the shopaholic nature of Veterans’' Day, I guess I missed out on a lot of that. Being in Okinawa, you do get cut off from the hype that accompanies a great many US holidays.
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Larry, what a great letter. Thanks for becoming a member, so we can learn more about your dear father and the great 49th Engineers. Yes, it is a shame that so often holiday like Memorial Day and Veterans Day turn into "shopaholic" days. But thank God there are so many people out there who haven't forgotten the REAL reason for the holiday. It's great to see places like Applebees and others, who give discounts to the vets that day and honor them.
We had three new members join on this Veterans Day and that sure makes me very happy.
Again sorry for your loss, but we shall make sure he lives on here. Here's to your dad!
Thank you, Marion. And thank you for your devotion to this site.
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Sorry to hear. Rest in peace!
Larry, that is a very nice letter and sentiment. I agree 100% on your feelings on Veterans' day. I am in the Marines and actually got the chance to speak to all of the Marines in my command element (over 100) about how Veterans' Day came about. Most of them did not know. As for the shopaholic nature of Veterans’' Day, I guess I missed out on a lot of that. Being in Okinawa, you do get cut off from the hype that accompanies a great many US holidays.
Thank you Major. And more importantly, Thank You for your service to our country.
