Novel follows military man through 20th century

Branko: In Praise of a Good Man’s Journey Through Life, by Stuart Tower, The Lighthouse Press, LLC Mobile Alabama. 2013, 473 pages.

By David Strom

David Strom
David Strom

CHULA VISTA, California — Bracha Horvitch was six years old, hiding under the floorboards of the house while he heard the curdling screams of his mother, father and two sisters as they were murdered, in the 1880’s, by rampaging Russian pogromchiks.  These sounds and sights never left Bracha’s heart or mind for the rest of his life.

Branko (Bracha) orphaned at six and mainly surviving on his own, traveled from relative to relative to keep from starving. Most of the time when residing with relatives, he felt out of place, unloved, not wanted and was often mistreated. His attitude towards the world was quite negative until his Aunt Shayndl and Uncle Berel took him in. They indulged him as a loving son and spoiled him along with his loving and adorable cousins.

Stuart Tower the author of the novel Branko quickly takes the reader from the 1880’s to the 1940’s in German occupied Soviet Union. Through the personal history of American Brigadier General Bronko Horvitch, we learn a great deal of the history of Jewish migration to the United States and the history of the times. The Gestapo was interrogating the General, their prize possession, who had been sent by President Roosevelt to determine what the Soviet forces military needed and what we could do to help in their war effort. However, his drunken military driver took a wrong turn, crashed the car, and Branko was captured in Nazi territory.

After several weeks of the continued and intensive questioning by Nazi officers Branko was exhausted. What he needed was sleep. One late night, when the Nazi officers were drinking and enjoying their easy victories over the Soviets, a stranger wearing an odd assortment of clothes speaking in Yiddish and Russian quietly awakened Branko. The outsider, Simcha Greenberg was a Soviet Partisan, demanding that Branko leave with him immediately

Branko, who was now sixty-six years old, had never forgotten his Yiddish nor his yiddishkeit. He was a proud Jew and glad to be rescued by a fighting Jewish Soviet partisan group. Like the Maccabees of old, Branko was proud to see Jews fighting and willing to lay down their lives to avenge the Nazis’ atrocious and senseless murders of their families and friends. One of the partisan missions was to protect Branko and return him safely to the Soviet Union.

The author Stuart Tower uses a flash forward and backward technique to slowly tell us the relevant history of Branko’s world of the late 1800’s and mid-twentieth century.  The 1880’s were a time in Eastern European history when Jews were leaving their homes and countries because of pogroms and anti-Semitism. Branko, now a tall grown man was a leader of a group known as Fusgeyers (people walking) who walked long miles, traveling to ports that would take them to America, England, South America, or any other place that would have them. Some who were Zionists, went to Palestine to help build a homeland for Jews.

Branko, who was a trained soldier in the Austrian Army, led a contingent of Fusgeyers to the United States. His Aunt Shayndl and uncle remained in Europe with thoughts of settling in Switzerland. Branko learned English quickly and became a New York Police Officer. He served ten years as a police officer and then came World War I. He joined the service, fought valiantly for his adopted country and returned home a wounded and decorated soldier and an officer.

The First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson, who was in charge following her husband’s stroke, summoned Branko to the Woodrow Wilson White House. Edith Wilson had herd about some of the exploits of Branko and his advocacy for American veterans. The First Lady offered Branko a job at the War College of the United States. Branko accepted and eventually worked under different White House administrations, including the Truman administration.

During Herbert Hoover’s presidency, Branko witnessed the despicable deeds of General Douglas MacArthur during the veterans Bonus March on Washington, D.C. in 1932. The march was aimed at raising awareness of the poverty of many veterans who had served their country and had been promised a bonus, which they needed urgently during the Depression. Two soldiers who would later become famous during World War II, served under the command of General MacArthur during this trying time. They were Major George S. Patton and Major Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Small contingents of the Bonus marchers, who were hungry, unemployed, some homeless, and very poor reached the Capitol Building. What they were hoping to do was influence Congress to pass immediate legislation that would give the Bonus money that had been promised to them. They needed it now, not later. The city police greeted them with gunfire. Two veterans were killed with several police officers injured. President Hoover learned of the deaths and ordered General MacArthur to evacuate the veterans. To MacArthur this meant nothing less than all-out warfare. He chased the hungry and mostly unemployed veterans back to their tent camps under threat of gunfire and bayonets.

President Hoover ordered General MacArthur to cease and desist. MacArthur chose to ignore this directive and entered the veterans campsite, sprayed adamsite gas on the women and children in the Bonus city and set fire to the veterans’ tent shacks. Two more veterans were killed and hundreds were gassed.

By following Branko’s life, a great deal of the history of the twentieth century is made more understandable and readable. President Truman a veteran and friend of Branko Horvitch from the battlefield of World War 1, enlists Branko in a mission to the newly created State of Israel. It is on this mission that Branko is mortally wounded and meets someone he hasn’t seen in many years.

If you enjoy historical fiction Branko: In Praise of a Good Man’s Journey Through Life is worthwhile reading and a captivating story. From the very beginning it is hard to put down, easy reading leaving readers hoping for more novels from Stuart Tower.

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David Strom is professor emeritus of education at San Diego State University.  He may be contacted via david.stron@sdjewishworld.com  … San Diego Jewish World seeks sponsorships to be placed, as this notice is, just below articles that appear on our site.  To inquire, call editor Donald H. Harrison at (619) 265-0808 or contact him via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com