By Bill Sperling
SAN DIEGO — Veterans Day was celebrated a day in advance by members of the Bagel Boys and Tifereth Israel Synagogue on Friday, Nov. 10.
We began with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag provided by Jay Shirley. We then shared stories of our days in the military or stories about friends or relatives who were in the service.
Julius Katz shared the story of his friend who spoke fluent German and was in WW II stationed at a camp in Europe near the end of the war, He was awakened from a deep sleep and summoned into the main room where there about a dozen Nazi soldiers fully armed. He and his troops were quite frightened, and his friend spoke to them in German asking them what they wanted, they responded to him in German that they came to surrender, and he told them in German to drop their arms and raise their arms which they did .
Wendy Schlickman shared that her father who was a physician in Korea was the only officer left and led his company through enemy lines to their safety for which he was awarded the Bronze star.
Colleagues of Bill Friedel, who was originally from New York, awarded him a “Bronx Star,” in honor of where he grew up. Friedel served as a doctor at a field hospital in Vietnam.
Marty Goldberg was with a tank battalion and was marveled at by the members of his unit from the South. They were happy to have a shower a day and three meals which they didn’t have on their farms. They all reenlisted while he went home.
Alan Goldenberg became an electronics expert repairing ships’ communication equipment, which later became his civilian career.
Others who shared their stories were Mel Goldberg, Bill Goldschneider, Bram Rubinstein, Judy Friedel, David Friedel, Norm Needel, Ed Cherlin, Jay Shirley, and myself.
A young gentleman who was playing with his children came over to us and expressed his family’s appreciation for our military service so that he and his family could enjoy the freedom to be playing in the park where we met. That was was the highlight of our Veterans Day.
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Bill Sperling is a member of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and a founding member of the Bagel Boys lunch group.