Before you light your grill, or break out that new bag of briquettes. Before the children break out the new beach balls and the wife dawns that new sexy swim suit she bought earlier this week,....stop, and think. There are heros among us,...they walk like ghosts, blending within our inner circles of daily life. They are young, and they are aged both in the same body, jaded bones walking still in cadence with the banners of war and the memories thereof. I've been fortunate and of the utmost, privilaged, to know one of them for ten wonderful years of my little life. This is a passing glance into a man, and hero's life, well worth the time to have been given me,.... A man at the age of 85 walks himself early in the morning into his Barbershop opened up before the war, closed during his time in the Pacific atolls, and re-opened after his return from his heroism and the gut wrenching fights for our freedoms. He flips the light on with his nimble wrinkled finger, turns to look out the front window at the daylight's greeting and passing friends hurrying to and from their errands and work. His name is Frank Selemno, Barber,...friend, brother, adopted grandfather, and hero. In a place where twelve dollars can buy you a trip back in time, a story or two and a slap on the back, telling you within its impact, "welcome, we're all friends here, only the best for you, luck, love, good health and good wealth to you!" The scissors trim away the wear of your body, and the straight razor cuts off the miles of labor and burdensom toil from your soul. Talk surrounds, sun shines and beams through the window with the right glow to warm your sitting place, and the sent of Bay Rum fills your senses and messages your neck. His eyes themselves alone, could tell stories, gazing upon the flag raising on Iwo Jima Isle, the sands of Tinian, the fighting of Siapan, and the horrors of five days lost at sea with a stray landing craft. The five days most fearful of a time he's ever had to endure that even stamped out the uncertainty of the next round whizzing by him, the next mortar fired from behind a fortified cluster of palm trees at the next battle. No, those to were tasks at hand to be dealt with when they came, endured with a blind fury, and, Lord willing, survived. But five days within the clutches of an unknown fate, swirling and riding to and fro encompassed by a seemingly never ending void of nothingness the sea held in front of he and his friends upon that landing craft, well, that was the true gut wrenching experience! He'll spend his day today, like the other two here within these four walls, and three barber's chairs, on his feet, like the three soldiers by his side, of porcalain and leather, trimmed with nickel and tin. One of them will be rest for each of us that will find their way to this humble abode, turned refuge for those seeking a harbor to find a better time to live in, a better way to live by, and a true friend and kindred soul to reminisce with. An old soul, such as I, and Frank get along just fine, like were were both children once playing with toys and enlisting to go and fight the Japs back then. We get along famously,....just swell I'd say. That is,...the hero and I. If you're in town, in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, look up Frank at Frank's Barbershop, right on Germantown, Ave. in Chestnutt Hill. It will be worth your time. Tell him Jason from Quakertown sent you, then ask him to tell you a story of WWII or the good old days. He'll probably laugh a bit about it frst,....
Touche,,,,well written and yes I will remember our Veterans and those currently fighting for us on Monday.
Awesome. Yes I thank my Father, and all vets daily, for with out them I would not have freedom. Unfortunately My father passed on july 4, 2004. A very fitting day to pass for a Great American. He loves this country with all his heart, and Put his life on the line in Nam for 3 tours. God Bless Everyone and Thank You Again Vets and Those Currently Serving..
Wow!,....that's something,..to pass on that date! Yes I agree, very fitting! I recently lost my grandmother who might as wel lhave been my second mother,...that was hear enough,..to loose a parent,....I cannot imagine it!! God bless....
Thank you for that writing, it is perfect. Fellow Torque member, Hugh (53Ash, HAMB-dle) son comes back from Iraq tomorrow, and we are going to have a helluva good time. Thanks to all the vets that are on this site, for what you've done for our great country. God Bless you, and America.
I pray your boy does go back either!!! A very good friend of mine lost his son years ago in that conflict,....a total waste of human life! A shame to loose his son,.... Its wonderful to hear your boy is coming back a warm welcome to him from my wife and I!!! Tell him thank you for serving too!!! GOD BLESS!
This morning, as with all mornings, but especially this morning, I thanked all those who served my country before me, those who served her with me and who serve her now. Bleesed are the peace makers.
very well written!!! big thanks to everyone who has or is serving our country and showing the world what this country is about!!!
If it's ok I'll pass this along to another site, peope in this Country need reminders of what this Day represents. If it's not ok let me know.
The " Memorial " in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many that are beneficiries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We should actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice.Take time out to observe Memorial Day.
I feel luck I came back from nam. I still tear up when thinking about what I saw ansome of my buddies didn't come back. Bless our troops now. Here is a pic of my f-4 in nam, thanks for starting the post.
Never let history be forgotten,..... A little known but VERY important part of our history,....may this never again happen to our servicemen! http://thebonusarmy.com/
Memorial Day commemorates U.S. men and women who perished while in military service to their country. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, after World War I it was expanded to include casualties of any war or military action.
This is OT but aside from wear eye and ear protection there's no more important advice to give anyone for personal safety.
Please watch this as you observe memorial day: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/teMF0wCZ3Bw&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/teMF0wCZ3Bw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Sure,...either that or just post a link in that other site,.... let me know what other site my story's going on, ok? I'm curious....
OOOHH RAAAH!!!! SEMPER FI MAC! My father is a former Marine, I was setup to enlist twice but physical lung problems prevented me from enlisting. So, seeing as my love for history runs deep and I have been raised around many WWII vets through the years, I had become involved with two living hisory reenacting groups over the years. The two I have been with over the years set as their primary goal to educate others, unlike other groups who do nothing but play war and reenact at different venues. This has been both an educational output for me, and a way to reach out to the veterans I have looked up to for so many years and say "Thank you!" and to express in earnest, all of my appreciation and honor towards them. There's truely nothing like having a WWII veteran walk up to you while you're dirty, grimy, wearing exactly what he might have worn in the time he served, with tears in his eyes and being told, "My God, you look like me when I was over there,...you look like you just came off the lines,...oh that's wonderful, I think its great what you're doing..." Those times are truely unique gifts from God, and interaction almost supernatural between two kindred souls,....I wouldn't trade it for the world! This is also the same thing I have wanted to put into our car club, to do events and shows in an educational way via living history, the early dry lakes era. So much has been forgotten and brushed into oblivion through clumsyness or the haording of private collections and selfish mindsets, rich or eccentric collectors that share nothing but lock it in their vaults and bank deposit boxes never to be seen and enjoyed by others. I want to open history and memories back up with a prybar and let the floodgates bust so that people can see everyday life back in the 30s and 40s, pre-WWII and wartime. The days leading to Hitler's rise, and the days of rationing with gas ration stickers adorning peole's cars and hot rods.....I'm working on putting something together for next year's WWII weekend in Reading, PA next year, since I have attended it as a reenactor and living historian for roughly 5 years now. We'll see!
Before the war, hot rodding could only boast a few highly skilled technicians--Vic Edelbrock, Eddie Meyer, Ed Winfield -the list got short after that. But war bred rapid progress, and Alex Xydias, like legions of other young Americans, was the beneficiary of a war effort that required highly sophisticated government education for the engineers and mechanics who would maintain the quickly evolving squadrons of fighter and bomber aircraft. Alex in the Airforce was a B-17 Flight engineer & gunner, he was educated to hardware he could not have imagined before he enlisted. He was schooled in the operation of the highest quality tools. THANK YOU MR. XYDIAS FOR GIVING US SUCH A RICH HOT RODDING HISTORY AND PROTECTING IT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME! (thanks to the Hotrod Hotline website)
The Jalopy Journal
