Verhovayak Lapja, 1944 (27. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)

1944 / Verhovay Journal

June 8, 1944------------------------------------Verhovay Journal

Homesick Soldiers...

It has been asserted many times that the American soldiers are the best-fed, best dressed, best supplied and best paid soldiers of the world. Everything is done for their safety and the greatest efforts are made to keep up their morale. Movie-stars have become globe-trotters visiting all the front-lines to bring to the soldiers the entertainment they have been accustomed to at home. The American Red Cross makes every effort to keep the soldiers in contact with their beloved ones, to allay their worries and anxieties and thus to enable them to keep their mind on their one great task: fighting.

War cannot be made pleasant, even if there are soldiers to whom war means an escape from home-life tensions that have become unbearable. As in the case of the soldier who received daily letters from his everloving, in which she kept on complaining about the high costs of living, the difficulties encountered when marketing, and all the other things about which the female •of the species enjoys complaining. Finally he got good and tired of it—just as he was before he joined the army—and wrote her: “For goodness’ sakes, stop griping. I want to enjoy my war in peace.” Since then, he has found out, probably, that the battle front is bloodier than the homefront and he, too, would prefer the whining of his little woman to the whining of bullets, but that can't be helped now. The point is that our soldiers have less reason to complain than any other soldier of the world. Of course, one’s own hurts are always the most painful ones, but those fellows who are stationed in England, already have had plenty of opportunity to find out that even the British soldier is much worse off than his American comrade, not to speak of the soldier of any other nation.

It is, therefore, most surprising that the American soldier has also been labeled the world’s MOST HOMESICK soldier. It is especially surprising because the ]

American soldier has no real reason to worry about the safety of his beloved ones... in that respect he is in a much more advantageous position than the soldier of those countries that are exposed to continuous bombing. Consequently it is not the anxiety concerning the safety of the loved ones that makes the American soldier homesick, but love, and a deep sense of belonging to his folks.

Now this is a very remarkable symptom if we keep in mind that so much has been written lately about the deterioration of the American family. The ecclesiastical as well as the secular press has been becrying for years the lamentable conditions prevailing in the American Home. This country has the highest divorcerate in the world. It has the highest crime-record. Nowhere in the wcrld seems to be so little understanding and cooperation between the older ;yid the younger generation than in our country Everyone seems to forget that the old people have complained for four thousand years that the younger generation does not honor its elders, that there is no obedience, no filial gratitude etc. It is the same old song, the same old theme that was heard from the lips of the elders in every century.

Well, the American soldier’s homesickness is a conclusive proof to the contrary. His homesickness proves that he is attached to his family, that he loves his father and mother, and that, especially now, he is quite aware of the .value of their love and of all they have done for him. The soldiers’ letters prove that for them every day is Mother’s Day. .. a day to remember with love and gratitude the loving kindness of the mother. They prove that the elders have succeeded instilling into their youngsters the love of the home and the appreciation of the family.

It is true that the soldiers show more of their love to their families now than they ever did

before. But no one can show what he hasn’t got. That love was there, all the time, there just was no urge to demonstrate it, because the family and the home was taken for granted, just as it was taken for granted that mother will wash and iron the shirts and cook the best Sundaydinner in the world. But now, as the letters come from New Guinea, India, Africa, Italy, England, ... those letters show that the conditions of army-life have made the soldiers keenly conscious of the happiness they had in civilian life, in their father’s home. And they do not hesitate to express their appreciation. Those letters tell us less about army-life than about home. .. those letters are letters from loving sons written to loving mothers ... and not letters from soldiers to civilians left at home.

The American soldier goes into the battle with supreme heroism. Bathed in mud, covered with a six day’s beard, hungry and thirsty, he carries the battle into the enemy lines, he fights, kills, he gets wounded ... and killed ... and all the time he carries pictures in his pocket... pictures of his wife, pictures of the baby, pictures of mother and dad... and when there is a little rest... he takes out those pictures and looks at them... and forgets everything about the war for a few happy seconds that are submerged in the sadness of homesickness ...

All of this proves that there is nothing wrong with American family life .. . there may be less discipline than in goose-stepping Nazi countries . .. there may be less pretense for the veneration of the elders... but there is plenty of the real stuff that makes and keeps the best families on the earth ... LOVE!------------V----------HE WHO’D WAIT

By F. T. Bockemuehl

Prospect—I talked it over with my wife and we both decided not to take Life insurance until we can afford it.

Salesman—Securing Life insurance is a good deal like getting married. Suppose you and your wife had waited until you felt you could afford to get married. It might have turned out this way: The bride tottered up the aisle on the arm of her father who was wheeled in his arm chair by three of his great grandchildren. She was arrayed in white cotton satin and carried a bouquet of white roses. Her hair, though grey, was bobbed and she .smiled and nodded to old acquaintances.

The groom was able to walk unaided with the assistance of two handsome mahogany crutches. His head was bald and his store teeth chattered nervously, but he could not pass an examination for Life insurance.”— (From “The Federal” of Federal Life).------------V----------“A woma’s heart is a book whose pages are never cut at the most interesting pages.”— Petit-Senn.

************* BUY Exm WAR BONDS

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To My Brother

(Dedicated to CpI. John J. Balogh.)

Your phone call came today,

1 don’t know what to say.

You must know what we fear That you'll go far from here.

We hope you’ll still be near For we would miss you, dear.

But just in case you’ll go

Here’s one thing you must know,

Our prayers, hopes and thoughts Will not be all for nought

For God will safely bring You back, then hearts will sing;

To know you’re here to stay And soon will come that day.

Johnny, dear, be careful Just pitch in there and pull.

Now I end this with my love Pray that God watches from above.

ANNE ZENGELLER 3406 W. 126th Street Cleveland 11, O. Member of Branch 45.

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THE PURPLE HEART

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civilians cannot imagine the horrors of an aerial battl, over Germany but the award is a testimony to the fact that James F. Nagy, Jr., stood up under those horrors as a man, fought as a hero and died as a true patriot.

O G ©

We know that the Purple Heart and the Presidential citation cannot assuage the sorrow of Mrs. Brugosh, his Mother, but it can comfort her in her sadness with the assurance that she has given to this country a great man; a man who displayed the greatest qualities in a most difficult hour when the nation needed his services. He rendered this service with heroic spirit up to and far beyond the line of duty. Thus he helped the cause o] the United Nations, thus he brought us one step nearer to victory. Those steps leading to victory are all bathed in blood, in the blood of our heroes, and while we sorrow for the loss of Staff Sergeant James F. Nagy, Jr., as fen the loss of all the others, we are, at the same time, proud of them because it is they who, through their sacrifices, sanctify and hallow the cause for which they died.-----------------v-----------------Verhovay Hospital Train Campaign Officially Opened in New York

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effected by the regular pay-roll deduction should be included.

We publish at the end of this article a form which should be used only for those War Bond purchases thai have NOT been reported through the Branch Manager or the appointed Committee.

We appeal to every member of the Association to visit friends and neighbors who are not yet members of our organization and request that they, too, purchase War Bonds and donate the credit for their War Bond purchase towards the purchase of Verhovay Hospital Trains. The properly completed and signed forms should be cut out and turned over to the Branch Manager or sent directly to the Home Office: Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, 345 Fourth Ave., Pittsburg 22, Pa.

The Home Office will submit all the slips and lists to Mr. Aloysius Falussy, director, Vice-President of the American Hungarian War Bond Committee.

We urge all our members and friends to purchase extra War Bonds in order to make this drive a great success, worthy of the name of our organization and to the greal challenge it has accepted.

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This form should be cut out along the heavy line am1 returned to the Home Office according to above instructions.

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Mr. Aloysius C. Falussy, Vice-Chairman. (

c/o. American Hungarian Committee, U. S. Treasury Dept.

36 VV. 44th Street

New York 18, N. Y. *=

DEAR SIRS:

Please be informed that the undersigned have purchased War Savings Bonds during the Fifth War Loan Drive in the amounts shown below opposite their names and addresses. , It is requested that these purchases should be credited 1 towards a United States Army Hospital Train, to be named after the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Name.

Address Amount

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