Verhovayak Lapja, 1944 (27. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1944 / Verhovay Journal
Page 6 Verhovay Journal July 13, 1944 THE HOMESTEAD MERRY-GO-ROUNDThey Pay Back In Kind Pittsburgh News Front: The Verhovay Association has been for quite sometime now extremely bond conscious and this is as it should be. The Home Office today is one of the busiest centers for the sale of war bonds in the entire Pittsburgh district. The entire Verhovay personnel has been recruited for the sale Of war bonds, and they have been extremely successful up to this writing. The recent campaign for the sale of sufficient War bonds to enable the purchase of a Verhovay Hospital Train Came to a successful conclusion Jin July 8th, 1944. All of the branches cooperated to the utmost in putting this drive over With a bang. They all deserve much credit. For Sale—Tornado! A whistling, fast-stepping tornado which at times sfepped the gas up to 300 to 400 miles per hour was a most unwelcome Visitor to the Pittsburgh-McKeesport District several weeks ago. In its wake it left many dead as well as many homes wrecked and twisted into huge masses of debris. Big trees were uprooted throughout the Dravosburg-Lin- Coln Place sector causing considerable damage to nearby homes and utilities. All in all it was a quick and disastrous visit from Old man Tornado. MILITARY VIEWS: Pvt. Frank Lengyel, Grace St., Munhall, saw action on the Anzio Beach in Italy and came out of it unscathed. His most recent Wanderings have taken him to the Eternal City, Rome, where he is enjoying the sights. The Jife of an infantryman is no picnic and Frank has undergone much since he stepped on Italian 60Í1. Pvt. Joseph Loosz of Munhall Gardens was home the later part of June for twelve days before he reports to his new station, Fort Meade, Md. He appeared tanned nicely and minus a few pounds of surplus weight. Sure did look the picture of health! It was my good fortune during my stay at Deshon General Hospital to meet a Verhovay booster and member from New Castle, Pa. He related to me the activities of Mr. Vargo and also Mr. Bumbulucz in writing up almost the entire family into the Verhovay. Sgt. Frank Koch, Wardmaster at Deshon, has been in the Armed Forces since September, 1942, attending School of Nursing at Fitzimmons General Hospital in Colorado. There he handled many overseas patients which his brother, Sgt. Louis Koch, age 30, had previously taken care of in New Caledonia. Frank has also taken care of servicemen who were given their meals under the watchful eyes of T/Sgt. Michael Koch, 25, Mess Sgt., at Camp Reynolds, Pa. Sgt. Frank Koch proved to be a likeable fellow and I appreciated his friendship. He was fortunate during Mrs. Roosevelt’s visit to Deshon in having her stop and talk with him for approximately ten minutes. Word reaches me that Stanley Túron, husband of Irene Kovács BRANCH 430 Túron, of West Homestead, will soon take up residence on foreign soil. He is with a medical unit. Pvt. Nick Pastor, Munhall, is reported as being in New Guinea in the Pacific as a member of the signal corps. Bill Evans, Vondera Plan, picked the Navy sometime ago and we now hear of him being at Iowa State College as an engineering student. Sgt. Mike Vajda, 12th Ave., Homestead, is way down in Deming, New Mexico making the boys forget their worries with that faithful trumpet of his. Mike is a darn good trumpeter and could possibly teach Harry James a few tricks on the ole tooter. Sgt. Zig Ladanyi likes the South because he is still stationed at Lahgley Field, Va. as a member of an air corps unit. Cpl. Bill Seech, Homeville, is with a Field Artillery group in England. His brother, Steve, is at Dalhart, Texas with the .flyers. “Drupe” Sipos was home around the 1st of July on furlough from Camp Plausche, Louisiana. Ole “Drupe” is suntanned beyond recognition and sports three stripes up and two down—a Technical Sergeant. Nice going, Drupe. Frankie Kish, formerly of McClure St., was also in town on furlough from the distant state of Washington. Frank looked good—was more slender than previously. Must be the air out there, Frank. Young “Rab” Rapolti, our aviation cadet, appeared right smart in his cadet uniform. The “kid” is going places and should be sprouting his “flying wings” soon. Cpl. Louis Pastor showed up in Homestead two weeks ago on a three day pass—one of those visits which come and go. He is still at Camp Grant, Illinois but expects to be leaving shortly for Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D. C. to continue medical studies. Hope you make it, Lou. Young Johnny Katrincsak nowfinds himself way out in Arizona, at the Yuma airfield to be exact. He has certainly done considerable traveling for a youngster, but I trust he has profited by all that he has come into contact with. Our good friend, Alec Aleva, now a Pvt. in Uncle Sam’s Army, and a member of the Quartermaster Corps, is in England at this time. He received his Quartermaster training at Camp Lee, Virginia in the late summer of last year. Pvt. Steve Dargo, Bellwood, is once again on New Caledonia, and this time possibly in preparation to return to the States. Three years ago he started his island hopping from New Caledonia. Well, I hope the next island he hops on will be the United States. Cpl. Bill Toboz was around for fifteen days on furlough; appeared right nice, too. He returned with his wife, Mrs. Toboz, to his present station, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, several weeks ago. A/Student Jimmy Vajda, a recent enlistee in the air corps, turned up several weeks ago at Kessler Field, Mississippi. Claims he likes the new life now, but doesn’t know how the future will be. Our old friend and expoliceman, Bill Kulhanek, was injured in France during the Invasion. Trust it is- nothing serious, Cpl. Bill. A/Student Johnny Graysar, 13th Ave., Homestead, has 20 hours flying time to his credit at his air base, Lansing, Michi gan. He appears to be moving right along and will soon be changing stations. An old friend, Nick Toth, of U.S. Market fame, is making history out at Camp Roberts, California. Why he’s a S/Sgt. now and the confidant of some top men at Roberts. Excellent work, Nick, keep it up. The ole desert fox, Captain Steve Nemeth, Jr., once more makes the news. He was recently moved from Camp Haan to Camp Cooke, California. At this time I cannot predict the consequence of such a move. But the ole desert fox is a good man and he’ll be okay. His wife, Alice and daughter are out in California with him. Frances Mullen visited at the Home Office during the month of June. He is at Mason General Hospital in New York, recuperating from wounds received in bitter fighting in Italy. S 2/C Julius Molnár, Br. 376, S. Side, of Dengler St., completed his boot training on April 20th at Bainbridge, Md. and is now at his new base, Gulfport, Mississippi. He will be putting out to sea shortly. Mrs. Emma Hasak, Homestead, left Friday, June 23rd for Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, where she joined her husband Pvt. Joe Hasak on June 27th. Incidentally, Joe was home on furlough in May, leaving for Camp Gruber on May 30th. His brother, Chief Petty Officer, Steve Hasak, is now in Southern American waters aboard one of Uncle Sam’s cruisers. Steve is one navy man who has had plenty of adventures and can relate them for hours at a time. Not so many months ago, when he was home on leave, he married Helen Kovács of South Side. 1st Lt. Alex Suto, my coz, has completed the-required thirty missions over Europe in his big Liberator. He has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as five or six Oak Leaf Clusters for outstanding bombing performances. Last week I had the good fortune to be home to entertain his brother, Captain William Suto, also of the air corps, home from f the Pacific after two and one half years. Bill must have had plenty of nightmares on such islands as Tonga, Guadalcanal, Fiji’s, and a whole mess of them. But of course “Oscar”, “Hamp”, “Zeke”, and “Tony” Zero didn’t help matters. These are the nicknames of the Jap Zero planes. HOMESTEAD CHATTER: Mrs. Andrew Rotz, Jr. of Homeville is way ahead of the victory gardeners. Some three weeks ago she was canning beans taken from her garden, and that’s what I call “bringing in the beans.” * # * Down 16th Avenue way, Mrs. Alex Toth, has an enviable reputation for baking, and I always harbored the thought of testing this reputation. Well, the opportunity presented itself not so long ago and the chocolate cake and chocolate meringue pie convinced me beyond question and doubt that Mrs. Toth can bake, and bake extremely well. I’ll have to enroll in the Cooks and Bakers School to see if I can pick up some of this Toth technique. * * * On June 24th, 1944, in a morning wedding ceremony at St. ■ Margaret’s R. C. Church, Mun-Quite a lot of complaining is done nowadays because of the unfriendly attitude that has been adopted by many businessmen and employees. Every day we read in the papers “letters from the readers” in which they complain about- .the grouchiness of motormen, cabdrivers, busdrivers ... about the apparent unwillingness of businessmen to serve their customers ... about their reluctance to make adjustments ... about the uncooperative attitude of waitresses, elevator operators and others. Quite often, also, we have seen the complaints coupled with threats. “Don’t these people realize—writes an outraged lady—that the war will end and normal conditions will return and that, then, they will be happy again to greet a customer?” Now, there is a whole lot of truth to such complaints. There is really a great deal of abuse going on under the pretext of war-time conditions. Many a time a repair-man expects the customer to pay and be satisfied if his work does not fall apart the minute it is taken from his shop. Service IS rotten these days and, as often as not, that rotten servhall, Miss Mary Kovács of 21st Avenue, became the bride of Walter Knapp, of Martha street. The ceremony was nicely conducted by Father Benedict. A few of those who took part in the wedding ceremony included Mr. and Mrs. Frank Takach of Munhall, Miss Irene Hasak, Mr. Joseph Knapp, as well as a few best friends and close relatives. A wedding supper served at the bride’s home was attended by members of the immediate families. We all wish Mr. and Mrs. Walter Knapp many years of happiness and joy in their married life. # * * Miss Mary Garcia, 16, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Garcia of Sq. Hill, formerly of Munhall, possesses one of the finest voices it has yet been my pleasure to hear. Her singing is of top quality and very fine. Occasionally, she favors the servicemen at the USO Canteen witji a variety of songs, and they always request her to continue singing after completing her program. Not so long ago, Mary was approached by a New York Radio Station but wisely refused the contract they offered. She wants to continue with her vocal studies with an eye to the future. IMPRESSIONS AND REFLECTIONS Our heartiest congratulations are extended to another songster, Miss Margaret Tobias, Fairport Harbor, Ohio, who graduated from Oberlin College, Tuesday morning, June 27th, 1944. “Toby” as I call her possesses an operatic voice and should be heard from shortly. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Tobias have excellent reason to be proud of her accomplishments. * * * Our Chief Organizer and good friend, Alexander Gyulay, celebrated his Silver Wedding Anniversary on the 29th of June. Incidentally, on this particular day, Mr. Gyulay gave his attractive daughter away in marriage. Double congratulations to all parties concerned. May Mr. Gyulay observe his Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1969! Here’s hoping! ice is rendered in a manner humiliating to both, the one who renders the service and the one who accepts it. Nevertheless, we can’t quite agree with the outraged lady. Bet your sweet life that, before the war, she was one of those menaces to the department stores, who took three hours to select a hat, assisted by three salesgirls and the floor-lady, only to return same the next day, in slightly worn condition, with the simple excuse that her ladyship just “did not like it” when trying it on at home. Bet your life she is one of those abominable customers who purchased everything in the Christmas-rush, only to return it after Christmas, when stores are open for the sole purpose of taking back what has been sold before Christmas. Bet your life, she is one of those department-store and charge account menaces who selected 15 pairs of shoes—before the war— had them delivered from six stores, and had them picked up and taken back three days later deciding that she did not find a pair to her liking after all. Bet your life, she never stopped to think that all the time someone had to pay for the service rendered to her and that it was the businessman and the customers in good faith, who had to pay for her extravagancy. Bet your life she never stopped to think what she did to those salespersons who sold her some goods that were returned the next day! Businessmen hire their salespersonnel for the purpose of selling goods so that they “stay sold.” In peace-times frequently a salesman or a salesgirl lost her job because too many of her customers did not stay sold, but returned the goods and let the business pay the expenses. And I guess she never tried to understand what it cost the businessman and the salespersonnel to adjust her “complaints” ... to cooperate with her impatience, to satisfy her desires, to humor her in her rage, when everyone concerned knew that she was not right. Well, lady, no use threatening with post-war times! You had this coming to you! It is not you who will pay back for the insolent attitude of businessmen and salespersonnel. It is they who are paying back to you in kind for what wou did to them in those happy decades of unlimited credit and limitless service. You have been jumping on their nerves for many years now, you better realize that you are swallowing your own medicine. We have a great number of businessmen among our members, and a very great number of salespeople and repairmen. We know that they are trying to render good service under trying conditions. We know also that they are still willing to work 10-12 and 14 hours a day and give you a smile for good measure, if you are kind to them and understand their difficulties. There is no room today for demanding attitudes. Even if you pay for service, a friendly “thank you” is in order. In fact, it always was in order and the much humiliated sales-people, busdrivers and motormen have only turned the tables around. In no other country in the world have businessmen and their personnel given more considerate and patient service to their customers and in no other part of the world have customers abused this consideration more than here.
