Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
Page 4 Verhovay Journal September 26, 1945 Verhovay Journal Journal of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Ass’n OFFICE OF PUBLICATION 8502 West Jefferson Ave. Detroit 17, Mich. PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY THE Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association Managing Editor: JOHN BENCZE Editor: COLOMAN REVESZ Editor’s Office: 345 FOURTH AVENUE ROOM 805 PITTSBURGH 22, PA. All articles and changes of address should be sent to the VERHOVAY FRATERNAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION 345 FOURTH AVENUE, PITTSBURGH 22, PA. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States and Canada ---------------------------------$1-00 a year Foreign Countries _____________________________$1.50 a year ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: P. O. BOX 7, WOOLSEY STATION — LONG ISLAND CITY 5 N. Y. Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Detroit, Michigan under the Act of March 3, 1879. They Gave Their Lives ... VERHOVAY’S 60th ANNIVERSARY OCCASION FOR NEW CONTEST SEMI-OFFICIAL RELEASE Since the next issue of the Journal will reach the membership in the middle of October, it seems necessary to release the following advance information. The sixtieth anniversary of the Association serves as the occasion for a SIX MONTHS’ MEMBERSHIP CONTEST beginning OCTOBER 1st, 1945 and ending March 31, 1946. All applications already submitted for certificates to be issued with October dating, will count in the contest. Conditions, prizes and all other details will be published in the next issue. The Board of Directors still works on the plans as these lines are written. It seems certain that all members of the Association will be invited to participate in the contest. An unusually great number of prizes will be awarded at THE DEDICATION OF THE VERHOVAY HOME OFFICE BUILDING. Watch for further details! In the meantime, all members who plan to participate in the contest, should announce their intention by writing to the Supreme President! To our branchmanagers this message: START WORKING NOW—THIS WILL BE A GREAT COMPETITION! THE EDITOR. THE FERRET SEZ HEM»* jBWwaawB in,1 ii» ihhhiii ■ — “The man who is afraid of asking is afraid of learning.” —Danish Proverb. Pittsburgh, Pa. There is a great deal more to be learned, as a member of the Auditing Committee, than to verify if the books and investments are in satisfactory shape. Meeting my older colleagues on the Committee, and listening in off moments to our Supreme Officers and Board of Directors, it is possible to see where our social and fraternal activities could assume more appealing proportions. It is possible to visualize a return of the friendly and neighborly atmosphere of the past, which, if nursed along proper channels, would be very helpful in building our VFIA to nation-wide renown. The majority of our elders readily admit that our association is going through a transition period, that is, the Verhovay will have to adapt itself to the fact that our growing membership consists of more than one nationality, the Hungarian. They admit that since their children marry outside the small family circle, contrary to the customs of years ago, consideration will have to be made for the ever-growing range of activities which fastpaced American life demands. Various suggestions are made and discarded, but some thoughts offered by an older member appeal to me, and Your Ferret By Mrs. Jolán Lucas | jmaannaik would like to pass it on to all of you for consideration. The change, or transition period, will have to be based on our newer and more democratic way of life. For instance, we have the comer movies, taverns with jukeboxes, community bowling and sports, and so on and so on. We do not have to depend on a small group of people, who have a single purpose in life, for our recreation or social needs. In past years, our parents who came over from Hungary were balked because of their lack of knowledge of the English language. They were transplanted into a new world with its many new customs, and until they could adapt themselves to these strange surroundings, their social affairs were centralized. Thus past meetings in the VFIA were successful because the pioneers of our association were drawn together. They fought together, they progressed together, they enjoyed social affairs together. Their children were entered as members from the day they were born, and the Verhovay grew. The time came, however, when these children grew up and their tastes in general varied from the ones on which they were brought up. Here, then, is the suggestion (Continued on Page 5) 175.) JOSEPH KISH Joseph Kish, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kish, Sr., was born in Calumet, Pa., on September 4, 1909. At an early age he was taken to Hungary where he was brought up in Alsóvadász, Abauj County. There he went to school, there he spent his youth and it was there, that he got married, too. A child was born to the happy parents and the father then decided to return to his native country, apparently because conditions deteriorated rapidly and everyone felt that war would soon break out in Europe. He came to the States in March, 1937, after promising his little family that they, too, may soon follow him to that wonderful country of which he talked so much to them. However, it was not granted to him to fulfill his pormise. The war broke out in Europe, frontiers were closed and his wife and little child were stranded in Hungary. The war soon spread over the Atlantic, Pearl Harbor came and five years after his return, in March, 1942, Joseph Kish joined the armed forces. He was soon taken to the North African theatre of war and he fought in many battles until his regiment arrived at the Anzio beach-head. A bloody battle took place on February 18, 1944, after which the parents of Joseph Kish received notice from the War Department that he was missing in action since that battle. Further information was to be forthcoming, as soon as such was received, but the parents waited in vain. Inquiries were made, but to no avail. 18 months passed. And now, a year and a half after that battle, another telegram was received by the parents. But instead of bringing the good news which they had been praying for, it brought the tragic notice that Joseph Kish was killed in action on the day he disappeared. It developed that Joseph Kish, a soldier in the 17 th Infantry Regiment, was encircled with his unit by the enemy, south of Carrocetto, near Anzio, Italy. The entire unit was cut off the main body of the American forces and was wiped out by the enemy. It was a year and a half ago that the bloody battles at Anzio filled our hearts with anxiety. Since then those battles and many others were won. The Germans were defeated and peace came to wartorn Europe. Since then so much happened that Anzio seems to have been ages ago. We hoped never to hear the name again and we believed that no more sad news will be forthcoming from that bloodsoaked spot in Italy. Yet, Anzio beaeh-head still continues to give up its heroic dead ... and another Verhovayan must be added to the long list of those who made the Supreme Sacrifice in Italy. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kish, Sr., live in Grindstone, Pa., (Box 314) and lost in him their only son . .. They and the deceased soldier’s sister mourn for the beloved young man who returned to America to die for his country. Then, too, he will be mourned for by his wife and his only child, if and when they will receive information as to his death. But who knows if they are alive ... who can tell what fate has befallen the young woman, while her husband fought against the nation which held her country in the chains of slavery. If she survived the agony of Hungary, her native land, she will sooner or later have to find out that the man who went away to prepare a new home for his beloved ones will never return, nor invite her to follow him, except on the way of all flesh... She is the 24th war-widow of the Verhovay. Branch 43, South Brownsville, Pa., lost its first soldier in Joseph Kish. 176.) BODIE P. LEBO Bodie P. Lebo served with the Navy. He was fireman on the destroyer Drexler which was attacked by three suicide planes off Okinawa on May 28th, 1945. The attack was fatal to the Drexler which sank off that blood-drenched island that was won from the Japanese at a terrible price. The Drexler went down and with it 158 officers and men found their grave in the ocean. 52 were wounded and saved. Fireman Lebo was born in Detroit, Mich., on January 21, 1917, and was a member of Branch 500. He is the first heroic dead member of this branch having made the supreme sacrifice at the age of 28. Mr. and Mrs. Gaster Lebo, 2322 S. Edsel Street, Detroit, Mich., have lost their son in Bodie. He is also survived by his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Lebo, 17331 Dequindre, Detroit, and their little daughter. Mrs. Lebo is the 25th war-widow of the Association. Bodie Lebo graduated from the Southeastern High School and then worked for the Great Lakes Steel Co., until April, 1944, when he was inducted. After brief traning, he was taken overseas. His family first received notice that he was missing in naval action off Okinawa and then was notified of his tragic death ... 177.) SGT. EUGENE PACHTLER, JR. T/ Sgt. Eugene Pachtler had an unusually active life which came to an untimely end in India. He was born in Cleveland, O., on June 8, 1924. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Pachtler, Sr., live at 1819 W. 54th St., Cleveland, O. Young Eugene was a member of Branch 45, Cleveland, O., and is the second heroic dead member of that branch. He went to Public School in Cleveland, then in Pittsburgh and again in Cleveland. He entered West Tech High School, but he finished only the first two semesters. As branchmanager Balog puts it: “He was a worker at heart and he wanted to work.” So he quit school at the age of 16 and started to work. For a brief period he worked for the Greyhound Co., as a mechanic, then he secured a job at the Iron Fireman Co., which he left to join the Ohio Tool Company, all within one year. At that time war already was in the air, and the 17 year old boy joined the Navy on September 6, 1941. He received his training in Baltimore, Md., and, progressing speedily, was made Fireman First Class three months later when he was put aboard an oil tanker of the Standard Oil Co. He was a splendid worker, a fearless seaman, and won the admiration of his superior officers. Six months after enlisting he was promoted to Petty Officer. During the three months which he spent aboard his tanker, he saw the West Indies, the Mexican Gulf and North Africa. Then he was transferred to the Army and began his training on April 9, 1943, in Charleston, S. C. Having sea-fearing experience, he was made a “Ranger” and served with the Harbor Craft Corps. His training lasted for nine months at the end of which he was promoted to Corporal. In March, 1944, he was returned to Africa, Casablanca, and from there he was taken to India. Here he was trained as a radio-mechanic and was promoted to Sergeant. His last letter was written on the 7th of July. He wrote happily, that everything was fine and that he was training for Marine Engineering ... Two days later he was killed in an accident near Calcutta, India, at the age of 21. The officers and members of Branch 45 express their deepest sympathy to his bereaved family. 178.) PVT. WILLIAM BERES William Beres, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Beres, nee Susan Szovak, 739 Adeline St., Trenton, N. J., a member of Branch 13, is the second soldier-member of this branch to make the Supreme Sacrifice. He was born in Trenton on December 17, 1924, graduated from Trenton High School in June, 1943, and entered the armed forces the following month. After training at Camp Croft, S. C„ and Fort Meade, Md., he went overseas in January, 1944. Participating in the invasion of Normandy, he fought with the 83rd Division. He was reported missing in action as of August 11, 1944. A full year passed until clues as to his fate could be found. Just recently the parents received the heartbreaking notice that their son was killed in action on the day he was reported missing in action. Pvt. William Beres is the 75th fatal casualty suffered by the Verhovay on the front in Western Europe. We, in behalf of the entire Verhovay family, extend our condolences to these mourning families whose loss is made more painful by the fact that these death-notices were received at the time when the entire nation rejoices over the end of the war. May they find some measure of comfort in the Victory that these young men have helped to achieve. This Victory is the final proof that they have not suffered and died in vain. THE MEMORY OF OUR 178 HEROIC DEAD SHALL REMAIN WITH US FOR? EVER.
