[PRCo] Re: Seasonal thoughts

[Schneider Fred]

Dennis just retired too....

On Dec 22, 2008, at 4:54 PM, John Swindler wrote:

>
> Hi Fred
>
> As a recent retiree, I doubt that Dennis was alive during WWII.   
> But he and I - and millions more - should be eternally thankful  
> that the war ended when it did, and our (future) dads did come  
> home.  Just look at the demographics of the Russian population for  
> those men born in early 1920s.
>
> I doubt Dr. Veri served in Iraq unless he was with the British.   
> Try Iran.  That was the route for lend-lease supplies to Russia.   
> See Gen. Norman Swartzkopf's autobiography.
>
> Cheers
> John> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] Seasonal  
> thoughts> Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:36:24 -0500> To: pittsburgh- 
> railways at dementia.org> > I love your sentiments, Dennis.> > Sorry  
> that you didn't have your dad during World War II. I was > lucky.  
> Every time my father got a draft notice, his employer went > to the  
> draft board and asked them if they would prefer having the man > or  
> the ships for which he was designing electrical switch boxes. > Dad  
> was working for Penn Electric in Irwin throughout the war. > From  
> age one to five I remember very little ... maps on the front > page  
> of the Pittsburgh press showing the invasion of Germany ... my >  
> mother screaming in terror the night the birds got the pie that was  
> > cooling on the window sill after she had hoarded enough rationed  
> > sugar to bake the pie ... taking Deere Brothers bus into  
> Wilkinsburg > and the Pennsy local to Irwin on a Saturday morning  
> with Mom so we > could get a ride home in the family '39 Chevy (reme!
>  mber tire and gas > rationing) when Dad got off work at noon. I  
> vaguely remember those > red meat ration tokens and somewhere I  
> still have the last meat > ration book in my name.> > On December  
> 7, 2008, I was remind that the day was the anniversary of > the day  
> when I didn't quite drown. My mother remembered that she > was  
> giving the infant a bath when the news came over the radio that >  
> Pearl Harbor had been bombed. She said, "You were lucky you didn't  
> > drown in the bath tub." I was two days shy of 21 months old.> >  
> My wife had much different and very bitter memories of the war. She  
> > has always been angry that she didn't have her father. He >  
> volunteered and served as a doctor in a place called Iraq. When >  
> he came home in 1945, he remarked that if ever a war starts again,  
> > that will be where it takes place! He didn't live long enough to  
> > see his prophesy come true.> > On a more joyous subject ... and  
> life is bother bitter and sweet. I > worked for several years in col!
>  lege taking pictures of kids on > Santa's lap in a department  
> store. N
> ice job. It was nice seeing > the kids happy. Actually the kids  
> were better than the Santa in one > of those jobs ... he bitched  
> all the time that he was underpaid. > The kids are the reason why,  
> for the last fifteen years, I have > picked the weekend after  
> Thanksgiving to work at PTM. It's a > pleasure to see the happy  
> children.> > But damn it, can't we teach them how to count so that  
> they don't > infect the history channel and tell us that the years  
> with 19 in them > are the 19th century? That was on the cable last  
> night. Must be > the new math. (I deliberately didn't capitalize  
> the name of the > channel ... doesn't deserve it.)> > WHAT CAN I  
> HIDE IN HERE ABOUT PITTSBURGH RAILWAYS? (YOU'LL HAVE TO > GET OUT  
> YOUR PITTSBURGH ELECTRIC RAILWAY CLUB MAP TO FIGURE OUT WHAT > I'M  
> B.SING ABOUT.)> > REMEMBER THE TROY HILL VIA NORTH AVENUE LINE? IT  
> LOST BASE SERVICE > SEPTEMBER 20, 1920 AND LOST THE MORNING AND  
> EVENING RUSH HOUR CAR > FOUR YEARS LATER AND PERHAPS ABOUT 1930 THE  
> FRAN!
>  CHISE CAR THAT RAN > THROUGH THOSE ALLEYS BETWEEN NORTH AVE AND  
> EAST STREET AND TROY HILL > ROAD DISAPPEARED. EVEN THE ROUTE CARDS  
> DON'T SHOW WHEN IT QUIT. > I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE TROY HILL LINE  
> THAT WENT OFF OHIO STREET > THAT WE ALL RODE. THERE WERE TWO LINES  
> THAT RAN UP THE HILL.> > AND WHEN DID THE FINEVIEW (NUNNERY HILL)  
> LINE QUIT RUNNING UP ARCH > STREET AND ACROSS FEDERAL ST. AND USE  
> FEDERAL ST INSTEAD? TRY > OCTOBER 11, 1925.> > MUST HAVE ALL HAD  
> SOMETHING TO DO WITH PEOPLE BUYING AUTOMOBILES AND > THE RAILWAYS  
> COMPANY DECIDING THEY DIDN'T REALLY NEED A LOT OF > REDUNDANT  
> TRACK. REMEMBER THAT PENNSYLVANIANS BOUGHT A MILLION > AUTOMOBILES  
> BETWEEN 1920 AND 1930.> > > On Dec 22, 2008, at 11:28 AM, Dennis F.  
> Cramer wrote:> > > My dad served with Company "H" from Washington  
> in the 28th > > Division. It> > never ceases to amaze me that he  
> was 28 years old when we invaded > > France> > through the Normandy  
> coast and 30 when he was finally shipped home > > after VE> > D!
>  ay. He rode the Washington interurban from Pittsburgh to > >  
> Washingto
> n as the> > final leg of that journey. If it were not for Truman,  
> he was going > > to have> > to go across the Pacific to invade  
> Japan.> >> > Some of my happiest times come from playing Santa at  
> PTM. I never had> > children, so it was joy; most of the time. I  
> knew to never promise> > anything, unless their mom was nodding to  
> me as I listened to the > > child.> > The saddest was a request  
> from a little girl who told me all she > > wanted from> > Santa was  
> to have her parents get back together after a divorce.> >> > Having  
> spent 33 years working with young adults, I know they can bring> >  
> intense joy and intense sorrow.> >> > Remember the song, "Letter  
> from Camp?" sung by Allen Sherman to the > > tune of> > The Dance  
> of the Hours? Life is good, sometimes it just takes a > > little> >  
> time. If it is not good, get off you butt and fix it.> >> > Dennis  
> F. Cramer> > Trombone> >> >> >> >> >
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