Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/02/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>On 2/25/07 2:11 AM, "jon.stanton@comcast.net" <jon.stanton@comcast.net> >typed: > >> Mark, You and I are the same age....I was in Chicago from birth until 1977. >> Most people are not cognizant of Chicago's large Latino community... Jon In May, 1942, my father was loading his battery (G/260th CA (AA) (SM), an anti-aircraft unit) at Seattle onto the SS PRESIDENT FILLMORE for deployment to Alaska when he received a last-minute addition, 20 fellows from the Chicago National Guard Regiment, the 202nd, along with a mobile air-defense radar set. The new guys were all Latinos from Chicago, most originally from Puerto Rico. Dad assigned them to the Platoon commanded by a Minnesota Swede named Carlsen, a Prewar skiing expert. They had to come in from their billets three times a day for chow, so Carlsen taught them cross-country skiing, and, thrice a day, here came these darkish, short guys, skiing along behind the blonde behemoth of a Platoon Leader. Thanksgiving Night in 1942, the Post refrigerated warehouse burned down. When they investigated the wreckage, the Post MP's discovered that all the copper tubing had vanished. The Post Commander was convinced that Dad's Latinos had stolen it to make a still. They never DID learn just who took the tubing, but the 260th shortly thereafter started producing hootch. (Dad suspected some Arkansas guys he had gotten as fillers but noting could be proven.) So, some folks did know of Chicago's Latino community, even in 1942. Marc msmall@aya.yale.edu Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir!