Wherein your correspondent shares some family history, connects it to the G.I Bill, and considers that the same benefits were largely unavailable to Black World War II veterans and their descendants.
I wish I had had enough sense to thoroughly interrogate my oldest great aunts and uncles. Being supremely disinterested in the old people of my youth, I failed to tap this source of family tales. At some point as I grew up, I realized I had so many questions and no one left answer it. I did assign a student project to go home and questioned the oldest people in your family. Some of the kids in the class were astonished by the things that happened to their oldest family members.
How nice that you were able to connect the Noahs so far back. All we know about the Kisseloffs ends in the 1880s in Russia where the family owned a bar and certain members drank all the profits. And my father being a draft dodger in two wars (WWII and Korea), no GI bill for us. While many families had stars in their windows, ours was of some guy running as fast as possible.
While you are rightly proud of your Dad, let me just say not everyone can say they are descended from drunks and cowards. In fact, my grandfather did serve in the Russian army during WWI but in the family tradition, got shot off his horse while fleeing German army. for the rest of his life, he felt the effects of his courage every time he sat and took a dump.
I enjoy reading your articles.
I wish I had had enough sense to thoroughly interrogate my oldest great aunts and uncles. Being supremely disinterested in the old people of my youth, I failed to tap this source of family tales. At some point as I grew up, I realized I had so many questions and no one left answer it. I did assign a student project to go home and questioned the oldest people in your family. Some of the kids in the class were astonished by the things that happened to their oldest family members.
How nice that you were able to connect the Noahs so far back. All we know about the Kisseloffs ends in the 1880s in Russia where the family owned a bar and certain members drank all the profits. And my father being a draft dodger in two wars (WWII and Korea), no GI bill for us. While many families had stars in their windows, ours was of some guy running as fast as possible.
While you are rightly proud of your Dad, let me just say not everyone can say they are descended from drunks and cowards. In fact, my grandfather did serve in the Russian army during WWI but in the family tradition, got shot off his horse while fleeing German army. for the rest of his life, he felt the effects of his courage every time he sat and took a dump.
Important piece on this day.