from Neighborhood to ‘Nam…..and back.: Jerry: Mischief. . .

from Neighborhood to 'Nam......and back.

Growing up in a close knit neighborhood during the ‘50s and ‘60s was not unusual, it was the norm. Friendships were long and the bonds were tight. Friends walked to school together; joined scouts together; played sports together; grew up together. They dated and married girls from the neighborhood. . .And, most of them went to war together, not as a group, but as single individuals….and those same friends parted ways for a time. Each moving on to a new phase of their life.

The neighborhood was ‘Kaisertown’, a Polish-American community on the far east side of Buffalo New York. . .the war was Vietnam.

This blog is a collaboration of stories and experiences from this group of men, childhood buddies, all now in their sixties, whose friendships have lasted a lifetime.

These are also recollections from those young men who stayed behind. . ’caretakers’, as you will, of the old neighborhood that was a part of them . . .keeping the memories alive until all returned.

5.29.2011

Jerry: Mischief. . .

One Saturday afternoon in 1957, when I was 10 years old and living on Kelburn Street, I was upstairs in our attic gym. I happened to hear something outside so I looked out the window. There in front of our house was a squad car. . .right then I was glued to the window. Then I saw a cop bring my brother, Tom, to the back door…..’Oh MAN...this is going to be good!’, I thought.

I hurried down the stairs because I just had to see what was going on, I don’t even know if they saw me. The cop was in our back hallway with Tommy and my Mom. He told my Mother that they caught Tommy and a couple of his friends, Gary Mruk, who had already been dropped off at his house, and Ray Motyka, who was still in the squad car with the other cop, at the construction site where the Thruway was being built. . .they were on the heavy equipment. ‘Holy Cow...how cool is this!!’, I thought. He told my Mom that it was off limits and they didn’t want to see anyone get hurt.

My Mom noticed that the officer’s pants were all muddy, and like my Mom, she offered to wash them . . .can you just see it...Tommy standing in our kitchen, scared shitless and wanting this to end. . .the cop sitting at the kitchen table without pants. . .my Mother washing them. . .and you know my Mom would have made him a sandwich!!!! That’s all that I kept thinking about was that this was so good, no one would believe it!!

Finally, the cop left with a word of warning, and my Mom promising not to let them go there again. . . ‘yeah, right’. This entire thing didn’t phase my Mom at all...she knew that boys would be boys...she was more concerned that the officer go home nice and clean.

I looked at my brother, Tommy...gave him a wry little smile and said. . .’wait ‘till Pa comes home!’.

1 comment:

eric kancar said...: this is a classic grandma kancar story! quite possibly the most easy going woman i have ever met! too bad there isn't a photo of this. LOVE IT!; 12:45:00 AM