• Denise Frisino

    Military

    Veteran’s Day – A Time To Give Thanks

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    Veteran’s Day – A Time To Give Thanks

    You might not recognize them walking the street, sitting beside them in at a church service, or quietly reading in a retirement home. A veteran’s response to duty is their own story, sometimes shared, other times very private. Yet, their sacrifices provided us our freedom.
    Veteran’s Day is set aside to honor all who have served or are still serving in the Armed Forces, young and old, who have dedicated themselves to defend our country. Unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who fell in battle, Veteran’s Day has a broader meaning allowing for recognition of service men and women with parades, free meals in some restaurants, etc. and, above all, thanks.

    I consider myself blessed to have had the opportunity over the last eight years to interview so many veterans, especially from WWII.
    They came from all stations of life to serve, and their contributions should never be forgotten.

    Marshall Soria was a family man, age 24, when in July of 1944 he entered the army, having become a US Citizen that previous September. In fact, when he arrived in Fumay France, in January of 1945, he was held back one day from the 6th Army, 110th Infantry Division, because he lacked proof of citizenship. Once all paperwork was in order, he joined his 3rd Battalion, 3rd Squad and took up his BAR Rifle to fight in the bitter cold Vosgas Mountains near the German border. Just issued one pair of boots, Marshall, like so many that fought that record setting winter in the Battle of the Bulge, suffered frostbite, but refused medical attention. He celebrated his 100th birthday in June of 2020.

    Also participating in that long and deadly battle was Ken Huseman who at 19 was a member of the 8th Armored Division nicknamed the “Thundering Herd.” Their tactical call sign, “Tornado,” was later referred by a Newsweek journalist as the “Iron Snake” referring to their appearance in March of 1945 as they crossed the Rhine River. This group of young soldiers would go on to liberate a sub camp of Buchenwald, Halberstadt-Zwieberge.

    Barney McCallum, grew up in Davenport Washington, part of the wheat belt of the Columbia Basin. His older brother was already in the service, so Barney couldn’t wait to join the US Navy. While engaged in the battle of Okinawa his ship took aboard Japanese prisoners, transporting them to Hawaii. In the two years he spent in the Navy, all but two months of that time were aboard ship docking at ports across the Pacific.

    I would be remiss if, on this day of saluting those who served, I did not mention my father, Second Lieutenant Joseph C. Frisino, US Army Signal Corps. Dad was already in the service about to be discharged when WWII broke out. He liked to tell us he, “Did four years of overtime.”
    After Pearl Harbor Dad’s unit was sent to Alaska to build the Alcan Highway in the freezing Alaskan winter. Next, he was sent via Northern Africa to the jungles of Burma. His first night in his tent he awoke to 25 uniquely colored frogs in his boots and hopping about. Constantly under Japanese sniper fire, he also had to be conscious of the dangerous jungle wildlife. In fact, he sent home a 15-foot python skin of the snake that attempted to slither into his tent when he was writing home to Mom.

    Although all but Marshall have left us, we must continue to hold their stories close.

    A salute to the next generation, especially Petty Office First Class Lew.

    Thank you for your service.

    Get involved this Veteran’s Day

    Call a Veteran
    Fly your flag
    Donate to a Veteran’s Service
    Attend a parade

    To All Veteran’s – Thank you

    Victory Mail

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    Victory Mail

    Keeping Loved Ones Connected During WWII

    In this modern day of instant connectivity via email, text, twitter, Tik Tok, Facebook, Facetime, etc. it is hard to envision what it would have been like to wait weeks, even months, to hear from your loved ones or to receive news from back home.

    WWII had many challenges, keeping positive morale among the troops was paramount. Communication between loved ones and those fighting to protect us often provided them with the fortitude to persevere though the horrors of war. One can imagine that men and women overseas would anxiously stand in line to hear their names called out – that a letter had arrived for them – a bit of home on a small slip of paper.

     “The Post Office, War and Navy departments realize fully that frequent and rapid communication with parents, associates and other loved ones strengthens fortitude, enlivens patriotism, makes loneliness endurable and inspires to even greater devotion the men and women who are carrying on our fight far from home and from friends.”

    Postmaster General 1942 Annual Report

    Risk of Waylaid Mail

    However, receiving mail was not easy. Transferring vital information was risky. In some instances, messages – if delivered to the wrong hands – incited wars.
    In November of 1940, Churchill’s British War Cabinet’s Planning Division, entrusted 6 officers aboard the SS Automedon, a passenger and cargo steamer, with a small green bag marked “Highly Confidential.” This bag was purposely punctured with holes and weighted. In the event the ship was under attack, the officers were to toss the sack into the water, confident it would quickly sink.

    SS Automedon

    Unfortunately, when the German Auxiliary Cruiser, Atlantis, a merchant raider, spotted the Automedon off Sumatra on November 11th of that year, the German captain raised his colors and opened fire. All six British officers were killed on the first strike before they could fulfill their orders to destroy the top secret information. The 28 pages prepared by MI6, along with Naval Intelligence reports, Fleet orders, decoding tables and other sensitive information, was recovered by the Germans who promptly gave a copy of these reports to their Axis ally, the Japanese.

    German Auxiliary Cruiser, Atlantis

    England was not aware the documents had fallen into the enemy hands until March 1, 1941, almost four months later, an astonishing amount of time during any war.
    Some say the discovery of this intelligence, which claimed Britain could not afford to continue a large presence in the South Pacific, provided Admiral Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, the vital information needed to help make the decision to enter the Second World War with the United States and bomb Pearl Harbor.
    In the ever changing tide of war there were many incidents when mail or transmissions were uncovered by the opposing side.

    The Australian Coastwatchers positioned throughout New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the WWII, were a band of brave men who constantly observed the waterways and skies for the enemy. They not only reported movement and helped rescue Allies, but also recovered a tin filled with pages listing the names of all the Japanese naval officers and where they were stationed. This important information was delivered to the US and Allies at a very crucial point in the war in the Pacific.

    V Mail to the Rescue

    For WWII US soldiers, rules were established for letter writing. When penning words to send home, servicemen could not divulge their whereabouts or movement. All letters were read and censored. Handwritten good tiding from the front often arrived with holes in the pages where the censor considered the information too descriptive if read by a spy. Also, the amount of mail filling cargo ships took up far too much space, precious space better used for ammunitions, food, or medical supplies, etc.
    America quickly undertook the solution, one that Britain had been employing for years. Microphotography, microfilming, dated back to 1850 when used primarily by banks and businesses. Photographing the message then sending the film to be processed, printed, and delivered, dated back to the Franco-Prussian War when the primitive microfilm was transported by carrier pigeon.

    V Mail was adopted and encouraged in May of 1942 when the US entered into a contract with Kodak. Instructed to use dark ink, you wrote on a purchased, V Mail sheet which would be photographed then the film shipped overseas. This method also prevented espionage tactics such as invisible ink to be utilized. Over 1 billion V Mail letters were processed between June of 1942 and November of 1945. This space saving venture meant that about 37 mailbags were reduced to one bag, as 1,600 letters could fit on a single 100-foot roll of 16mm film.

    Sealed with a Kiss

    The drawback, of course, was the one page of the V Mail did not allow for long exchanges. Also, and to some more importantly, you could not use lip stick on the V Mail to “seal it with a kiss.” That distinguishable mark of color on the envelope, an imprint of love and promise boosting moral and encouraging the men in fox holes, would gum up the printing press and was not allowed.

    On this Valentines Day, when communicating in real time exchanges with friends and family, think of those who served and continue to do so. Consider sending a letter to a soldier overseas to thank them for their service.

     Link to Doing Good Together’s Write Letters to a Soldier project page

    https://www.doinggoodtogether.org/bhf/write-letters-to-a-soldier.

    And remember how fortunate we are to be free to seal our letters with a kiss.

    P.S.
    The WWII letters my father, First Lieutenant Joseph Frisino, sent to my mother while in the Signal Corps, first from Alaska while building the Alcan Highway and then from the jungles of Burma when defending the Burma Road, are priceless.

    The USO – Home Away From Home

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    In the months leading up to the outbreak of World War II, while America strongly held to its isolationism beliefs, President Roosevelt quietly prepared for war. Seeing the anguish of those around the globe fighting the enemy, he understood the need to boost morale, not only for the growing number of GI’s, but for their families as so many shipped off to battle.

    In October of 1941 he put Mary Ingraham in charge of the daunting task of establishing the United Service Organizations, the USO. Working with the Department of War, then later joined by the Department of Defense, they brought together the YMCA, YWCA, the Salvation Army, the National Catholic Community Service, National Travelers Aide Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board to create this far reaching “Home Away From Home” for the United States Armed Forces and their loved ones. Raising monies, they built the first USO hall in Louisiana, with more structures to follow.

    Enter the Stars

    As men were sent overseas, Hollywood and Broadway’s elite stepped forward, volunteering to carry trays of sandwiches, do the dishes, dance, and sing with the GI’s. The entrance fee to all in uniform for an evening of food and entertainment was FREE.

    In New York City, The American Theater Wing, best know now for the Broadway Tony Awards, raised their curtain. In the first days of March 1942, in the basement of the 44th Street Theater, Broadway’s Stage Door Canteen emerged as a hopping haven for the troops. Some nights as many as 2,000 men, in shifts, would find refuge, music, beloved movie stars, laughter and make memories in this bustling 80 by 40 square foot room.

    When actor John Garfield visited The Stage Door Canteen, he brought the idea back to Tinsel Town and Betty Davis. Davis not only donated her time but also much of her monies from her contract with Warner Brothers as she and Garfield convinced others to join in providing the free food and shows for the soldiers. Lines snaked down Cahuenga Boulevard in California as men of all races, shapes, and sizes, clad in different uniforms, waited to enter the old converted barn at 1451 Cahuenga Blvd – the Hollywood Canteen. 

    As Canteens sprung up across America, they provided entertainment, a place to grab a cup of coffee, a chat with others or write a letter home. The young women who volunteered as hostesses wore red, white, and blue aprons and specifically designed pins with wings.

    One never knew who would be there to offer a smile and a slice of America. Always a different show, always thrilling. Bing Crosby, Marlene Dietrich, Frank Sinatra, Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayward, Irving Berlin, Ann Miller are just a few of the stars who volunteered to perform. One night, Spencer Tracy coaxed a reluctant Katharine Hepburn to join him singing Pistol Packin’ Mama to the hoots of the crowded room. Big Bands played rousing jitterbug tunes, opera singers crooned to the audiences and comedians perfected their shtick. 

    A movie emerged, The Stage Door Canteen. The proceeds of this film and other fundraising events provided the funds for the USO’s to send entertainers overseas. 

    Dangerous work

     “I saw that the boys needed something besides chow and drills.” Al Jolson 

    Al Jolson was the first entertainer to venture overseas, at times paying his own way. While in the South Pacific performing at the “camp shows” he contracted malaria and lost his left lung. He would continue to entertain the troops. During the Korean War, once again he paid for his travels to the war zone, returning home exhausted after 42 shows in 16 days. However, his fatigue, coupled with the lingering dust from the battle zone in his one lung, brought on a heart attack and Jolson died a few weeks after his return.

    In 1943, outside of Lisbon, a plane with USO troops abroad crashed, killing singer and actress Tamara Drisan and injuring Jane Forman, Broadway singer. Forman’s story would be told in the movie With a Song in MY Heart.

    While Martha Raye flew to North Africa in a B-17 to entertain the troops, they were attacked by two German planes. The tail gunner in her aircraft died in the exchange. During her four and one-half months overseas, Martha would travel to the front line in jeeps, assist the medics, help carry injured soldiers, and perform on makeshift stages. She lost 22 pounds after contacting yellow fever and spent three days cramped inside trenches with 200 soldiers while the Germans attacked. Martha would not stop with this war but would continue to entertain soldiers up through the Vietnam war, earning the beloved nickname, “Colonel Maggie.” She was buried with full military honors at Fort Bragg.

    Open To All

    WWII became a great equalizer as men and women of all races and religions united to face the enemy. While discrimination still existed, trends toward equality came about in the most unexpected situations.

     “one of the few democratic institutions in existence anywhere: English soldiers, sailors and RAF [Royal Air Force] men dance beside, mingle and eat with Chinese airmen, Americans from every branch of the service, including Negroes and Indians, Canadians, Australians; South Africans, Dutch and French sailors…occasionally Russians: all are a part of the Stage Door Canteen.”

    Theater Arts Magazine 1943

    The Show Must Go On

    After WWII with the expansion of USO shows in England and other far reaches of the war front, the monies and necessity for the USO dwindled. In 1947 the USO shut their doors. When the U.S. entered the Korean War in 1951, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Navy requested the USO’s return to provide their much needed support for the women and men in the Armed Services. 

    Bob Hope, who began his work for the USO in WWII, took the stage again. “The one-man-morale-machine” would spend 48 Christmas’s overseas; his last appearance at a “camp show” would be in 1991 during Operation Desert Shield. Hope and the USO Christmas shows are legendary. He would receive many honors, including the creation of the USO Hope Coin which is now awarded to entertainers who reflect Hope’s unwavering contribution to the USO tours.  

    As the skirmishes continued over decades, so did the entertainers who traveled to the war zones to lift soldiers’ spirits, spreading hope and joy. 

    Robin Williams hit the stage in Vietnam. Marilyn Monroe, Ann Margaret, John Wayne, Rita Moreno, Sammy Davis Jr., Phyllis Diller, James Brown, the list is long and impressive of those who chose to give back to their country on the front line with the soldiers. 

    Through the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq and at today’s far flung stations, the USO has continued to send a bit of home through the efforts of Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Carrie Underwood, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, Charlie Sheen, Will Smith and so many others. Their example and dedication demonstrates the need for all Americans to continue to support our troops at home and abroad.   

    Since its inception in 1941, the USO has brought tears and joy to our fighting forces who defend our nation and democracy. Hats off to those who diligently work on stage and behind the scenes, to bring a touch of “Home Away From Home” to the trenches, for the importance of morale should never be underestimated.

    While we honor those who have served our country on Veterans Day, we should remember to celebrate our Armed Forces each and every day. And also, give a salute to the USO for fighting a different kind of battle. A battle to lift the spirits of those who crawl through mud, live in tents in the jungles or deserts, are injured, are lonely and far from home – all to defend us.  

    Please study some of the images in this blog.
    Note that many of the soldiers in these battle zones are holding their guns.