Carefree Truth
Issue #607, December 3, 2017
Ted Dimon introduced the Keynote speaker. "We are extremely proud to have with us today a World War II Veteran, Captain Lew Jenkins, US Army."
Lew was born August 25th, 1919 in NYC. He celebrated his 98th birthday this year! His parents were Welsh immigrants from Newport, Wales; his father a Welsh coal-miner, his mother was the daughter of a local builder. They came to the U.S. through Ellis Island.
Lew graduated from The Harvey School in New York and Philips Exeter Academy. He was accepted at Yale University but instead chose to attend the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His father, who had never seen the inside of a schoolhouse, lamented, “Who turns down Yale?"
After graduating from Wharton, Lew enlisted in the US Army. During boot camp he was chosen to attend Officers Candidate School. After graduating OCS as a 2nd Lt, Lew was sent to artillery school and then to the war in Europe. He was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division, better known as the “Yankee Division” due to the high number of soldiers from the “north”. Lew was promoted to Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star. He is one of very few remaining troops to have fought with Gen. George Patton at The Battle of The Bulge.
After the war was declared “over” Lew stayed on in Europe and was ordered to help transition civilians back to their homelands. Later, Lew was asked by his Commanding Officer to stay in the Army and be promoted to Major. Lew declined the offer, was honorably discharged and went back home to being a civilian.
He returned to N.Y. and immediately had a blind-date with his soon-to-be wife Doris Mischanko, an aspiring actress and radio talk-host. Lew and Doris married and had four children; Lynne, Tom, Bob, and David, nicknamed DJ. Tom and Bob were both in the Marines. DJ tried to join the Marines after high school but, as a result of open-heart surgery at the age 15, the Recruiter wouldn’t let him join. Bob’s son Will enlisted as a Navy Seabee after high school as well.
Lew went to work for the Manufacturers Trust Bank which later merged with the Hanover Bank to become the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Bank in NYC. He ended his career as the Vice-Chairman of the Board and was asked to be the President of the American Bankers Association in Washington, DC. Lew has had the honor of meeting both Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan at The White House on several occasions.
Lew retired from banking after 34 years and is now residing here in Carefree. Unfortunately, his wife Doris passed-away several years ago. Lew is surrounded by his four children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
"Now, from the Greatest Generation, Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Lew Jenkins!"
Captain Lew Jenkins said he loved the patriotic music and asked, "Where do you go to enlist?!", but thought he might be too old and gray to be accepted. Lew had notes, which he said he needed at his age because he wasn't as sharp as he used to be. However, he never looked down at those notes. He said he started shooting a gun at age 12. His family believed in it and he had a great time. That's why he spent 4 years in the Infantry Division. When a gun fires, the projectile twists, setting up little waves at it goes through the air. When you feel that whisper right beside your ear, the sniper misjudged the air waves.
He and his fellow soldiers got together and got to know each other in a Battalion sense. A Battalion is like a small village with almost everything. Battalions are part of a bigger organization called a Division, and all function under orders from Supreme Headquarters. When it gets down to the Battalion level, "You're going to do it like General Patton tells you to do it". Lew felt Gen. Patton was the greatest General of all times.
When Lew's Battalion was told to go back to Headquarters, the rumor was that they would be getting some well deserved R&R after serving 210 days in holes on the front line, with a 240% casualty rate. Unknown to most, a serious problem had developed to the north, the Bulge, where the Germans had broken through the British lines and might win the war. Patton insisted he had the men to handle it. They went up behind the Allied troops from south to north, where the Bulge was, expecting heavy opposition, but they got all the way to the left flank with no opposition at all. "General Patton said, 'Break it up', so we did". But the Germans didn't quit. They chased the Germans from January until May 7th, when they got a Cease Fire message. On May 8th, the war was over.
At that point, people became interested in political aspirations. "Who was going to get control of where?" The heads of the U.S., Britain, and Russia got together. Many citizens did not want to live in Russian controlled areas, and so left their homes and went to other parts of Europe. Austria, in particular, was loaded with refugees. There were so many that the military was enlisted to help get them back to their homes. They reunited families, determined their origins, and had them examined by doctors. The people were then put on trains. One of the tracks ran close to the Russian sector, and the Russians raided it. The U.S. military and the Hungarian police anticipated this and stopped it. The displaced people were returned home and the world was at peace.
Lew equated this with the situation today, saying it is a number of times worse now. He suggested that people get together with the government and get more control over what's going on in this country. He alerted people to the fact that there needs to be more control, and it should come from the government. But the people are the government, so he encouraged everyone to write even a short letter to those who control the government and get that idea across. Get the country back to normal, like where he used to live. He ended by saying, "Thank you very much".
https://vimeo.com/243164304
The following bag pipe rendition of "Amazing Grace" was provided by Captain Cliff Dahl of the Rural Metro Fire Department Paramedics. Capt. Dahl also represents the Arizona Fire Service Pipe Band as a member of the executive board. He is the Rural Metro Fire Department Pipe Major.
https://vimeo.com/243118074
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.
Issue #607, December 3, 2017
Ted Dimon introduced the Keynote speaker. "We are extremely proud to have with us today a World War II Veteran, Captain Lew Jenkins, US Army."
Lew was born August 25th, 1919 in NYC. He celebrated his 98th birthday this year! His parents were Welsh immigrants from Newport, Wales; his father a Welsh coal-miner, his mother was the daughter of a local builder. They came to the U.S. through Ellis Island.
Lew graduated from The Harvey School in New York and Philips Exeter Academy. He was accepted at Yale University but instead chose to attend the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His father, who had never seen the inside of a schoolhouse, lamented, “Who turns down Yale?"
After graduating from Wharton, Lew enlisted in the US Army. During boot camp he was chosen to attend Officers Candidate School. After graduating OCS as a 2nd Lt, Lew was sent to artillery school and then to the war in Europe. He was assigned to the 26th Infantry Division, better known as the “Yankee Division” due to the high number of soldiers from the “north”. Lew was promoted to Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star. He is one of very few remaining troops to have fought with Gen. George Patton at The Battle of The Bulge.
After the war was declared “over” Lew stayed on in Europe and was ordered to help transition civilians back to their homelands. Later, Lew was asked by his Commanding Officer to stay in the Army and be promoted to Major. Lew declined the offer, was honorably discharged and went back home to being a civilian.
He returned to N.Y. and immediately had a blind-date with his soon-to-be wife Doris Mischanko, an aspiring actress and radio talk-host. Lew and Doris married and had four children; Lynne, Tom, Bob, and David, nicknamed DJ. Tom and Bob were both in the Marines. DJ tried to join the Marines after high school but, as a result of open-heart surgery at the age 15, the Recruiter wouldn’t let him join. Bob’s son Will enlisted as a Navy Seabee after high school as well.
Lew went to work for the Manufacturers Trust Bank which later merged with the Hanover Bank to become the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Bank in NYC. He ended his career as the Vice-Chairman of the Board and was asked to be the President of the American Bankers Association in Washington, DC. Lew has had the honor of meeting both Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan at The White House on several occasions.
Lew retired from banking after 34 years and is now residing here in Carefree. Unfortunately, his wife Doris passed-away several years ago. Lew is surrounded by his four children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
"Now, from the Greatest Generation, Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Lew Jenkins!"
Captain Lew Jenkins said he loved the patriotic music and asked, "Where do you go to enlist?!", but thought he might be too old and gray to be accepted. Lew had notes, which he said he needed at his age because he wasn't as sharp as he used to be. However, he never looked down at those notes. He said he started shooting a gun at age 12. His family believed in it and he had a great time. That's why he spent 4 years in the Infantry Division. When a gun fires, the projectile twists, setting up little waves at it goes through the air. When you feel that whisper right beside your ear, the sniper misjudged the air waves.
He and his fellow soldiers got together and got to know each other in a Battalion sense. A Battalion is like a small village with almost everything. Battalions are part of a bigger organization called a Division, and all function under orders from Supreme Headquarters. When it gets down to the Battalion level, "You're going to do it like General Patton tells you to do it". Lew felt Gen. Patton was the greatest General of all times.
When Lew's Battalion was told to go back to Headquarters, the rumor was that they would be getting some well deserved R&R after serving 210 days in holes on the front line, with a 240% casualty rate. Unknown to most, a serious problem had developed to the north, the Bulge, where the Germans had broken through the British lines and might win the war. Patton insisted he had the men to handle it. They went up behind the Allied troops from south to north, where the Bulge was, expecting heavy opposition, but they got all the way to the left flank with no opposition at all. "General Patton said, 'Break it up', so we did". But the Germans didn't quit. They chased the Germans from January until May 7th, when they got a Cease Fire message. On May 8th, the war was over.
At that point, people became interested in political aspirations. "Who was going to get control of where?" The heads of the U.S., Britain, and Russia got together. Many citizens did not want to live in Russian controlled areas, and so left their homes and went to other parts of Europe. Austria, in particular, was loaded with refugees. There were so many that the military was enlisted to help get them back to their homes. They reunited families, determined their origins, and had them examined by doctors. The people were then put on trains. One of the tracks ran close to the Russian sector, and the Russians raided it. The U.S. military and the Hungarian police anticipated this and stopped it. The displaced people were returned home and the world was at peace.
Lew equated this with the situation today, saying it is a number of times worse now. He suggested that people get together with the government and get more control over what's going on in this country. He alerted people to the fact that there needs to be more control, and it should come from the government. But the people are the government, so he encouraged everyone to write even a short letter to those who control the government and get that idea across. Get the country back to normal, like where he used to live. He ended by saying, "Thank you very much".
https://vimeo.com/243164304
The following bag pipe rendition of "Amazing Grace" was provided by Captain Cliff Dahl of the Rural Metro Fire Department Paramedics. Capt. Dahl also represents the Arizona Fire Service Pipe Band as a member of the executive board. He is the Rural Metro Fire Department Pipe Major.
https://vimeo.com/243118074
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.