Poppy Day

Today is David’s brother’s birthday (1919). His mom’s birthday was yesterday (1900, or 1899 under the Julian calendar) and his dad’s birthday the ninth of November (1888). His dad and mom met in Irkutsk Siberia when dad served with the US Expeditionary Force guarding the trans-Siberian railway in Europe and mom was a White Russian fleeing the Communists. “Dr Zhivago, the story of my life”, she said.

David survives alone. Every year, he gets in a strange and emotional mood around this time.

David served during the Korean War. “The forgotten war”, he says.

When David’s mom arrived in the American South of the 1920s, she was completely shocked. An educated woman who had attended the gymnasium in Estonia, and a socialist living in Wilmington NC, she worked in Democrat primaries and national elections making phone calls on behalf of her candidates.

She never lost her Russian accent. Based on David’s recollection, when making political calls, she said, “I vant you to vote for my candidate” or something to that effect. He once chided her for her accent She responded “I speak four languages, how many do you speak?”

Making political phone calls with a Russian accent in NC in the 1960s wasn’t the coolest thing you could do.

David only spoke three languages. He travelled overseas and lived with his grandparents in 1935-37, and spoke the Russian of a child. He also learned German when he worked with NATO. Of course he spoke English with a NC accent.

***

This past week, I finished The Fall of the Ottoman Empire: the Great War in the MIddle East, by Eugene Rogan. I knew something of this history because I have read much about WWI, the history of the Middle East and the British Empire. However, I did not know or remember that the two sides engaged in trench warfare and that the fighting was as bad in the Middle East as in France.

Most amazing is the description of the various campaigns and battles in the Middle East, names like Allepo you might recognize if you follow current events. Today being the anniversary of the end of the Great War or Armistice Day as we knew it as children, it seemed appropriate to me that the book ends at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month almost exactly 100 years ago.

I know as Americans we wish we never again had to venture overseas to fight in another foreign war, but we are global citizens who cannot afford isolationism.

12 thoughts on “Poppy Day”

We have a lovely service at the College of Music, my family nickname is Poppy because I was born on 11.11.

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SchmidleysScribblins on November 19, 2016 at 13:17 said:

That is so neat.

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Late coming by but every day should be a day to honor those who served. Thank you to David. I enjoyed the family memories very much as well. Makes learning history fun.

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SchmidleysScribblins on November 14, 2016 at 15:52 said:

Not all these stories are wonderful. A grandmother in my kids’ father’s family christened a ship during WWII. Every year the story is told, and the ship gets bigger and bigger. This year it was a destroyer. Next year ?

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As for fighting other foreign wars — I hope not, too, but I highly recommend reading this commentary I became aware of just today. She’s a prominent highly respected 49 year old Russian and American Journalist Masha Gessen who has had first hand experience as a citizen of both countries:
http://www2.nybooks.com/daily/s3/nov/10/trump-election-autocracy-rules-for-survival.html

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SchmidleysScribblins on November 13, 2016 at 13:27 said:

Ill check this out. Thanks

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Our Festival of Remembrance service is on tv tonight. I shall remember David and all Korean vets including my deceased uncle. Thank you for reminding us.

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SchmidleysScribblins on November 12, 2016 at 19:26 said:

I know the British will never forget November 11.

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Thank you, David! I recall when servicemen came home from Korea to our college campus — quite a contrast with our college boys. Always thought the term Police Action simply avoided clearly stating the reality.

I also recall Buddy Poppies I distributed down town in exchange for contributions to veterans through my city’s American Legion when I was a young elementary school age girl WWII years.

The family story recollections you share make history real. I can empathize with David’s mother’s culture shock moving to the south, culturally, and language — and I spoke American English, but not with a southern drawl — “Y’all better come and go home with us.”
I visualized horrendous scenes, the Reds and Whites, in Warren Beatty’s movie “Reds” when you wrote of her fleeing the Communists.

I think there are times in our lives mood-affecting memories are triggered, often unexpectedly, releasing our thoughts of what was or what might have been.

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SchmidleysScribblins on November 11, 2016 at 21:10 said:

Thanks Jo.

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Thank you for your service, David. My husband’s uncle was in Korea as well, fighting for Canada. Lest we forget!

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SchmidleysScribblins on November 11, 2016 at 20:07 said:

You wrote a swell tribute to your uncle today.

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Schmidleysscribbling

BITS AND BOBS OF THIS AND THAT

12 thoughts on “Poppy Day”

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David survives alone. Every year, he gets in a strange and emotional mood around this time.

David served during the Korean War. “The forgotten war”, he says.

When David’s mom arrived in the American South of the 1920s, she was completely shocked. An educated woman who had attended the gymnasium in Estonia, and a socialist living in Wilmington NC, she worked in Democrat primaries and national elections making phone calls on behalf of her candidates.

She never lost her Russian accent. Based on David’s recollection, when making political calls, she said, “I vant you to vote for my candidate” or something to that effect. He once chided her for her accent She responded “I speak four languages, how many do you speak?”

Making political phone calls with a Russian accent in NC in the 1960s wasn’t the coolest thing you could do.

David only spoke three languages. He travelled overseas and lived with his grandparents in 1935-37, and spoke the Russian of a child. He also learned German when he worked with NATO. Of course he spoke English with a NC accent.

***

I know as Americans we wish we never again had to venture overseas to fight in another foreign war, but we are global citizens who cannot afford isolationism.

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