BY PAUL NETTLER It was almost standing room only at our meeting on May 14th as more than 70 members and guests were held captive by speaker Jack Bilello’s description of certain events and his impressions thereof, primarily regarding this countries participation in the European and African theatres of war in World War II. As an author and historian, Jack has a wealth of information to share, and his manner of presenting it held our interest completely. Jack’s talk started off by his asking the audience if anyone had ever heard of a tune called “Butterfield’s Lullaby?” Nobody had, yet we’ve all probably heard the tune hundreds if not thousands of times. We know it simply as “Taps.” It was written by a Union officer during the Civil War. It’s a pleasant tune, and for many of us who went to camp, it signaled bedtime. But in the context of war, it signaled a final sleep. And that set the theme of Jack’s talk. Jack reminded us that the most feared person during the war was the Western Union messenger boy on his bicycle, and that General Patton complained to his staff about the fact that not enough of his field officers were being killed, because that meant they weren’t attacking and his mantra was “attack, attack attack” at any cost. He read an article, written by Ernie Pyle in Italy, which described a scene wherein the bodies of our dead soldiers were brought down from a mountain, slung over the backs of mules, and the reaction of those soldiers when they saw that one of the bodies was that of their beloved captain. It was truly heart breaking. And there was what is now called collateral damage as well. Jack told the story of a young man who came home from the Army on leave and told his father that he was not going back. The father was so upset that he called the FBI who came and explained to the son that it was either the army or prison as a deserter. He returned to the army and was killed in battle. The father went crazy believing that he had killed his son. Jack told us of other stories about the horrors of war and some good which did emerge from some. In the aftermath of a group of Marine commandos being beheaded by their Japanese captors, James Roosevelt, their Commanding Officer, persuaded his father to establish what would become the GI Bill of Rights as a reward to those who fought for their country. It proved to be one of the driving forces of the post-war economy. We look forward to Jack being with us again in the not too distant future to discuss the war in the Pacific. At our June 11th meeting, we will be fortunate to have North Shore Towers General Manager Glen Kotowski, the man responsible for making this place we call home run like clockwork, as our guest speaker. Glen’s topic will be “A day in the life of the General Manager of a community like North Shore Towers.” It will be interesting to learn what it takes to navigate the complexities of a community like ours and the challenges that one has to deal with on a regular basis. On April 29th, a small group of Men’s Club members and a guest visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. To quote their brochure: “For over twenty years, the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County has been Long Island’s preeminent resource for Holocaust education, leading the effort to increase awareness in our schools and communities about the causes and consequences of racism, anti-Semitism, intolerance and indifference during the Holocaust. The HMTC promotes universal lessons to be acted upon. We advocate respect for every human being.” Before our tour began, there was a brief talk by a holocaust survivor, Werner Hess, who lived with his family in Frankfort, Germany. He offered first hand testimony for what it was like to be a Jew in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power. From relative tranquility to horror in just a few short years. Our tour of the museum itself was led by, a most knowledgeable docent. She gave context to the exhibits, many of them being extremely painful to view. The vacant stare, the palpable fear, the cruelty burn haunting images into the mind, as well they should. It’s a must see. One walked away from the exhibit recalling Santayana’s famous saying: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” On a lighter note, we have a most interesting calendar of events coming up in the near future. On June 24th, we are going to a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game, preceded by dinner at Gargulio’s. On June 28th, we’re having a Bingo Night in the large cardroom next to the theatre. Guests and non-members alike are invited. On June 30th, there will be a Texas Hold ‘em Tournament at 6:30. On July 15th we’ve scheduled a fishing trip, to which guests are invited. On July 19th, there will be another Bingo Night, and on July 28th, another Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament. Also for all you card lovers, there will be weekly poker games held at 7:00 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays in the card room and weekly gin games on Thursdays at 1:00 PM. For any questions, please contact our Events Committee Chairman Arnie Rabinowitz at 516-317-6705. Our breakfast get-togethers have proven so popular that we are now expanding to 3 days a week, adding Fridays. So join us, even if you’re not a member. We meet at 9:15 in the VIP Room. And if you would like to become a member, the dues are $60.00. Give your check, made out to “North Shore Towers Men’s Club,” to the concierge at Building #3 to the attention of Leo Tujak, our treasurer. His number is 347-408-4377. Want to know more about us? Check out our web site at northshoretowersmensclub.org. or get in touch with our President, Al Fuchs at afuchs98@aol.com or at 917-612-5350. 30 North Shore Towers Courier n June 2015 MEN’S CLUB Men’s Club breakfast Speaker Jack Bilello
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