WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:07.040 It's nice size Boston's news radio before your sports fans 2 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:10.839 out there. The Celtics eked out and overtime went over 3 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:14.000 the Brooklyn Nets tonight at the Fleet at the Center, 4 00:00:14.039 --> 00:00:16.120 I was going to say the Police Center had at 5 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:19.519 the Garden, the TD Bank North Garden, whatever the hell 6 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.760 they call it these days anyway, So what are we 7 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:24.800 talking about? What have we talked about this week? Well, 8 00:00:24.839 --> 00:00:27.679 we've talked about a lot of different subjects, as we 9 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:33.280 do every week. Monday Night, we talked about overachieving at work, 10 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:38.240 It's not good for life, balance, talk with about Alzheimer's awareness. 11 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:41.759 We talked about the e MK, the Edward M. Kennedy 12 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:45.079 Institute for the Senate over at Columbia Point, talked about 13 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:50.240 National Family Caregiver Month this month with Bob Coughlin. And then, 14 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.159 of course on Monday it was election Eve, we talked 15 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:57.039 about the Massachusetts ballot questions and then we asked people, 16 00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:00.960 invited them to engage in some predictions, and we're going 17 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:04.040 to have a winner probably by Monday night. It looks 18 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:07.239 to me as if the two states that are still 19 00:01:07.239 --> 00:01:11.920 in question, Nevada and Arizona, are trending towards Donald Trump. 20 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:13.400 So I think he's going to get up around three 21 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.319 hundred and twelve in my opinion, but we will wait 22 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:20.040 until there's a final agreed upon judgment in terms of 23 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:24.480 numbers before we tell which of you who were making 24 00:01:24.519 --> 00:01:29.519 predictions last Friday night actually or in Monday night one. 25 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:33.840 So we'd hope to have a winner, but I think 26 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:35.519 I know who it's going to be. We'll leave it. So. 27 00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:38.400 Of course, on Tuesday night we had election coverage, a 28 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:43.239 really great newsroom coverage, and during that program I had 29 00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:47.359 an opportunity to do eight interviews with During the eight 30 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:49.439 o'clock I with Jim Brett, the president of the New 31 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:53.040 England Council, with Massachuset State represented David Lynsky of Natick 32 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:58.359 and Wayland about the efforts by Democratic Party nationally to 33 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:02.920 do better in in getting control of state legislators, because 34 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:07.480 state legislatures are the ones that actually draw the congressional 35 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:12.159 lines in the various states. Talked with nine o'clock Apple 36 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:16.319 with former Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Mike Capawano, talked with Massachusetts 37 00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:20.280 Republican chair Amy CARNIVALI at ten o'clock talked with Congressman 38 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:23.680 Seth Moulton, Democrat from Massachusetts, and also with New Hampshire 39 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:27.120 Governor Chris Sanunu, who was celebrating his fiftieth birthday. At 40 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:30.759 eleven o'clock, talked with former Massachuset Lieutenant Governor Tom O'Neil, 41 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:34.199 the son of the great former House Speaker Tip O'Neil, 42 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:39.479 and also talked with Emerson College pollster Spencer Kimball. Wednesday night, 43 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:44.439 we talked about a couple of events for veterans, Bill 44 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:48.000 Pennington's Run for the Troops and Bill Moore's Project New Hope. 45 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:51.479 We also talked with a professor from NYU, Marian Nessel, 46 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:54.599 about is there a healthy soda? And then talk with 47 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:59.479 doctor Kenton Kaufman of the Mayo Clinic out in Minnesota 48 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:03.039 about how the balance is so important to older people, 49 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:05.840 those of us on the wrong side of fifties, so 50 00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:09.240 that we don't fall. And we then had two hours 51 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.840 of election night reaction the night after. At that point 52 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:16.199 we knew we have been told early in the week 53 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:19.800 oh this election. We might not know for three days, 54 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:21.680 or we might not know until the weekend. Well, we 55 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:27.360 knew sometime really early Wednesday morning. On Thursday, we talked 56 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:31.360 with Chris Price at the Boston Globe about the struggling patriots. 57 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:34.240 We talked with Mark Erickson of New Hampshire Special Olympics 58 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.360 about a series of bowling tournaments up there this weekend. 59 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:42.560 Talk with doctor Laura Gabayan about people getting past the election, 60 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:45.759 and talked with Hayden Frank the National Weather Service about 61 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:48.520 the severe drought we're dealing with here in Massachusetts. Talked 62 00:03:48.520 --> 00:03:52.360 about the Karen Reid a State Supreme Court argument which 63 00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:55.439 took place on Wednesday with Attorney Phil Tracy of Boston, 64 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:58.319 and we talked about last night for two hours about 65 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:02.520 Joe Biden's invitation to President Elect Trump to visit at 66 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:04.439 the White House in the not too distant future. And 67 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:08.000 tonight we talked about staying away, topics to avoid during 68 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:13.680 Thanksgiving with a guest Steve Bittenbender. Talked with a doctor 69 00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:18.279 Schwa about some of the drugs that people now are 70 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:21.160 taking for weight loss which could be dangerous. Talk with 71 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:24.759 Nicole Davis about the Massachusetts teacher strikes, and talk with 72 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:30.519 doctor Lauren Nicholas about people having problem in older age 73 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:33.639 with finances, checkbooks and things like that as an early 74 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:37.800 indicator of potential issues with dementia. Spent the nine o'clock 75 00:04:37.879 --> 00:04:40.759 hour talking about teacher strikes Beverly, Gloucester and Marblehead. And 76 00:04:40.839 --> 00:04:44.759 last hour talked about Seth Moulton's comments, which I think 77 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:50.279 are very justified as the Democratic Party reviews what it 78 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:52.399 did well and what it didn't do well enough in 79 00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:54.920 the twenty twenty four election. And this hour we're going 80 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:57.160 to give you a chance to jop on board and 81 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:00.600 tell us about someone within your circle of friends, within 82 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:05.079 your family, within your community who served in the US military. 83 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:09.519 Because of course it's Veterans Day this weekend. Veterans Day 84 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:16.240 really began in November of nineteen nineteen. President Wilson proclaimed 85 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:22.399 Veterans Day as Armistice Day. That one year after the 86 00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:25.680 war to end all Wars, and Veterans Day was adopted, 87 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:30.279 and finally in the nineteen fifties, President Eisenhower issued the 88 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:34.879 first Veterans Day Proclamation and then for a while it 89 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:38.319 was part of a three day holiday weekend based upon 90 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:41.959 a bill that passed called the Uniform Holiday Bill Act 91 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.199 of nineteen sixty eight, signed by President Lindon Johnson to 92 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.639 make sure that Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and 93 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:53.839 Columbus Day all fell on mondays to give people three 94 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:57.519 day weekends, but because of some of the confusion that 95 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:04.040 existed within the law, that issue was readdressed, and in 96 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:09.720 nineteen seventy five President Gerald Ford returned the Veterans Day 97 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:13.079 observance to the original date. It's no longer a three 98 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.560 day weekend, O Lord, will be this weekend because November 99 00:06:15.560 --> 00:06:18.920 eleventh happens to call, happens to fall on a Monday. 100 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:22.680 So that's the purpose of Veterans Day. And this is 101 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:26.360 now your opportunity to join the conversation and tell us 102 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:32.319 about someone within your family, within your community, within your neighborhood, 103 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:36.240 maybe a distant relative who's no longer with us, maybe 104 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:40.040 someone who's still on duty somewhere around the globe tonight. 105 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:49.000 We are protected by military, both at home and abroad. 106 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:53.879 And without the US military, this countryman may not exist. 107 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:58.319 It was born in a revolution that started here in 108 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:02.480 Massachusetts continues to this day. We had a rough election 109 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:06.920 in twenty twenty, but we had I think, an election 110 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:11.879 that virtually everyone recognizes with an accurate reflection of how 111 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:18.120 the American people felt on November fifth, Tuesday, November fifth, 112 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:24.720 we're still calculating all of the votes and it's going 113 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:29.959 to be amazing. Eventually. At this point, Donald Trump has 114 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:35.800 four million more votes than Vice President Harris, and Donald Trump, 115 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:40.560 I guess, will top seventy five million, which will mean 116 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:43.240 that we will not have as many people voting in 117 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:47.000 this election as in twenty twenty, ironically, but he will 118 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:53.040 have won the electoral college and the popular vote, which 119 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:54.839 is what I think we needed, whether it was going 120 00:07:54.839 --> 00:07:58.920 to be Vice President Harris who would succeed, or former 121 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:03.600 President Trump. It was not a close election FIA by 122 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:07.560 today's standards, and I think most people now have accepted 123 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:10.839 the result. There's a lot of second guessing in the 124 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:14.600 Democratic Party, which is understandable. But we're going to put 125 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:18.360 all of that conversation aside and let's focus on sacrifice 126 00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:23.439 of veterans in your family, in your community. I'll talk 127 00:08:23.480 --> 00:08:25.600 about my dad, who served during World War Two in 128 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:29.040 two very difficult years in China, Bournman, India. But you 129 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:32.240 can pick anyone you want six seven, two five four 130 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:35.159 ten thirty or six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. 131 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:38.360 We'll be right back and let's begin our annual salute 132 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:39.960 to veterans here on Nightside. 133 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:43.919 Now back to Dan Ray Live from the Window World 134 00:08:44.039 --> 00:08:49.000 Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio. 135 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:52.399 Let's get right to the calls. We'll start off with 136 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:55.279 Larry and Dennisport. Larry, your first tonight on Nightside, Go 137 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:55.799 right ahead. 138 00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:01.600 Hi Dan, thanks for this most important discussion topic. I 139 00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:05.120 would like to honor my father. He was a top 140 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:07.600 turret gunner on a B twenty four and he was 141 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:11.519 shot down over Germany. And he was a prisoner of war. 142 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:15.639 And survived a pow camp. 143 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:20.639 Yes, I will just tell you quickly how he survived. 144 00:09:21.559 --> 00:09:25.679 Everybody and his crew bailed out and were captured by 145 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:28.960 the Germans. And when he was in the prison camp, 146 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:34.440 the Nazis lined up all the prisoners well being Jewish 147 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:39.279 obviously they were trying to separate the Jews, and the 148 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:44.039 pilot looked over at my father and started speaking Italian 149 00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:47.440 to him. So the Nazi passed over my father thinking 150 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:49.679 he was Italian, saved his life. 151 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:54.600 And any Italian or did he just simply. 152 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:57.000 No, Nope, didn't know any Italian at all. 153 00:09:57.320 --> 00:09:59.840 No, No, What would they done if they had figured 154 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:03.679 out that your dad was Jewish? What have been executed? 155 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:05.200 Or would he just been isolated? 156 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.200 You know, I don't know. Usually it was mostly the 157 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:12.399 German citizens, the ones that lived in Germany that were 158 00:10:12.440 --> 00:10:17.320 sent to the to the camps. I'm not sure what 159 00:10:17.399 --> 00:10:20.720 they did with the Jewish prisoners. I have not really 160 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:23.960 studied that. My father didn't really talk about it too much. 161 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:28.440 So they called him the Greatest Generation, you know, for 162 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:32.720 a good reason. And anyway, he was involved with that 163 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:37.519 famous Hitler's forced March when the Allies started closing in 164 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:40.840 on the border and Hitler took all the prisoners and 165 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.919 was marching them into the center. And so he was 166 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.720 eating just rotten potatoes in the fields and everything, and 167 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:51.200 finally got liberated. I think he was about one sixty 168 00:10:51.240 --> 00:10:53.840 five when he went in for weight and came out 169 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:57.519 at around one thirty five. Amazing guy to lose weight. 170 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:01.679 Well, my dad was yeah, in Chinabourban, India during the 171 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:05.799 World War two, like your dad, and he spent two 172 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:09.399 and a half years over there, and it was a 173 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:12.679 tough part of the world to be in and he 174 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:15.240 was in the army, but he ended up taking a 175 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:19.200 lot of flights back and forth. He talked, He talked 176 00:11:19.240 --> 00:11:22.000 about Joe Stillwell, who was the general over there, who 177 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:26.039 who was just admired by the by the troops he 178 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:29.440 talked about flying over the Hump, which is the Himalayas. 179 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:32.559 So he saw things that I've never seen. 180 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:33.600 Uh. 181 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:38.360 And obviously that was a time when China was our 182 00:11:38.440 --> 00:11:44.000 ally so he was often involved in interactions with Chinese troops. 183 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.080 Now those were troops from Shankai Sheek's government of China, 184 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:53.039 not Miles Setung. Right. The thing I remember about my dad, 185 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:55.039 and I mentioned it before, so I won't I won't 186 00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:58.879 spend a lot of time on it. But every Christmas 187 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:02.159 he would write Christmas cards to about eight or nine 188 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:05.840 of his buddies different parts of the country, Wyoming, Kentucky 189 00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:11.440 and Longhand Christmas cards about what our family was doing 190 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:14.000 and what my brother and I were doing. And he 191 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:16.639 got the Christmas cards all Longhand, And of course as 192 00:12:16.679 --> 00:12:20.039 the years went by, the number of those Christmas cards 193 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:24.120 as some of the veterans died off, diminished. But I 194 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:26.840 can just remember what sort of a bond there was 195 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:30.480 between those individuals. I don't think that any of them 196 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:33.360 ever had a reunion once they got home here to 197 00:12:33.399 --> 00:12:36.600 the States. It just happened that way. You know, people 198 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:41.279 had jobs and they got a vacation for a week. 199 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:44.559 Back in those days, or two weeks, and it wasn't 200 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:47.159 like you got in the car. And I remember one 201 00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:49.600 of his friends was a fellow named Paul Butler, I 202 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:52.480 always remember that name out of Kentucky. And there was 203 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:56.720 a guy Lionel Hitchcock out of Laramie, Wyoming. Never had 204 00:12:56.720 --> 00:13:01.039 a chance to meet those individuals, but he kept in touch. 205 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.600 That Christmas card was very important. When he got a 206 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:06.360 Christmas card from them, he read it and he knew 207 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:09.240 all about their families as well. So I'm sure your 208 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:12.240 dad must have probably done some of the same, particularly 209 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:13.960 with the crew that had been that he had been 210 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:15.679 shot down with. I assume he must have kept in 211 00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:16.840 touch with those guys over the. 212 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.080 Time, you know he's you know, I don't think he did. 213 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:24.440 He never really talked about it until he was diagnosed 214 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:26.559 with lung cancer when he was in the seventies, and 215 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:29.720 he started telling me some of these stories because he 216 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:32.519 wanted them to be remembered. Listen, they didn't call him 217 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:35.399 the Greatest Generation for nothing, no question. 218 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:39.840 And there were no comfort animals when they were now 219 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:42.159 and they were in Europe fighting, and they were eighteen 220 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:44.600 and many times eighteen and nineteen year old kids. What 221 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:45.879 year was your dad born. 222 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:49.759 Jeez, you had to ask how. 223 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:51.840 Old was how old was he he was in the service. 224 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:56.000 He was I think he was twenty years old. 225 00:13:56.279 --> 00:13:59.320 Yeah, my dad was. My dad was a little older. 226 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:04.320 He he was. He signed up in nineteen forty two 227 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:07.960 and he was probably twenty six twenty seven years old, 228 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:12.200 so that was considered older and older GI. 229 00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.720 Back in the Yeah, yeah, he was in the. 230 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:16.759 Army and came out as and finished up as a 231 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:17.679 staff sergeant. 232 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:18.720 That was. 233 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.840 Yeah. My father was was a sergeant also. Yeah, Larry, 234 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:27.240 I appreciate the calle Yeah, thank you. On a good note, 235 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:29.120 I'd like to just mention to you my daughter Jill 236 00:14:29.320 --> 00:14:31.919 might be coming home for a little vacation in January. 237 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:34.960 Well, I hope she's doing well and I'd love to 238 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:38.039 catch up with her on the phone, so you know, 239 00:14:38.519 --> 00:14:41.679 if it's possible that when you talk to her, if 240 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:44.519 she's willing to spend an hour on the phone some 241 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:47.480 night as a guest, this is the young woman who 242 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:52.360 was actually running a business in Kabul, Afghanistan. Which an 243 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:56.480 American woman running a business in Kabul, Afghanistan. If that's 244 00:14:56.519 --> 00:14:59.440 not a book, I don't know what is. So just 245 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:01.559 keep it up. I didn't ask her if she'd be willing. 246 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:06.200 We still broadcast remotely, Larry, as you know, so she could. 247 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:08.519 I assumed she would probably be visiting you down the 248 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:09.559 cape and we can. 249 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.799 Yes, she's going to be might possibly be staying with us. 250 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:15.320 She's here on business, but you might be staying. I'll 251 00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:16.039 let you know, Dan. 252 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:19.759 Thank you very much, Larry, appreciate it. Talk to you soon. 253 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:22.120 Have a great week and happy Veterans Day and memory. 254 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:27.639 Thanks uh if they were the greatest generation without a question. 255 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:31.759 Let me go next to Charlie who's in Saugust, Massachusetts. Charlie, 256 00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:32.759 you're next on Night Side. 257 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:38.440 Welcome, Yes, Hi you good program. I'd like to mention 258 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:41.639 an uncle of mine who was in World War Two. 259 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:46.200 His name was Al Langdon and he was in the 260 00:15:46.279 --> 00:15:49.840 US Navy in the Pacific and he served aboard a 261 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:56.440 mind sweeper in Little Walk too, and he when he 262 00:15:56.519 --> 00:16:00.120 got out of the Navy, he continued to serve. He 263 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:05.679 had a firefighter of the Boston Fire Department, really and 264 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:10.360 his his firehouse was a really dirty one that got 265 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:13.720 as many as three calls on a single night. 266 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:16.000 And he spent. 267 00:16:17.399 --> 00:16:22.519 What part of Boston was East Boston, East Boston okay, yeah, 268 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:24.519 and so his his first name was what. 269 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:32.720 His first name was, el Alfred Langton and uh yeah, 270 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:34.519 And as a matter of fact, he spent the last 271 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:39.320 few years of his wife on oxygen tanks because of 272 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:43.480 damage to his long some of fighting fires. 273 00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:48.639 Well, yeah, I mean it's it's amazing what firefighters in 274 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.480 the in the forties and fifties and even into the 275 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:56.840 sixties went through. We had that horrific tragedy the Von 276 00:16:56.919 --> 00:16:58.840 Dome Hotel fire. 277 00:16:59.159 --> 00:17:02.120 Really yeah, yeah, there. 278 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:04.359 Was a uh several you know, we had the two 279 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:07.359 firefighters recently who were killed on on Beacon Street, that 280 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:11.039 fire that that March day a few years ago, we 281 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:17.240 lost to firefighters, including my hockey teammate Paul Lintini from 282 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.200 South Boston. Uh in the fire, yeah. 283 00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:25.559 Right, yeah, you have to have a lot of cars still, 284 00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:30.440 uh uh a firefighter these buildings and. 285 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:33.599 Obviously, yeah, I mean when a when a floor collapses, 286 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:39.079 you're you're basically in a fire pit. And that's that 287 00:17:39.240 --> 00:17:40.759 is what has happened. And of course back in the 288 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:42.680 day when a lot of these buildings were built, they 289 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:46.160 didn't have the codes that we have today. And uh, 290 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.920 look and looking across the firefighters from nine to eleven. 291 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:52.000 What what is the number of the three hundred or 292 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:55.039 so who died, who who went into those two buildings, 293 00:17:55.079 --> 00:17:58.680 the twin towers, knowing full well both of those buildings 294 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:02.079 were a flame and could collapse. Apps talk about talk 295 00:18:02.119 --> 00:18:05.799 about courage. That was aff that was a new generation, 296 00:18:06.039 --> 00:18:09.839 but just incredible courage for for all of them, and 297 00:18:09.880 --> 00:18:13.279 for your for your uncle to be on you said, 298 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:16.480 a mind sweeper in the South in the Pacific. It's 299 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:17.279 dangerous work. 300 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:27.319 Yeah, it was dangerous work. Charlie, appreciate it at present now. 301 00:18:27.799 --> 00:18:30.119 Yeah, absolutely, we all have a great and we all 302 00:18:30.119 --> 00:18:32.160 agree that to them, no doubt, to the men and 303 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:35.000 women of World War and women in Korea, the men 304 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:37.039 and women of Vietnam, and the men and women of 305 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:40.000 what of those who are standing guard around the world today. 306 00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:42.839 Charlie appreciate you call very much. Thank you, sir. 307 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:47.119 Yeah, yeah, takeically care. Happy veterans, same to you, sir. 308 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:49.640 And again this we this is Veterans Day, Memorial Day. 309 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:54.440 We celebrate the passing of veterans and the sacrifice. We 310 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:59.599 could celebrate their lives on Veterans Day and the sacrifice 311 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:02.599 they all taking a very quick break. We're coming back 312 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:04.599 right after the news here on Nightside. 313 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:10.319 Here on Nightside with Dan Ray on w Boston's news radio. 314 00:19:11.559 --> 00:19:14.400 Back to the phone calls. We're celebrating Veterans Day and 315 00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:18.839 giving you an opportunity to honor and acknowledge someone within 316 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:22.039 your family, within your community. I Leen, you were next 317 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:24.559 on Nightside. Who would you like to honor tonight? Eileen? 318 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:29.519 Well, I honored him a year ago, but I didn't 319 00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:35.359 get everything quite right, okay, And that's my uncle David. 320 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:44.680 And he graduated from Princeton University in nineteen forty one. 321 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:50.240 Tough to graduate from college, go ahead, and then he. 322 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:57.920 Was immediately drafted into the army. And I actually found 323 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:07.240 from the Princeton alum nye website he Uh, let's see, 324 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:13.960 he was assigned to be a navigator in October nineteen 325 00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:25.559 forty three. Uh, he as in the Army Air Corps 326 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:28.799 and then he and then he was then but his 327 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:35.799 plane was shot down in nineteen forty four and he 328 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:39.880 suffered a back injury that nearly killed him. 329 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:42.279 The other crew members on his. 330 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:47.000 Plane were all killed. And but he was in the 331 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:49.759 hot what what area was he in? 332 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:52.359 These in the Pacific? In Europe? Where was he shot down? 333 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:56.839 No, it was let's see, he was on route. I'm 334 00:20:56.839 --> 00:21:00.319 looking at the uh what I found online and he 335 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:05.000 was en route to England in April of nineteen forty four. 336 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:12.240 And then after he did make he made a remarkable recovery. 337 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.359 And then like your father, he joined the Office of 338 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:23.680 Strategic Services and served in India and Burma until separating 339 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:25.880 in November nineteen forty five. 340 00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:29.519 Dad, it was not in the OSS he was. He 341 00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:32.920 was in the Army as a staff sergeant in China 342 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.480 Bourban India as it was called CBI. Did your uncle 343 00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:39.440 after we get out of the military and all of that, 344 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:45.160 did he have a good life? I hope after having sacrificed. 345 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:49.359 So much he actually he did, but he had life 346 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:54.720 lifelong PTSD. You know, he would wake up in the 347 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:57.039 middle of the night crying and I remember this. 348 00:21:58.759 --> 00:21:59.920 But he. 349 00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:07.319 Went to law school after he got out, and he 350 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:14.000 and he got his law degree from the University of Florida, 351 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:20.039 and that's where he practiced law. He was a real 352 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:26.039 estate lawyer. He managed big citrus groves and so forth. 353 00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:29.160 And I was very, very proud of him. He was 354 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:31.519 my favorite uncle. 355 00:22:31.640 --> 00:22:33.599 Well, I'm glad that you that you got it all 356 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:35.920 in the record, Leen, he did a good job and 357 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:39.759 that just shows the sacrifice from from Princeton to being 358 00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:43.319 shot down and having his back injury that he probably 359 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:45.599 carried that with him for the rest of his life. Aileen, 360 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:47.400 I got a role here because I got a couple more. 361 00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:49.079 I got to get in here and then we will 362 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:50.480 talk again. Thank you so much. 363 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:53.880 Okay, Yeah, thanks Dan, good night very nice. 364 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.839 Yes, good night to you and have a great weekend. Okay. 365 00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:58.880 Coming up next, Ray is in reading. Ray, you were 366 00:22:58.920 --> 00:23:01.440 next on Nightside. Welcome TYI. 367 00:23:01.559 --> 00:23:06.319 Thanks Dan. I like to remember, like your previous callers, 368 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:10.079 the Greatest Generation, my dad was a B seventeen pilot 369 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:14.400 thirty three missions, shot down twice second time pow managed 370 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:19.359 to escape, made it back home, continued a career like 371 00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:24.200 every other American, became an American history professor and was 372 00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:26.400 the laison officer for the Air Force Academy. 373 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:33.160 Was he a history professor at the Air Force Academy too? 374 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:36.480 No, no, no, no. He After when he came home 375 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:39.319 from the war, he became a history professor as full 376 00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:43.519 time vocation and then continued service in the Air Force 377 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:47.319 Reserves and was the what they call the liaison officer 378 00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:48.960 for the Air Force Academy went off. 379 00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:53.160 I'm really curious with did he where did he teach, 380 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:56.960 and what was his area of expertise as a history professor? 381 00:23:57.039 --> 00:23:59.920 What was his his area us. 382 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:03.720 And mayor and history expertise? And he caught at Gordon College. 383 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:07.680 Oh sure, Gordon College right up the road here in Massachusetts. Sure. 384 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:12.519 Yeah, And he essentially wrote all of you know, went 385 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.359 to the high school, to the presentation on attending the academy, 386 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:19.440 interviewed the interviewee, and wrote recommendations for Senator Brooke and 387 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:22.920 Senator Kennedy and for the appointments to the academy. 388 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:28.240 Sure yeah, absolutely, Well that's great from becoming a B 389 00:24:28.440 --> 00:24:34.400 seventeen pilot and the pow now a part of history. 390 00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:36.480 I mean, that's someone who wasn't on the sidelines. He 391 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:38.640 was in the middle of the battle. That's a great story. 392 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:42.880 Yeah. And then two Gold Hopenleague cuffs and the Distinguished 393 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:46.559 Flying Cross he was awarded and I never really talked about. 394 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:49.359 I learned a lot by researching myself and talking to 395 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:54.440 other members of his crew. And then more importantly, when 396 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:57.160 I remember my uncle who I'm named after, the loss 397 00:24:57.240 --> 00:24:58.839 his life in the Battle of the Bulge. 398 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:04.440 So you had more than one direct family member involved 399 00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:05.279 in World War Two. 400 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:09.559 Yeah, absolutely, yeah, And truthfully, I haven't I haven't met 401 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:13.480