Interviewed by Jakub Jarmula
I was born in New York in 1945. My parents, my brother, and I moved to Pennsylvania when I was four years old, and I have lived in Pennsylvania ever since. I served from 1967-1969 in Hawaii, and I did not have to go to Vietnam. After being discharged, I resumed my job as a butcher. After the store closed, I became a building engineer until I retired in 2008 due to my health. I had to have operations on my colon, pancreas, and left knee, and I come in for dialysis. Otherwise, I have been pretty healthy. I was also a minister. I enjoyed mentoring others and giving back.
I have been married for 53 years, and I have two daughters—46 and 50 years old—who live nearby. For the past three years, my wife has been in a nursing home for her arthritis. I make sure to visit her with my daughters, but I still miss her. My older daughter works in the VA hospital in admissions and registration.
During my retirement, I have been enjoying life. In church, I played trombone for the band with my brother on the drums. From August to October, we traveled up and down the Eastern Seaboard to perform: New York, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. I first started playing the trombone in the 8th grade, but I don’t find much time to play anymore. However, my grandchildren—four boys and two girls—play it now.
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