Related by Marriage: You're in the Army!

Mr. Irene's Dad—"Father-in-Law"—was younger than my Parents. When he sailed to the United States in June, 1949, he still was an unmarried man. Father-in-Law, like all Displaced Persons who arrived in America, had the "sponsorship" of a U.S. citizen. A sponsor ensured that the new arrival would have housing, would not displace any American workers, and generally would stay out of trouble. Father-in-Law's sponsor was a distant relative whose family had settled in Chicago as part of the first wave of Lithuanian immigrants.

Father-in-Law initially settled in Brighton Park, a south-side, Lithuanian enclave similar to Marquette Park. Because he lived in Brighton Park, Father-in-Law had few opportunities to speak English. He carried out his work life and his social life in the Lithuanian language.

Father-in-Law got an unexpected notice about twenty months after he emigrated to the States. The U.S. Army had drafted him. The Korean War was under way, and the U.S. Army stationed Father-in-Law at the base in Barstow, California as … a tank instructor. This life change meant that Father-in-Law learned English rather quickly. He hung around with a bunch of privates, and his closest buddy was a cook in the mess hall. Father-in-Law learned Army-base English.

Father-in-law was eager to show his sponsor's family how proficiently he had absorbed the nuances of the English language. On leave for Thanksgiving, he headed home to Brighton Park. Sitting at the holiday table, and midway through the meal, Father-in-Law asked, "Would someone please pass the fucking potatoes?"

The stint in the U.S. Army had additional benefits. First, the timeline for Father-in-Law's naturalization process sped up because of his service in the military. Second, as a Korean War vet, Father-in-Law qualified to join the V.F.W. It was at a V.F.W.-sponsored event that Father-in-Law first met Mr. Irene's Mom.

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, February 16, 1951. Father-in-Law looks happy.