Related by Marriage: Location

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951 or 1952. Mr. Irene's Dad considers the place.

A Remembrance from Mr. Irene

My Dad passed away very peacefully Friday evening, November 6, 2015, in the consoling company of his family.

He suffered a number of complications after breaking his leg last December. After some strong and stable months in the Spring, he succumbed to a severe bone infection and ultimately, sepsis.

Dad lived a life filled with the joys of hard work and devotion to his family; enlivened by Lithuanian wit and humor; and strengthened by an optimistic, American heart.

Like so many of his countrymen, Dad escaped the fierce advance of Soviet troops through Lithuania by escaping into Germany and then Austria in the final year of World War II. In the years immediately after the end of the war, Dad and some of his immediate family lived as Displaced Persons (DPs) in camps established by the Allies in Germany. It was an atmosphere of chaos, danger, and uncertainty.

Lithuanian and Polish nationals living in DP camps in the American zone near Frankfurt were invited by the U.S. Army to apply for support security roles guarding both German and American assets. Dad enlisted in the Lithuanian canine patrol corps and was assigned to the U.S. base camp at Kaiserlautern. (That camp would grow over the years into NATO headquarters. The last photo below shows my Dad in 1948 sharing a laugh with visiting U.S. Army brass. It's my favorite image of Dad from that time.)

From that post, Dad observed the start of the Berlin Airlift after the Soviets blockaded that city. He did nightly patrols around the forest surrounding the camp. His devoted partner was Arno, a loyal and beautiful German Shepard. Dad checks up on Arno (at Arno's barracks) in this first photo (from 1947) below. Dad is 19 years old in that photo.

Dad celebrated his 21st birthday by sailing past the Statue of Liberty into New York Harbor aboard the USS General Hann. In the second photo below, taken just after the immigrants had disembarked from the ship, you'll see Dad (second from left) with white hair—encrusted in sea salt as he paced the outer decks. Within hours, Dad was on a train to Chicago to begin his new life in America under the kind sponsorship of an uncle who had emigrated from Lithuania in the 1920s.

Shortly after their arrival, my Dad and his older brother, my late Uncle Ignas, were drafted for service in the Korean War. The third photo below shows a farewell outing for Ignas (center) in October, 1950 in Chicago's Grant Park. My Dad stands on the far left. One year later, Dad was drafted for U.S. Army service at Camp Irwin in the Mojave desert east of Los Angeles. He served as a tank instructor, running daredevil maneuvers in the endless sand dunes.

Before President Truman left office, he determined that foreign nationals who had served in the Korean conflict were to be granted U.S. citizenship upon their honorable discharge.

Dad returned to Chicago in 1953 and worked in manufacturing jobs until his retirement. By 1959, our family had moved to Melrose Park, where Dad worked for Benjamin Moore and Co producing paints and stains for the next 35 years. In the penultimate photo, Dad stands front of our Melrose Park home, circa 1965.

Thank you, Dad, for you service—not only to your adopted country but to your family until the day you breathed your last. We love and miss you more than you could imagine.

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Related by Marriage: Desert Jacket

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, February 24, 1952. Mr. Irene's Dad chose this photo as a memento for his brother, Ignas.

Related by Marriage: Civilian Wear

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1952. Mr. Irene's Dad must be nearing the end of his Army duty.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 31)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, an Army friend walks the desert with Mr. Irene's Dad.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 30)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, December 1951. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Mr. Irene's Dad poses with another, fellow tank instructor.

Related by Marriage: The View from the Tank

Camp Irwin, Bartsow, California, 1951. It's another workday for Mr. Irene's Dad.

Related by Marraige: Army Buddies (Part 28)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Mr. Irene's Dad and his friend stay on the marked path.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 27)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, the mess-hall chef great Mr. Irene's Dad outside his barracks.

ADDED: The chef was Mr. Irene's Dad's best friend in the Army. This is the fellow who taught Mr. Irene's Dad the basics of the English language Mr. Irene's Dad brought to the Thanksgiving table.

Related by Marriage: On Patrol

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951. Mr. Irene's Dad breaks from his duties as a tank instructor.

Related by Marriage: At the Base

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951. Mr. Irene's Dad adjusts to his new surroundings.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 26)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Ed created a memento for Mr. Irene's Dad.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 25)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, January 11, 1953. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, a fellow-immigrant soldier penned a Polish-language greeting to Mr. Irene's Dad.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 24)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, a buddy washes up.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 23)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Mr. Irene’s Dad takes a desert break.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 21)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951 or 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Mr. Irene's Dad (left) shares a laugh with a fellow tank instructor.

Related by Marriage: Another Eisenhower Jacket

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, December 1951. Mr. Irene's Dad wears the familiar jacket near the barracks.

(I posted other uniform variations here and here.)

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 20)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, Mr. Irene's Dad says goodbye as he celebrates his U.S. Army discharge.

Related by Marriage: Army Buddies (Part 18)

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, 1951 or 1952. In this "Army Buddies" snapshot, a fellow tank instructor poses for Mr. Irene's Dad.

Parched Reunion

Near Mesa Verde, Colorado, July 1967. We visit the area near Four Corners.