I met up with a friend yesterday, and finally realized he was a real "HERO"
...Stan is not his real name, the real one starts with ST, and I will leave it at that. I had talked to Stan many times, and know him from a park district recreation center with a track, Ice rink, lots of rooms, fitness center, etc. The track overhangs a basketball court and is quite a facility.
...I started walking there 23 years ago, (at the indoor track-11 times around is a mile) and I really don't know when I met Stan. He originally was from Poland, but his story is quite incredible,. Stan is 92 years old, and in reasonably good health. He doesn't look like the common hero, but he is to me.
...Stan grew up in a city in Poland. He is Jewish like me, and at the beginning of WWII, the Nazi's came to his town, and took it over. As, they took over the town, they went from building to building checking people out and Stan escaped. He ran away, I think he had a sister that survived, but I don't know much about that. Stan ran to the East..alone..and wanted to escape what was coming.
...He was on his own, sleeping alone wherever he could, and alone. I am guessing he was 12 at the time. He kept going east to get away from the German invasion. Eventually after some time, he gets into the Soviet Union..and safety.
...On June 22, 1941, the safety stopped. The Germans invaded the Soviet Union and their army moved east towards Moscow. I don't know the particulars, but Stan joined the Soviet army, and fought with the Soviet army for a few years against the Germans. . He told me some of the hell he saw, but that is for another time. Yes it was real hell of the worst kind that Stan saw. Living ugly hell, killing, and death, and more death.
... At the end of the war, Stan was with the Russian army as it conquered Berlin. Somehow Stan made it to one of the American compounds and decided to stay with the Americans instead of the Russians. I don't know how he did that but war chaos and things happen in war. Remember the Soviets were allies with the U.S. and it was no big deal I guess, because we won.
....So he stays with the Americans for a while and makes friends with them. By now Stan is somewhere between 18 and 20. So the officers there ask Stan, if he has any relatives in the U.S.A.. Stan looks at a map, and near the middle of the map, there is a city with a little star next to it. Stan said yes, in that city with the star, Springfield Illinois. He pointed to the star..(there was a star near Springfield Illinois because Springfield is the capital of Illinois, and all the capitals of states had stars for identification)..So the U.S. Army gains control of Stan, and it sends him to his relatives in Springfield. Yes, Stan became an immigrant to U.S.A. at the end of the war. I don't know if Stan had any relatives there, but that worked to get him away from the Soviet Union.
....Stan starts a new life in Springfield Illinois. Eventually after some time, he makes his way to Chicago Illinois, and after a while, Stan joins the U.S. Army for some more experience.
... After his tour in the Army, Stan returns to Chicago, becomes a citizen, meets a lady, has a family, gets a job selling liquor and booze. About 50 years later sometime in the early 2000s (maybe 2002, 3, 4, or 5) I meet Stan and heard some of his story while we are walking around the track, or sitting in the lounge taking a rest from walking around the track. I got to know him..
...Yesterday..while I was at a large food store, I saw Stan. I had not seen him for a couple of weeks because I have not been going to the track in the morning. Anyway, after talking to Stan at the food store (it was a large Jewel/Osco which is in our area) I realized that Stan was and is a real HERO. He fought with the Soviets against the German Army in WWII. He survived and came to the U.S.A. ....Stan is a real live HERO that has done great deeds............................................................
And Stan is alive and reasonably well in a suburb near Chicago called Skokie Illinois. If you talk to him, and look at Stan, you wouldn't think he is a HERO, but he is. Yes, he is 92 and fought with the Russians against the German Army during WWII, and is a real live HERO. (at least to me he is)
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