tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post3521561842937597168..comments2023-10-12T03:40:53.964-04:00Comments on These Gentlemen: Roundtable and FamilyDavid Pratthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741107987673246357noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-67414640448814451732009-04-21T21:14:00.000-04:002009-04-21T21:14:00.000-04:00Heh. So, about my story... Perhaps due to my own e...Heh. So, about my story... Perhaps due to my own embellishments, perhaps part of my father's embellishments, perhaps this is a story I pieced together from fragments of other stories I've heard since childhood, perhaps my mind has a penchant for taking things and running with them - my mother just revealed that my tale is patently inaccurate. <br />(But, it does sound cool!)<br /><br />Here's how it really happened/corrections:<br /><br />My grandfather was the "Chief of Staff" of Turkey, NOT the Attorney General. He apparently was a naval commander before hand. My father DID graduate from a military high-school (and, actually did rather well). He failed out of the Naval Academy instead because he constantly played sports and didn't focus on his classes. Dede was not offering him a diploma (or to graduate), but simply, to be reinstated (similar concept, much more realistic). My father, the man of integrity that he is, declined and wanted to do things his own way.<br /><br />He applied to the Secret Service, but there wasn't much to do otherwise for him. 3rd world country - jobs were limited. At this point in time, the right and left wing (true communism and fascism - driven to a further extreme than has ever been prevalent in America) began killing each other to move their political agendas. Civilian Warfare - families that could afford to send their children to Universities outside of Turkey did so for fear that classmates anywhere else in Turkey would kill them. My father left for England, where he attended an English Language School. And THAT's when he met my mother in England.<br /><br />They met in Harlexton, although my father did spend some time in London. Apparently, he and his friend "George the Greek" were the first two students she met. The Scottish landlord stuff is all true. The one piece of coal thing is actually fairly accurate. And he did travel a bit - mostly between England and Spain, apparently. You can throw out the stuff about trains and odd-jobs, though. I have no clue where I got that from - probably just a large blank I attempted to fill in.<br /><br />There are also interesting little chunks of stories that I didn't know before that I've just been filled in on. Unfortunately, I won't be telling them here. They're my father's secrets and I don't tell those. Not even for These Gentlemen. That would be a gross violation in integrity.<br /><br />The Barber thing is 100% true - though, he didn't need his equivalence since he already had his diploma. And, he DID make the choice the go to America. My mother has always wondered if it was for her. He's never told her.<br /><br />It's still my favorite tale. At age 22, he's still my personal hero. When I think about what it means to be a man, I always think of my father and this tale in particular.Ozkirbashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17058172749734459717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-40201755831291497822009-04-20T23:27:00.000-04:002009-04-20T23:27:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1848471753025049912.post-22196786840542203342009-04-20T23:18:00.000-04:002009-04-20T23:18:00.000-04:00Wow. Tech week makes me suck as a person.
Yes, ...Wow. Tech week makes me suck as a person. <br /><br />Yes, my story comes from my Gramma's cousin. It was about my German family, who were all deep in the German army before World War II. In particular, this is about her uncle, who was very high up in the army before Hitler took over. When he got word that he was supposed to go into the S.S. he killed himself. He said he didn't want to kill his own people. <br /><br />My Gramma's cousin was too young for Hiter's Youth (you had to be ten and she was something like six), but she remembers so much from that time (trauma does that); she's currently writing her memoirs. I can't wait to read them.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14292773360697246224noreply@blogger.com