The Connection Bridgewater-Somerville Edition Dec 2015/ Jan 2016

www.theconnectionsnj.com

1271 Rt. 22 East, (Lebanon Plaza)

Lebanon, NJ 08833

KING TUT

FINE MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

CATERING AVAILABLE ON AND OFF PREMISES

NEW CATERING MENU AVAILABLE ONLINE:

www.KingTutRestaurant.com

Reservations Suggested

GLUTEN FREE MENU • BYOB

1/2

Rated By The NY Times &

The Star Ledger

Very Good

908-840-4668

Hours:

Mon.-Fri.

11am-10pm

Sat.-Sun.

12pm-10pm

Belly Dancing

Every Friday

Night

CERTIFICATE

OF EXCELLENCE

FROMTRIP ADVISOR

T he Tales My Father

Never Told Me!

By: Ellyn Mantell

He was eighteen years old, and by the standards of the day, a man, ready for battle.

He was not unique, countless marched to enlist to protect our country. I know not

whether he chose to become a marine, hoo rah, or if they were recruiting in Elizabeth,

New Jersey. He, like so many scores of others, had never left home, never seen the

world...so perhaps that made becoming a bomber, a bombardier, so exciting (fright-

ening?) for him. I can only tell you that for the short amount of years I knew my father,

he was fiercely proud of being “there” and yet never said a word about it. While he

fought in the south pacific, in the back of a fighter plane, crouched for hours as the

plane traveled to the target for the mission, he lost both of his parents, battled depres-

sion, battled the enemy, entertained the troops at the base at night with his beautiful

voice and talent as a musician, and yet, my sisters and I discovered most of what we

know after his early death, so what tales I missed!

It occurred to me watching the amazingly wonderful movie UNBROKEN, (produced by

Angelina Jolie and adapted from the book by Laura Hillenbrand) that each of the sol-

diers, regardless of which country they represented, had their own story to tell, and

that this chapter, albeit horrendous and larger than life, was only at the beginning of

their book of life, assuming it wasn’t their last chapter. What an interesting con-

cept...those who survived, had so much of their lives ahead of them, they were not

much older than children, and yet their most harrowing days were to become the piv-

otal points for so many chapters to be written. World War II changed everyone’s lives,

it is true, but none more so than the young women and men who were THERE. The

things they saw, the pain they endured, the survival instincts that saved so many, those

are stories that made the legend...and yet, so many never uttered more than a word

or two about their experiences, regardless of how many decades they lived thereafter.

As I watched UNBROKEN, I was riveted by this man, Louis Zamparini. His family was

first generation from Italy, his parents speaking next to no English. Their children trans-

lated for them. Coincidentally, when my parents, sister and I returned from our early

lives in California, we lived with my grandmother who spoke no English, and she, too,

had several interpreters to explain the ways of our country, one very different from her

native Poland. My mind returned, as I watched Mama Zamparini prepare gnocchi, to

my grandmother preparing our Sabbath dinner, and all of us who were her grandchil-

dren, racing home to catch a taste of the fried chicken fat (gribenas) we adored.

These are the memories that endured for Louis...that of the foods, the kneading of the

dough, the sight of cracking eggs being whisked to a light and fluffy perfection. And

those were the stories he shared while adrift on a pontoon for over 40 days with his

flight mates who survived being shot down by the enemy. Eventually, those who sur-

vived were captured and “treated as an enemy of the country” until their liberation by

the allies. We learn that before the war, Louis discovered his incredible ability to run

speedier than any other high school athlete, becoming an Olympiad, creating in him

the motivation to endure. This was a characteristic his captors identified and despised!

For the young soldier in charge of the enemy camps, a personal struggle existed as

they compared their determination to survive.

Louis’ story became the book that became the movie! His legend is now known for all

of eternity. World War II has another face...that of a boy whose family came here for

a better life, and then he nearly lost his, countless times.

We know Louis’ legend, but my sisters and I barely know our own father’s. Each year

over Memorial Day weekend we would travel to Quantico Marine Base so my father

could take us to the Px concession store to buy our gum at a discounted price. He would

salute all the Marines, and drive around because it was his “right” to do so...and it sure-

ly was. He was a bomber who could have been captured or floated away at sea. What

horrors did he see? Did he look his enemies in the eyes...enemies as young as he, grown

up children? We will never know. He returned, met my mother and they began their

lives. He is gone, but if you have someone to ask about their lives...their legend...please

do so, because there may be tales you have never been told!

CHICKEN

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SEAFOOD

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CATERING AND PARTIES

SUPER BOWL

Feb. 7th

Place Orders Early

691 E. Main Street, Bridgewater

1/4 mile west of TD Ballpark

732-469-4111

View our menu and daily dine-in specials on website

www.chickenholidaybridgewater.com

Open 7 Days a Week

Sun.-Thurs. 10:30am-8pm; Fri. & Sat. 10:30am-9pm

We Cook Cholesterol Free

We accept all major credit cards

Buckets of Chicken

Buffalo Wings

Dinner For Two

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