NEWSPAPERS Special Edition
‘I
FEEL PRETTY
GOOD FOR MY AGE’
WWII VETERAN GETS READY TO TURN 100
BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
WARREN — Although more than 80 years have passed since Gino D’Ambrosio went to war, there are certain memories that never faded.
The World War II veteran can still hear the sound of bombs that caused widespread destruction, tears up when thinking about his captain who was killed in battle, and will never forget those long days he spent as a prisoner of war.
The Warren resident recently reflected on his military service while getting ready to celebrate a milestone birthday: he turns 100 years old Nov. 18. A family party is planned this weekend.
“I feel pretty good for my age,” the soon-to-be centenarian said.
D’Ambrosio’s story begins in 1924 in Detroit where he was born and spent some time living in an orphanage. He was the youngest of five children, and the only sibling born in the U.S. as the other four were born in Italy. The family endured heartbreak as both parents died when the children were young. All five children were adopted by other families, but did not live together during
See D’AMBROSIO on page 8A
Indiana girl donates hair in SCS
BY ALYSSA OCHSS aochss@candgnews.com
ST. CLAIR SHORES — An Indiana girl traveled to St. Clair Shores to donate her hair to make wigs for kids in need.
After careful research and consideration, Jillian, the hair donor, ultimately decided to donate her hair to Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan. The organization creates wigs for children with different medical conditions, including cancer and alopecia, that causes them to lose their hair.
Jillian and her mother Amanda traveled all the way from Northeast Indiana to deliver her hair to the organization. The journey takes around three hours by car to get to St. Clair Shores.
Jillian said when she conducted her research, she
liked the cause and the provided information, calling it the best fit for her.
She’s been growing her hair out for around five years. She said she’s wanted to donate her hair for quite a while.
“At one point I was like if I want to do this then I’ve just got to do it,” Jillian said.
She went on to say she went through a couple websites and found the organization.
Amanda said she is very proud of her daughter.
“Jillian has always been a compassionate kid who has always liked serving and helping others, especially, you know, younger, like youth, like kids, teenagers,” Amanda said.
She went on to say Jillian is involved in a variety of different organizations including places that provide
See HAIR on page 10A
ABOVE: Gino D’Ambrosio, of Warren, was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1943. During the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, he was captured by the German Army and spent five months in a prisoner of war camp. Photo provided by Bob Kolinski
LEFT: D’Ambrosio was awarded two Purple Heart medals and two Bronze Star Medals while serving in World War II.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
Jennifer Fisher, Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan development director, shows Jillian and her mom Amanda a book with pictures of children who received wigs from the organization.
Photo by Alyssa Ochss
CONFIDENCE, COMRADERY SHOWCASE BRIGHT FUTURE FOR MAC HOCKEY
RECAP OF MAC HOCKEY MEDIA DAY
BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com
MACOMB COUNTY — As L’Anse Creuse Unified head coach Jon Nader said before the night began, the Macomb Area Conference was “flying by the seat of our pants” as nine teams gathered for the inaugural media day event.
Media days have been extinct for several years in the MAC across all sports, so it was a refreshing, exciting, and also anxious moment for MAC hockey as L’Anse Creuse Unified played host for the first-ever MAC hockey media day Nov. 4 at Macomb L’Anse Creuse North High School.
Coaches exchanged pleasantries and various team members from opposing schools conversed, ending in laughter and a sudden urge to step on the ice and show who the better team was this season.
But most importantly, it was a stepping stone in efforts for MAC hockey to grow its popularity and recognition in the path towards what other conferences have built on the hockey scene — such as the Oakland Activities Association and Kensington Lakes Activities Association.
Maybe it will set the tone for other MAC sports to bring back media days of their own, but for now, all the attention was set on the hockey scene and what each team is going to bring to the table this year.
Below is a summary of the local teams in the 2024-2025 MAC hockey field. For our full preview, go to candgnews.com.
Chippewa Valley United (Co-op of Chippewa Valley and Macomb Dakota) League: Macomb Area Conference Red Last season’s record: 19-9
This senior group has really turned around the hockey program, posting 21 and 19 wins, respectively, the past two seasons while becoming regulars in the regional finals.
Now it’s about getting over the regional finals hump and making some noise in the tournament, and a playoff loss to league rival
Romeo last season might be just exactly what the team needed.
“It’s honestly inspiration for us. I think we have the talent to come back and do it again,” junior forward Cameron Staskowski said. “We lost two years in a row, so we think this is our year.”
Posting 19 goals and 25 assists last season, Staskowski, who was voted team captain and second team all-state last year, leads an experienced group alongside senior forward and assistant captain Kevin Dolney (23 goals, 12 assists) and senior defenseman Andrew Johnston (4 goals, 16 assists).
Chippewa Valley united, comprised of Macomb Dakota and Chippewa Valley, formed a co-op for the first time last season as Chippewa Valley joined Dakota’s already established hockey program.
It took a moment for the team to gel and understand how each other plays, but by the end of the regular season Chippewa Valley United was on an 11-1 run, including nine-straight wins, and playing its best hockey yet.
The 2025 campaign will be all about building off the success and finally capturing a regional championship, and who knows where the journey goes from there.
“We just have a really good bond on our team and we all get along,” Johnston said. “I think that will help us make a run this year because we have something to prove.”
Utica Eisenhower League: Macomb Area Conference Red Last season’s record: 7-19-1
The bottom of the league is never the place you want to be, but Eisenhower isn’t letting last season’s struggles define who they are.
The Eagles 2024 graduation class certainly didn’t do this year’s squad any favors by taking away the top-six point scorers, but the returning core of senior forward/ defenseman Adam Morrison, senior forward Brendan Chateau, and senior forward Jacob Blanzy, and senior defenseman Dylan Rodgers will help Eisenhower continue to progress.
“We have a lot of heart,” Chateau said. “We never give up. If we’re down two goals in the third, we’re going to score and come back.”
Eisenhower will also return all of its goaltenders from last season, bolstering the defensive side with veterans.
First-year head coach David Erwin will
need his seniors to step up and be leaders if the Eagles are going to find their footing early, which has been a struggle in the past.
Building a successful foundation should be the point of focus for Eisenhower, and Morrison said he and the seniors are ready for the challenge.
“These kids are going to be playing for the next couple years, so if we want to keep growing the program we have to show these kids what to do in the future,” Morrison said.
Utica-Fraser
Unified (Co-op of Utica, Utica Ford, Sterling Heights Stevenson and Fraser) League: Macomb Area Conference Red Last season’s record: 11-14
What a year this could be for UticaFraser Unified.
Holding only 16 players on the roster last season, and at some points just 10 skaters during games, Utica-Fraser Unified’s roster has retooled from 16 to 28 after Fraser and Sterling Heights Stevenson joined.
More players means more line changes and cool down periods for the team’s skaters, which bodes well for a team that won 11
The camaraderie and brotherhood of MAC hockey showed itself at the Macomb Area Conference hockey media night Nov. 4 at Macomb L’Anse Creuse North High School.
Photo by Erin Sanchez
Law enforcement program returns to UCS after 10 years
BY KARA SZYMANSKI kszymanski@candgnews.com
SHELBY TOWNSHIP — A law enforcement program has returned to Utica Community Schools that allows high school students to learn about the career directly from a uniformed police officer after a nearly 10-year absence.
Through a partnership between Utica Community Schools and Shelby Township, officer James Knobelsdorf is leading the yearlong career and technical education course on law enforcement.
Knobelsdorf, who is a 39-year veteran of law enforcement and a certified career and technical education instructor, was previously the school resource officer at Eisenhower High School.
Knobelsdorf said the yearlong course is designed to show all facets of law enforcement careers, including serving as an officer and working in a forensics lab. The course can also serve as a background to study law.
“It is yearlong. In order to fulfill the articulation agreement with Macomb Community College, it needs to be a year long. My main goal is for students to see what the job is. When they leave here, I want them to be able to say, ‘Yes, this is a career I want to investigate,’ or ‘No, this is not the job for me,’” he said.
Upon completion of the program, students will have earned six college credits at Macomb Community College to help them work toward a post-secondary degree. There are currently 125 students enrolled in the program, according to the district.
Knobelsdorf said he brings in speakers with different law enforcement roles who relate the course of study to their personal work experiences. It is the blend of coursework and guest speakers that students reportedly like best about the course.
“I am also bringing in prosecutors and attorneys to talk about the legacy aspects of the career. Not everyone is going to be a police officer. I am bringing in a federal prosecutor and someone from the FBI to
talk about their career pathway,” Knobelsdorf said.
The main goal is for students to see what the job is and also to see how the technology is used. Besides being a road patrol officer, students could become forensics officers with the Michigan State Police crime lab. The crime lab is a way to apply a chemistry and biology background in the law enforcement field.
He said the field might not be for everybody, but it has been for him.
“That’s why I am so passionate about this program. My son went through this very program in 2004. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do until he took this class, and now he is a lieutenant in the Ann Arbor Police Department. He is extremely successful,” he said.
Issa Dababneh, a junior at Eisenhower High School, said the program interested him.
“I looked up the list of electives that I could take, and it was something I have always been interested in. I think it is a nice class. I like the teacher and how he gives us firsthand experience. He shows videos in class and talks about cases that happened. He brings in people to talk about their jobs in law enforcement,” he said.
Sarah LaRose, a senior at Utica High School, said she thought the course would be interesting.
“I like to learn about the laws and what you can and can’t do,” she said.
She said I think when he brings in guest speakers and they share their real work experience.
“I like how he brings in speakers because they can talk directly about the job,” she said.
While the program is only 2 months old, Knobelsdorf said he is pleased with how the students have responded to the class.
“I have some amazing young people in this class that no matter what they do, they are going to be successful. The support here for the class has been great,” he said.
Sterling veteran remembers unique Thanksgiving dinner in Egypt
BY ERIC CZARNIK eczarnik@candgnews.com
STERLING HEIGHTS — Over three decades after it happened, Manny Gonzales still remembers what he describes as “my best Thanksgiving ever.”
And for the 64-year-old Sterling Heights resident and veteran, that occasion wasn’t a time when he was surrounded by family, a feast or a football game. It was while on assignment overseas as a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army, and his meal options were far more limited.
At the time, around 31 years ago, Gonzales had been stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, but was deployed to a training exercise in Egypt.
“Thanksgiving came, and we were supposed to have turkey, but we were waiting on a helicopter that was bringing in the fresh meat, stuffing and all the fixings,” Gonzales said. “But the helicopter had mechanical issues.”
He said this logistical snag greatly disappointed the troops, who had been looking forward to good grub in-
stead of MREs – meals ready to eat. As dinner time approached, they learned that the helicopter that was supposed to deliver supplies still hadn’t come and was likely going to be too late for Thanksgiving.
Gonzales said the mess sergeant on-site did the best with what he could do, but for the most part, supplies were scarce, and it was “chow time, but no chow.” So Gonzales went back to his tent, where he at least had a personal stash of snacks.
But at around 10 p.m. that night, Gonzales heard a helicopter, and shortly after, he heard a knock on his tent. A chaplain came in and announced that he was delivering some food.
“Me and my lieutenant were in the tent, and I was already in my sleeping bag,” Gonzales explained.
“(The chaplain) brings over a little package of roast beef, enough for a sandwich. So when he brought that package of meat and he gave us two slices of Kraft individual sliced cheese that the helicopter brought in, we had,
See THANKSGIVING on page 10A
Manny Gonzales sits while in uniform somewhere in the Middle East during the Gulf War in the early 1990s. Gonzales, a Sterling Heights resident and U.S. Army veteran, shared a story about his Thanksgiving while serving in Egypt over 30 years ago. Photo provided
POETRY A SLAM DUNK FOR ART CENTER
BY DEAN VAGLIA dvaglia@candgnews.com
MOUNT CLEMENS — It has featured sculptures, paintings, fiber and photographs and, as of late October, spoken word poetry has found a home at the Anton Art Center.
The art center hosted its first poetry slam on Oct. 30, filling the secondfloor gallery with over 30 interested members of the public and nine poets vying to be the sultan of the slam.
“Several were poets, several were community members who came to see the show,” Anton Art Center Executive Director Matt Matthews said. “There was some wider pull from outside (Mount Clemens.) There was an Oakland University student who came and competed in the slam. A young woman from Ray Township came and competed in the slam and finished in second place.”
Slam poetry combines a poetry reading with the thrill of competition, turning audience members into judges of a battle of both the strength of a poet’s work and their stage presence.
“The idea of a poetry slam is that it’s a way to make it into a very lighthearted competition to, I guess, tweak a people’s love of competition in general,” event organizer Harry Campion said. “The idea that you can put a numerical score on poetry in the first place is a little bit ridiculous. But on the other hand, it can also feel extremely validating when it goes your way.”
Campion had been a high school educator for 30 years, turning his experience teaching creative writing into a retirement career of running poetry workshops and organizing poetry slams. Campion’s classes and events lead to him being a founder of the poetry slam tournament at the Grand Hotel’s speech tournament. Matthews approached Campion at the Shelby Township Library in the spring of 2023 about running some workshops and hosting a slam at the Anton Art Center.
Both Matthews and Campion were happy with the turnout and have begun discussions about holding a second slam at the Anton Center around Valentine’s Day 2025. Details on the second date are to come.
Once
ABOVE: Audience member judges hold up scores following a poetry reading at the Oct. 30 Anton Art Center poetry slam. Harry Campion tallies up the scores for each round.
LEFT: Harry Campion speaks with judges at the Oct. 30 Anton Art Center poetry slam. Judges were pulled from the audience and provided scores for each poet’s performance.
Photos by Patricia O’Blenes
D’Ambrosio
from page 1A
childhood. The kids remained in contact as children and adults.
“The oldest sister made sure the kids were placed with families from Italy,” D’Ambrosio’s daughter Gina D’Ambrosio said. “He didn’t know they were siblings until he was 14.”
D’Ambrosio was adopted by Antonio “Tony” and Philomenia D’Ambrosio. He remembers how loving they were. Dad worked at Ford, mixed cement and made wine in the family’s basement.
D’Ambrosio eventually left the comforts of home when drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1943. According to family members, he became a staff sergeant in the 423rd Infantry Regiment of the 106th Infantry Division.
“I was pretty good in the Army,” the military veteran said.
D’Ambrosio shared his war stories with his family over the years. Something Gina always remembers was her dad’s faith.
“You were always praying, ‘Don’t let my mom take it too hard if I get killed,’” she reminded him.
Gina’s husband, Bob Kolinski, put together a book with photos that include insight into D’Ambrosio’s war years, him as quarterback on the Wayne University football team, and other highlights of his life. D’Ambrosio was present during the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944, that occupied the beaches of Normandy, France.
“He was a disruptor that flew in behind enemy lines on gliders,” Kolinski said.
As the war raged on, the brave soldier
was captured by the German Army just before Christmas Day 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge in southern Belgium.
“I woke up and there was a German with a gun,” D’Ambrosio said.
Because it was December, the weather played a factor.
“It was so damn cold,” he recalled.
He suffered a wound in his foot, too, when hit by shrapnel and was cared for in a
hospital, Kolinski said, before he was taken by train to a prison camp in Prüm, Germany. He spent five months as a POW.
“He was in at least three prison camps that we know of,” Kolinski said.
“The prison camp was the worst,” D’Ambrosio said. “They had no food. I got one shot of water with a bath. There was nothing to do. As the time goes by, it gets tough.”
One saving grace were the guards, who actually “were nice,” the war veteran said.
Something he managed to do was help gather food for other captured soldiers.
“He befriended one of the German guards,” Kolinski said. “He was able to mix in with some POWs from Italy. He would put on an Italian uniform, go to work detail and bring back food for his comrades.”
‘His positive attitude is so inspiring to everyone.’
As the war continued, hope emerged. As new prisoners were captured, they would talk with D’Ambrosio and the other POWs who let them know that the U.S. soldiers were moving into Germany and soon the war would end. Toward the end of the war, body lice was an issue.
“Oh, my God. When they freed us, it was terrible,” D’Ambrosio recalled. “They took all our clothes, sprayed us and we put on our Army clothes. I became a new man again.”
When his POW camp was liberated, D’Ambrosio was transported to France. From there, he boarded one of the first ships that returned the GIs home to U.S. soil. Even though the sea can be rough, D’Ambrosio said sailing home was “a smooth ride.” When the troops arrived in the New York City har-
bor, the first thing they noticed were the bright lights that greeted them.
“All the lights and cars and people waving at us was beautiful to see,” the veteran said. “The lights were so nice and bright.” It was a stark contrast from their time in Europe, which was always dark at night to keep enemy fire at bay. Instead of coming straight home to Detroit, D’Ambrosio took the long way, first arriving in Chicago, then relocating to Texas before finally returning to Detroit.
“Detroit was so quiet,” D’Ambrosio remembered.
“His parents didn’t know if he was alive,” Kolinski said. “They didn’t have any idea.”
At home, Kolinski said D’Ambrosio’s dad played the song “God Bless America” on the Victrola repeatedly to welcome his son home. D’Ambrosio, who was awarded two Purple Heart medals and two Bronze Star Medals, adjusted to civilian life. He became a teacher, coach and married his wife Patricia on Oct. 5, 1957. As a coach, he is a member of the Catholic High School League Hall of Fame and is also in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
D’Ambrosio also spent many years working for Little Caesars Pizza founder Mike Ilitch. He said working at the Fox Theatre “was the best job of all. I met all the stars.” The D’Ambrosios had three children: Gina, John, and Michael, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Patricia died in 2003.
Gina believes her dad’s great outlook on life contributed to his longevity.
“He’s always said what a great life he has had. He has no complaints,” she said. “His positive attitude is so inspiring to everyone.”
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Photo provided by Bob Kolinski
While in uniform, Gino D’Ambrosio, left, takes a moment with his dad Antonio “Tony” D’Ambrosio.
games last season on the backs of a limited roster.
“I feel like we’re going to be one of the better teams this year with the amount of players we have and the bodies keeping us fresh and energized,” junior goaltender Eli Chodun said.
Chodun is one of the primary returners this year alongside senior forward Niko Lajb (28 goals, 10 assists), sophomore forward Nate Sheridan (14 goals, 14 assists), and senior defenseman Ashtin Fertik (8 goals, 19 assists).
With more firepower and depth, expect Utica-Fraser Unified to showcase improvement, and potentially build towards something special in the coming years.
“Our offense has been really strong for us, and our goaltending has been really good too,” Lajb said. “I think we can beat a lot of people with our offense and goaltending.”
L’Anse Creuse Unified (Co-op of LCN and LC) League: Macomb Area Conference White Last season’s record: 12-14
The father-son trip with the whole team has been a tradition under head coach Jon Nader, which will feature three days and three cities this year with Tawas, Traverse City and Gaylord.
“It’s a lot of bonding time,” junior goaltender Perez Silva said. “Once we’re done with the bus trip we usually stay in rooms with our teammates. It’s just a great bonding experience where we can all get together and just really get close with each other before
the season.”
Since L’Anse Creuse Unified was unable to make the trip last season, maybe that’s why a team that had sustained success in both the regular season and playoffs was eliminated in the first round.
But what each player agreed upon was that they’re coming into the season with a “chip on their shoulder,” and the weight of the success will be laid on its senior core consisting of senior forward Aiden Suchocki (14 goals, 13 assists), senior forward Justin Brooks (12 goals, 15 assists), senior forward Vince Pica (16 goals, 10 assists), and senior forward Drew Halaas (12 goals, 10 assists).
Expect junior forward Logan Jarvey (8 goals, 17 assists) and junior goaltender Perez Silva, who was 3-6 with a .913 save percentage, to also be standout players for L’Anse Creuse Unified as well.
L’Anse Creuse Unified’s season took a massive hit at the end of the year when it faced a 2-8 stretch, including seven-straight losses.
“We kind of switched up the lines a little bit and tried new things, and it just didn’t work out,” Jarvey said. “We were somewhat of a younger team. This year will be much better.”
With a motivated, veteran group, expect L’Anse Creuse Unified to significantly improve this year and return to its winning ways.
St. Clair Shores Unified (Co-op of Lake Shore and Lakeview) League: Macomb Area Conference White Last season’s record: 13-10-1
St. Clair Shores Unified’s season could’ve taken a different road then it ended up on, and there’s something to be said for
that type of turnaround.
An 11-0-1 run in the middle of the season flipped the script on a 2-6 start, which completely changed the mentality of the squad.
“During that last stretch we had last season, we really came together as a team and developed our identity and where we wanted to be as a team,” senior forward Brennen Lenk said. “Practices became more competitive and everything just started to mesh more, and it really showed on the ice.”
There’s also something to be said for how the playoffs turned out for SCS Unified, which was a disappointment.
The Lakers captured the attention of local fans two seasons ago as they made a run to the regional finals, beating both Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South to have a shot at Warren De La Salle.
Going into the playoffs last year, junior forward Gavin Mckee said the team may have gotten a little too excited.
“I think we were thinking more of (Warren) De La Salle than Port Huron Northern, and I think we just got there and we were flat,” Mckee said. “Ever since then, and I remember that last shift against Port Huron Northern because I gave it my all, so I’ve just been continuing that and trying to
be my best.”
Lenk (15 goals, 22 assists) and Mckee (16 goals, 20 assists) headline the returning group alongside senior forward Vaughn Zmijewski (14 goals, 20 assists), junior forward Caden Gersch (15 goals, 16 assists), and junior goaltender Will Young, an allstate honorable mention.
The Lakers have all the talent to make it back to the regional finals, and it will rely on their scorers and up-tempo play to take them there.
“We have a pretty high-flying offense,” Lenk said. “We have a lot of playmakers on our team and a lot of kids who can finish and skate. We play well as a unit and pass the puck well with the way we zip it around. We just play with a lot of energy.”
Grosse Pointe North
League: Macomb Area Conference Blue Last season’s record: 1-22
It will be an uphill battle for a Norsemen team graduating its top-three point scorers, but senior captain Tim Klatt will be a key veteran hoping to lead the squad to an improving season.
Sophomore goaltender Ben Bugeja, who faced nearly 900 shots in his first varsity season, will also return in net for North.
from page 1A
youth groups and retreats with children.
“I’m always proud of Jillian for what she does and who she is and who she is becoming,” Amanda said. “It’s amazing to be her mom.”
Jennifer Fisher, development director for Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, gave them a full tour of the facility. It has a styling room for kids and teenagers and much more. Since many kids with cancer can’t go to a regular salon because of germs, the organization offers them a salon experience right in the facility.
During the tour, Amanda said Jillian wanted to donate her hair for quite a while.
“We didn’t just want to throw the hair in an envelope, so we wanted to come here,” Amanda said during the tour.
Amanda appreciated how the organization cares for the whole person instead of just giving the children wigs.
“I love how you’re trying to help with every aspect because that makes a difference,” Amanda said during the tour.
Fisher said she thinks Maggie Varney,
Thanksgiving
from page 5A
for us, the freshest piece of meat that we’ve had in a while.
“And we were so grateful to have this food, and it was still Thanksgiving night.”
Gonzales said he still remembers the lesson that taught him about gratitude, and he encourages people to think about and pray for the members of the armed forces who are currently serving overseas.
“It was nice that somebody thought of us,” he said.
Gonzales’ wife of 43 years, Maria, said
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Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan founder and CEO, realized they needed to care for the whole person after working with so many kids and taking surveys. She went on to say when they started, they just provided wigs to the kids.
“They would tell her all these things that they needed help on,” Fisher said during the tour. “And when the parents would sit there and go, ‘Well, I’d love to do this for her, but insurance doesn’t cover it.’ And (we) went, ‘Well, why can’t we provide that? Why can’t we do this and make it like a whole wellness package?’”
Varney said families normally cannot afford the wigs they make, but because of people like Jillian who donate their hair they can make the wigs for the children and their families.
“As long as they need our services, they can stay in our program,” Varney said. “They get a new wig every single year and it costs them nothing and their families nothing.”
Councilman Dave Rubello said Varney is known around the state and called Jillian an angel for donating her hair.
“You’re helping people and those are the people that say they were touched by an angel,” Rubello said.
that when she first heard the story of her husband’s Thanksgiving in Egypt, she was happy that it ended well, though she was sad that he had to wait so long for his meal.
Maria explained that when Manny was on active duty, the couple would frequently invite soldiers from Manny’s company to their home on Thanksgiving if they were unable to spend the holiday with their own families.
According to Maria, this too resulted in some memorable stories.
“My first Thanksgiving with the single soldiers, I made a pumpkin pie,” she said.
“And I didn’t know at that time that you don’t put a crust on (top of) a pumpkin pie.”
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SEAFOOD
