Article by jacqueline conn by Freestyle Academy

ANDY The One & Only By Jacqueline Conn

walk up to the familiar apartment door with my camera bag by my side. After knocking on the door, Andrew Jochika greets me the same way that he always has: with a warm hug and a smile on his face that is almost as large as the energy he gives off. He then proceeds to sit me down at the kitchen table and hand me a bag of chocolates, but I politely decline. “Jacqueline, take as many chocolates as you want,” he says in a thick Romanian accent, the only clue that hints to his past. After I amuse him by taking a single bar of kinder chocolate, he goes into the kitchen to make himself his usual drink, scotch and soda. Before I know it, we are sitting at the dining room table, about to start the interview. At first he doesn’t know what to say, but after some casual conversation, he begins to open up. I begin to see what is hidden under his enormous sense of humor, tucked under his pride for his rose garden and for his great grandchildren;, it is a

story about a fighter, an adventurer, and a risk taker. A story about a 90 year old man that has experienced life more than I could ever imagine. About a rose with thorns that have protected him, but is still so beautiful and sweet. A story about Andy: The One & Only. rowing up in Romania, playing with his siblings, getting water for his baths, Andy felt like he could be a kid forever. But, as usual, that didn’t happen. Before he knew it, the young Andy was now a grown man of 18, ready to move forward in life, facing every obstacle he encountered. But one obstacle he never saw coming was World War 2. Once a child on a farm, Andy was now being drafted into a war that he didn’t believe in, but he had no choice., Hitler wanted everyone. hile the majority of his family was being sent to concentration camps (even though they weren’t Jewish), Andy was being drafted into Hitler’s army. By a stroke of

luck, well, by a stroke of his childhood friend speaking up at the right time, Andrew was saved from the front lines purely because he could ride a “motor bike” (Jochika). This got him far because it meant that he wouldn’t be placed on the front lines. However, he still had to encounter the war. One of his favorite stories to tell and one that those close to him know well is about one fateful night when he and a fellow soldier were driving a tank. After driving for a while, the two young men decided to get out and stretch their legs.; Andy’s partner also wanted to have a quick cigarette, but he didn’t have a lighter. Then, they saw a group of soldiers camping out so the young men went up to them and asked for a lighter. To their surprise, the soldier gave them an answer in Russian. Immediately the two young men realized that they had crossed enemy lines and had to get out of there as soon as possible. “We got in the tank and drove all night with-

out stopping” (Jochika). This wasn’t the only time that Andy was nearly another World War II casualty. He was in another tough spot later on in the war; he had to chose if he would rather be captured by the English or the Americans. He ended up choosing to be captured by the Americans because he knew that they would at least feed him (Joshika). After days of torture, he was let go. A young man set loose on the open roads of Germany, with the pavement zooming under the wheels of his motor bike to the metal tank, he spent countless hours in with his wartime friend and the torture he had to go through, there is no doubt that this man had a youth that was anything but boring. However, Andy’s adventure didn’t stop there; his biggest adventure was yet to come. He was coming to America. ith nothing more than a few dollars in his pocket and the clothes on his back, Andy made his way through the unfamiliar streets of his new home. He didn’t know how he was going to survive, but he knew he would. “He is a stubborn man that has the drive and willpower like no other” (Conn). However, on top of his will to make a living for himself, Andy was a very lucky man and, once again,

luck was on this young Romanian man’s side. It didn’t take long for this charming man to make friends, and before he knew it he was making friends left and right. One of his new friends was an o l d e r w o m a n who ended up giving him enough money to let him start making a living for himself. This push that got him going helped him form more and more relationships with people. ne of the longest relationships he had (and still has) is with his close friend and business partner, Ron. The two jokesters always playing pranks on eachother. “Andy goes to Germany every year and one year, before he left, he told me that he wanted to paint his truck. When he got back, I had painted his truck pepto bismol pink because he didn’t tell me what color he wanted” (Ron). is new friends didn’t only help him make a living;,

they also helped him find a life long partner, his soulmate, his second half, his Lorraine. He had been working for a few months at a store when his new friend by the name of Frank introduced him to his wife, Amy, and her sister, Lorraine. You could almost say it was love at first sight; well, love at first conversation, because Lorraine had a skill that not many people in America had:; she could speak German. Andy was then invited to Amy’s birthday celebration on June 12, 1951 where he and Lorraine got to spend some time together. They then began to date, and after two months, Andy was head-overheels in love with this tiny fire-

“I like working in the dirt; in the garden. That’s what keeps you young.” -Andrew Joshika

cracker of a woman. With a little bit of pushing from Lorraine’s nephew, Andy was ready to get married. owever, there were many tragic losses in Lorraine’s family result in the wedding getting pushed back farther and farther. Then, on November 26, 1951, the young couple couldn’t wait any longer. “We got married in San Jose by a judge who sent people to jail. He never got married, but he wants to marry us because it was his pleasure. And then we went out for lunch” (Joshika). Over the course of 60 years, Andy only grew to love and adore Lorraine more and more. They had built buildings together, including the apartment building that they have called home for so many years. Lorraine was the one that always kept him in shape and let him know when he was in trouble by saying “Andrew” in a stern, dragged out manner. Tragically, after a 6 month battle with cancer, Lorraine passed away on July 20, 2012 with Andy by her side, leaving him completely heartbroken. owadays, you can find Andy at his apartment. But he isn’t sitting around eating bon bons all day (Jochika). At the mature age of 90, he is still out in the world,; starting everyday with a cup of Jack in the Box coffee and then spending the next 24hrs doing as he pleases.

He does have a favorite activity that he spends a large amount of those hours on. “I like working in the dirt,; gardening. Being active is what keeps you young and healthy” (Jochika). And he needs to stay young and healthy because one of his life goals is to live longer than his great aunt who lived to be 104 years old. Gardening isn’t the only activity that fills his day. He also makes a phone call to his relatives in Germany every single day just to check up on them and to see how things are going. That’s true dedication. ndy, like his rose garden, has so many wonderful and vibrant colors which carry a vibrance like no other. That vibe is sure to remain for the many more years Andy plans to have. He truly is Andy, the one and only.

Works Cited Conn, Skip. “Interview with Skip Conn.” Personal interview. 25 Apr. 2016. Digital image. Web. <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Roma nia_wwII.sv/2000px-Romania_wwII.svg.png>. Jochika, Andrew. “Interview with Andrew Jochika.” Personal interview. 3 Mar. 2016. Jochika, Andrew. “Interview with Andrew Jochika.” Personal interview. 1 Apr. 2016. O’Connell, Kit. “The Forgotten 5 Million Non-Jewish Victims Of The Holocaust.” MintPress News. MintPress News, 05 Aug. 2015. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. <http://www.mintpressnews.com/the-forgotten-5-million-non-jewish-vic tims-of-th-holocaust/208329/>. “Romania.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 29 Jan. 2016. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. Ron. “Interview with Ron (long Time Friend of Andy).” Personal interview. 17 Mar. 2016. Rubinowitz, Edie. “Hosting the Enemy: Our WWII POW Camps.” Curious City: The Chicago Area Was Home to Several German Prisoner of War Camps during World War II. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.