A Patriot Remembers
Learning never gets old
O
ur lives nowadays are made up of watching TV. Old TV programs have become popular again. We should realize there are things we can learn from TV. I recently watched the western “High Chaparral.” The episode had a platoon of Buffalo Soldiers assigned to a town that had become corrupt and unruly. It made me think about a WWII Buffalo Soldier Veteran I met one evening about 5 years ago. The OTB on Central Avenue by Shop Rite held a Tuesday night free Texas Hold-em poker game with regular crowds of about 90 players. One night, I commented to a friend that a man there looked like Joe Lewis. He was about 86 years old with a body of a boxer. The
evening concluded at about George Forman. The conversa10:30 p.m. and only a few stayed tion turned to his experience until the end. When I left, I saw in WWII. He said he was a this man walking toward the paratrooper, but he never went only car in the parking lot, but overseas. He was assigned to he did not get in and kept California and did not walking. I then drove serve long. He told up to him and said, me he was a Buffalo by “I saw you playing Soldier and their poker. Where are insignia was the you going now?” Triple Nickel. His He said, “I have service was to to catch the 11 jump from planes p.m. bus at the to fight fires in the corner of Central forest. He told me Avenue and Allen Japan was sending balStreet.” I responded that he loon bombs that they hoped was not lucky at poker tonight, would create wildland fires. but he was lucky as I offered him The next day, I used my a ride home. computer and searched for “Buf-
Frank DeSorbo
We talked and I mentioned that he looked like Joe Lewis, and he told me in his younger days they said he looked like
falo Soldiers” and “Triple Nickel insignia” and realized my education did not include Buffalo Soldiers. I have a folder deep in
my cave of the experience with Rabu. This was his last name as he was known to many. My WWII buddy Angelo knew him from years ago. They both liked OTB and the horses. I took Rabu to other poker nights since he did not drive. He went to one of the Carolinas to visit a relative and subsequently I lost track of him. My education of the Buffalo Soldiers, their insignia and Rabu was a lasting learning experience that God sent me that night. When I reached his home down by the old St. Joseph’s School in Albany, he was very thankful and said, “I met my guardian angel tonight.” The author is a Capital District resident and freelance writer and guest speaker. Contact him at fomservice@aol.com.
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GENERATIONS TOGETHER
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14 Family Now — February 2021
