I just found out....

[FloridaNative]

that my neighbor died. I used to talk to him all the time because he would come out to get his mail at the same time that I would be outside waiting for my son's school bus to arrive and so we would talk everyday for like a half an hour or more sometimes. But the mailman we had retired and the new mailman who took over the route comes much later in the day after my son's bus had already come and gone and so I never got to see him and now yesterday I found out that his house was up for sale and that he had passed away.

I'm sure by now some of you have already closed this thread and moved on and those of you that are still hanging with me here waiting for this thread to have some sort of point let me tell you now why I decided to post this. Afterall people die everyday, no? What makes my neighbor so special? Well, let me tell you.

His name was Thomas Pollicino. He was from Brooklyn, New York. He was 87 years old when he died. To anybody who would see him he would look just like a typical person like anybody else, but he was not typical. To me he was a hero. He fought in France during World War II in one of those battles where everybody in his platoon died except for himself and two other soldiers. He was awarded 3 purple hearts for wounds he received in battle and a silver star which is awarded for showing extraordinary heroism in the face of the enemy.

When he died there was no sounding of trumpets. There was no headline in the newspaper announcing that the world had just lost a great man. None of us neighbors got together to mourn him and talk about his life. There was nothing. Mr. Pollicino died alone in his home and I didn't even know it until I saw his house for sale.

I started this thread to let people know that there was a man, a great man, named Thomas Pollicino. He was a hero. His light just left the world and I will miss him dearly. I started this thread to honor him and to let you all know a little bit about the man. May he rest in peace.

[andy7jem]

This is a nice post. I think you should be greatful, as i'm sure he was, that he got to live a full life when so many of his friends/colleagues died around him all those years ago.

May he rest in peace,having admirably played his part in our freedom.

[FloridaNative]

When his wife was dying, he came to my house and asked me to come help him because she had dementia and he just didn't know what to do. I went over there and tried to help her as best as I could and when we finally got her back to sleep again, he showed me all his medals and the pictures of his Army buddies. He told me about France and about all the friends he'd lost there and he broke down into tears as if it has just happened yesterday. They are the ones in the trenches, dying and being wounded for the rest of us. They see things and experience things that nobody should ever see and the rest of us could scarcely even imagine. And long after the wars are over, these men still carry it with them for the rest of their lives. These men are true heroes.

[OLIE_ROCKS_THE_80'S]

Originally Posted by FloridaNative

When his wife was dying, he came to my house and asked me to come help him because she had dementia and he just didn't know what to do. I went over there and tried to help her as best as I could and when we finally got her back to sleep again, he showed me all his medals and the pictures of his Army buddies. He told me about France and about all the friends he'd lost there and he broke down into tears as if it has just happened yesterday. They are the ones in the trenches, dying and being wounded for the rest of us. They see things and experience things that nobody should ever see and the rest of us could scarcely even imagine. And long after the wars are over, these men still carry it with them for the rest of their lives. These men are true heroes.

You know that sounds a heck of a lot like what my Grandfather went through!!! he also fought in France in WWII and he told me a similar story where his whole platoon got anahilated! He was a part of Mr. Meat Grinder Patton in the III army. I wonder if this gentleman was with my grandfather in that massacre??? I will have to ask him if remembers someone by the name of Pollicino?

[FloridaNative]

It's possible. Wouldn't that be amazing if they fought together?

[Axayacatl]

FloridaNative I am very grateful that you have told us about him. You should feel blessed that you had a chance to meet him and that he shared his stories with you.
RIP another dead hero, we owe you all we have today.

[Ayrton]

Thank you for sharing this with us.

[FloridaNative]

Originally Posted by Axayacatl

FloridaNative I am very grateful that you have told us about him. You should feel blessed that you had a chance to meet him and that he shared his stories with you.
RIP another dead hero, we owe you all we have today.

I do feel blessed. It was an honor to know him.

[elcid]

Sorry to hear about that, FN.

[FloridaNative]

Originally Posted by elcid

Sorry to hear about that, FN.

I'm sorry that he passed because I will miss him. I'm sorry that he died alone. I wish I had been there to hold his hand when he passed. When I found out I just had to do something about it. I felt compelled to tell whoever would listen about him and what kind of a man he was. Thank you all for listening. (hugs)

[elcid]

Not to change the tone of your thread FN, but a guy on the Blackhawks message board posted this story that I thought was interesting about his grandpa who was in WW2

"So I was talkin with my grandpa today, we were talking about world war 2. My Grandpa worked at Com Ed after he got out of the airforce in 1953, and had a co worker who was in WW2 and got sent home because he got bayonetted in the lung(he lost a lung) by a german (group of 4) that had gone over to their side of the rhine river, the Germans surprised by him fled and he took out his sidearm and fired and hit the german that knifed him in the a ss. Well the other Germans picked up the wounded German and they disappeared into the dark. In 1955, Com Ed had some German Engineers over to consult with some new hardware they were having put in . Well apparently my grandpas friend and one of the engineers kept looking at eachother. So they both said the other looked familiar and his friend laughed and said I bet your that german that stabbed me in my damn lung on the rhine. Apparently, the German had a big smile on his face and dropped his pants and wouldnt you know it had a scar from a bullet wound right on his a ss. Then they both began laughing and started talking about the war."

[FloridaNative]

Originally Posted by elcid

Not to change the tone of your thread FN, but a guy on the Blackhawks message board posted this story that I thought was interesting about his grandpa who was in WW2

"So I was talkin with my grandpa today, we were talking about world war 2. My Grandpa worked at Com Ed after he got out of the airforce in 1953, and had a co worker who was in WW2 and got sent home because he got bayonetted in the lung(he lost a lung) by a german (group of 4) that had gone over to their side of the rhine river, the Germans surprised by him fled and he took out his sidearm and fired and hit the german that knifed him in the a ss. Well the other Germans picked up the wounded German and they disappeared into the dark. In 1955, Com Ed had some German Engineers over to consult with some new hardware they were having put in . Well apparently my grandpas friend and one of the engineers kept looking at eachother. So they both said the other looked familiar and his friend laughed and said I bet your that german that stabbed me in my damn lung on the rhine. Apparently, the German had a big smile on his face and dropped his pants and wouldnt you know it had a scar from a bullet wound right on his a ss. Then they both began laughing and started talking about the war."

WoW!! What an amazing story!! Thanks for sharing it Cid.