World War II Marriages

Harry "Red" Madsen met his wife, Betty Kaplan, while in the Army.  She was from Brooklyn.  He was from Iowa.  It is not likely they would have met had it not been for World War II.  I wrote about him April 3 and 4  "Hoist One for Red."

Last month I wrote about the Liberty Ships and the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in Wilmington, N.C., and the first ship launched, the SS Zebulon Vance, eventually ended up carrying war brides back from Europe.  Again, not likely these new wives would have met their husbands had it not been for the war.

My wife's father, Ambrose, grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Her mother, Frances, grew up in Kansas.  Amby was stationed in Kansas which is where they met.

The War Taketh Away and Giveth, I Guess.  --GreGen

Hoist One in Red's Memory

Red Madsen, who I wrote about in my last two posts yesterday, was just a regular guy who got caught up in a huge event.  He managed to come through and live a great life.

I really enjoyed what his daughter listed you should do in order to honor him:

**  Hoist one

**  Over tip a waitress

**  Give a bum money

**  Make a fool of yourself

**  Make a child laugh

**  Feed the hungry

**  Don't worry

Good words to love by in life as well.

I'll Definitely Hoist One in Red's Memory.  --GreGen

Hoist a Glass for Red Today-- Part 2: Quite a Life for Mr. Madsen

"After graduating from Audubon High School, he moved to Chicago.  Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Army, which put him in the Signal Corps.  During training, he met Betty Kaplan, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and married her in Stuart, Fla., before he was shipped to the Pacific.

"When the Army finally let Red go in 1946, he and Betty settled in Chicago.  He returned to Audubon and Westphalia, Iowa, working as a custom butcher.  He later worked the railroad, most of the time for for the Chicago & North Western,  He was married three times with two of his spouses passing away.

"Red Madsen loved his wives, his kids, everybody else's kids, his family, dogs, fishing, whittling, doodling, reading (especially Mark Twain), Cord automobiles, hoisting a few with friends and telling stories.

"It pleased him that mischief might break out at any time, but it distressed him if anyone got hurt by it, unless maybe it was some powerful S.O.B. who deserved it.

"Contributions may be made as follows:  Hoist one in Red's memory and overtip the waitress -- she needs it more than you.  Give a bum a dollar, maybe five, and for once don't worry about what he;ll do with it.  Learn something new.  Make a fool of yourself so a child will laugh.  Help get food to the hungry and don't worry about whether they deserve it.  Don't worry about being safe."

A Fitting Obituary.  Here's to You, Red.  --GreGen

Hoist a Glass for Red Today-- Part 1: World War II Veteran

From the May 30, 2016, Chicago Tribune editorial.

Red Madsen came home from war and led an ordinary life.  Even after seeing all the bloodshed and destruction.

When he died, his daughter wrote an obituary about his life and wartime service.  She knew that he had advanced island to island and was approaching Japan in the weeks before the two atom bombs ended the war.

Not until his death did she learn that he had earned a Bronze Star for combat heroism.

Part of the obit:  "Harry N. 'Red' Madsen, 76, retired railroad brakeman, died September 15, 1996, in Audubon, Iowa, 13 miles from where he was born."

--GreGen