***** Heartfelt Memoir Built on Family Values —— Review by Rox Burkey
John Podlaski reveals the importance of choices made and the associated results. February 27th was a key family date celebrated with a special meal, presents, and balloons until something changed.
Readers will enjoy the groundwork laid for family expectations and everyone’s role. The decorations added to the festivities, along with the smells and sibling interactions, highlighted the family’s support of one another for this special day each year.
I enjoyed the vivid images delivered throughout the story, but this passage made me hungry.
On the right side, an assortment of pierogi (Polish dumplings filled with a choice of sauerkraut, cheese, or potato) filled a fifteen-inch black skillet. Two dozen of the small wedge-shaped pieces simmered in a sea of steaming butter. Mom usually cooked all three varieties, but since they were unidentifiable, it was always a crapshoot when trying to pick your favorite from the skillet. If you selected wrong, you were stuck with your first choice.
In 1970 the family event took on new meaning amid the Vietnam War. It reveals the processes thousands felt, often with little to no regard for an individual’s wishes. The small mistakes added up far to an unforeseen and unchangeable result.
Thank you, John, for another remarkable story. This quick read shares a bit of history from one man’s eyes that made his parents both proud and sad. It is a story I recommend for its love of family, honesty, and a look back at history.
About the Author
John Podlaski (1951 – ) was raised in Detroit, Michigan and attended St. Charles and St. Thomas Apostle Catholic schools, graduating in 1969. Immediately afterward, John started working for one of the automotive parts suppliers in the area and then attended junior college full-time in the fall. After four months of overwhelming pressure, John dropped out of college – choosing income over education. This turned out to be a huge error in judgement as a school deferment protected him from the military draft. Uncle Sam wasted no time and Mr. Podlaski soon found himself inducted into the Army in February 1970. Then after six months of training, John was sent to Vietnam as an infantry soldier; serving with both the Wolfhounds of the 25th Division and the Geronimo of the 101st Airborne Division. During his tour of duty, John was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, two Air Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and several other campaign medals. Back in the states, Mr. Podlaski spent the next four months in Fort Hood, Texas before receiving an early military discharge in December 1971.
The War Veteran returned to his former position with the automotive supplier and because of his military experience, he was promoted to shift supervisor. He met Janice Jo a few months later and married in 1973. The G.I. Bill helped them to purchase a home in Sterling Heights, MI, they continue living there to this day. A daughter, Nicole Ann was born in 1979. Using additional benefits from the G.I. Bill, Mr. Podlaski returned to college part time; graduating four years later with an Associate Degree in Applied Science.
In 1980, John began working on his memoir about his Vietnam experiences. He had carried a diary during his year in Vietnam, and his mother had saved all the letters he had written from the war zone – both were used to create the outline. He toiled on a manual typewriter for four years before finally completing his work. About the same time, a new national veteran group, akin to the V.F.W. was formed in Washington, DC. They called themselves “Vietnam Veterans of America” and chapters quickly sprung up around the country. John joined Chapter 154 in Mt. Clemens, MI, and as an active member, helped to launch their inaugural Color Guard – marching in parades and posting colors for local events. The members of this chapter were a closely knit group, but wives often felt left out during the many discussions about Vietnam. When learning that John had authored a book about his tour of duty, the wives asked to share a copy of the manuscript, hoping it would help them better understand what their husbands might have endured during their time in Vietnam. The memoir was well received, and wives were now joining their men during these discussions. All were increasingly supportive and urged him to locate a publisher. After hundreds of rejections, a publisher from Atlanta, GA finally came forward and offered to consider the manuscript if it were re-written to a third-person format.
Atari had just come out with a new computer console and a word processor – making re-writes and editing much easier; his work now saved on floppy diskettes. The re-write continued until 1989, consuming all his spare time. John had finished half of the manuscript, then suddenly lost interest – discouraged, and not wanting to work on it any longer – it was ten years already and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. So everything was boxed up and moved to the garage for storage.
Mr. Podlaski continued working for various companies within the automotive sector; primarily in Management roles tasked in either plant start-ups, financial turnaround, or plant closures. John returned to college in 2000 and received a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration two years later. He and his wife retired in mid-2013.
At John’s 40th high school reunion, many of his former classmates who read his original manuscript twenty years earlier had questioned its lack of publication. It was a great story and all were relentless in their efforts to get him motivated and finish the rewrite – offering help wherever needed.
After learning that the conversion of Atari diskettes to the Microsoft Word format was extremely cost prohibitive, John’s daughter offered to retype both the completed manuscript and the rewrite, saving both on a USB memory stick. Nine months later, “Cherries” was completed and published. It took almost thirty years, but seeing it in print made it all worthwhile.
During his retirement, John published a second book about his Vietnam experience called, “When Can I Stop Running?” in 2016. Additionally, he’s published two short stories: Unhinged and Unwelcomed; all are available on Amazon.
The author and his wife own a 1997 Harley Davidson Heritage motorcycle and enjoy riding when possible; both are members of the Harley Owner Group.
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4 replies to "2-27-70: A Short Story"
Thank you, /Rox, for featuring my book on your blog. I am humbled and most appreciative. / John
Hi John, Share to all your fans. I enjoyed this short and others will as well. Delighted you stopped in.
Congrats to John on this short story. I enjoyed it very much. The family aspect is dynamic. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rox!
A good news story for family support. Thank you for commenting, Jan.