By Ray Lenarcic – November 11, 2014
A shout out to the men and women veterans of the “Greatest Generation” from us Baby Boomers who owe so much of what we have to their sacrifices on our behalf. Regarding the former, we just lost one of the greatest of the “Greatest,” Herb Ruff. His life could be a microcosm of every man who wore a uniform between 1941 and 1945. A native of Niagara Falls, Herbie lost his mom at five, suffered through that decade of hardships known as the Depression, and answered the call following Japan’s heinous attack on Pearl Harbor.
You could write a book about his experiences as a radioman aboard the Destroyer and DMS USS Hobson. He saw action on both fronts, taking part in Europe’s D-Day invasion and in the Pacific’s battle for Okinawa, during which his ship was hit by one of the infamous Kamikazes. When the guns fell silent, Herbie came home with a chest full of medals, including 6 Bronze Stars, and a head full of memories too painful to recount.
Like so many others of his “Band of Brothers,” he returned to the real world and married the love of his life (Hope), got a job (Moore Business Firms), and fathered his pride and joy (Gary-HCCC Professor Emeritus of Sociology). He led a full life, becoming a renowned handball and racquetball player, volunteering at Thanksgiving Day Dinners, worshipping at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, and, in those golden years, showering his grand and great-grandchildren with tons of candy.
Over the years, I got to know Herb almost as well as family members. In recollecting countless memories, three stood out. First, he played golf faster than anyone I knew. Once, I was bending down to mark my ball when something white rolled by me and into the cup. Herbie’s putt. Second, he loved to play poker and, with apologies to Kenny Rogers, never folded. Thirdly, as an example of his unique sense of humor, at the receiving line at our marriage, he gave Kay a hug and, knowing what a saint she is and how “high maintenance” I am, intoned, “You have my condolences.”
Somewhere in the great beyond the Herbala is probably playing Showdown with his buddy, Geno Diloreto(Herkimer), another one of the “Greatest” who left us this past February, and my uncles, Little Falls natives, the ‘Fighting Van Slykes;” Leroy, Bernie, Frances, and Bobby served with distinction in the European Theater. Frances earned a Purple Heart at the Battle of the Bulge, while Bob skipped his senior year to enter the Army Air Corps. When he mustered out as a First Lieutenant (bombardier) at the age of 20, he had survived 41 missions and earned the DFC and Air Medal with seven clusters. Three other uncles, Freddy (Lenarcic), Clarence (Wenberg), and Eddie (Dillon), also served in the Big One. And Fred’s son, Rick, saw combat in ‘Nam. All of the men mentioned throughout have their names inscribed on the black granite walls in the bucolic Veterans Memorial Park up on the hill (HCCC). Future generations will know that they and all the others memorialized there served in the armed forces.
This Veterans Day, make sure to thank every veteran you know for his or her service. Thank their spouses as well; their sacrifices and support have too often gone unrecognized. But make a special effort to thank our surviving WWII warriors, heroes like Little Falls vets Leo Gregorka (Marines) and Joe Vespasiano (Army), for whom the sands of time are running out. A handshake, a hug, and a thank you on our part is so little to ask, given the sacrifices they made for us, both during and after the war. And always remember, as the song goes, “Little things mean a lot.” I close paraphrasing the words of Pericles, the iconic Athenian statesman of the 5th Century B.C, “We must always remember our veterans; they are our very reason for being.”
- Thanks for your service, Joe V. God Bless You.