I’m Leslie because jr. and this is my story why do I like to paint well its
story why do I like to paint well its
story why do I like to paint well its form of therapy in one respect this is
form of therapy in one respect this is
form of therapy in one respect this is my art studio today here’s some of my
my art studio today here’s some of my
my art studio today here’s some of my brushes what do you see out there well
brushes what do you see out there well
brushes what do you see out there well this is what I see I don’t see gloom
this is what I see I don’t see gloom
this is what I see I don’t see gloom doom I like to remember in my youth just
doom I like to remember in my youth just
doom I like to remember in my youth just drawing pictures capturing the things
drawing pictures capturing the things
drawing pictures capturing the things that I think are beautiful my mother I
that I think are beautiful my mother I
that I think are beautiful my mother I know artistic talents used to paint in
know artistic talents used to paint in
know artistic talents used to paint in oils and stuff so I guess some of that
oils and stuff so I guess some of that
oils and stuff so I guess some of that interest got to me my parents were
interest got to me my parents were
interest got to me my parents were separated when I was seven so I didn’t
separated when I was seven so I didn’t
separated when I was seven so I didn’t have them to rely on I spent the next 10
have them to rely on I spent the next 10
have them to rely on I spent the next 10 years in an orphans home my mother
years in an orphans home my mother
years in an orphans home my mother couldn’t handle it anymore five kids
couldn’t handle it anymore five kids
couldn’t handle it anymore five kids left alone
left alone
left alone and my father going like separation in
and my father going like separation in
and my father going like separation in my early life made it more important to
my early life made it more important to
my early life made it more important to have somebody care about me my my
have somebody care about me my my
have somebody care about me my my brothers and sisters and how that
brothers and sisters and how that
brothers and sisters and how that affected us most of the guys I knew were
affected us most of the guys I knew were
affected us most of the guys I knew were all ready to go knock the trottin
all ready to go knock the trottin
all ready to go knock the trottin there’s a chance – I gotta go –
there’s a chance – I gotta go –
there’s a chance – I gotta go – somewhere do something I was still a
somewhere do something I was still a
somewhere do something I was still a loner because I know that when I came in
loner because I know that when I came in
loner because I know that when I came in they didn’t look at me it was too
they didn’t look at me it was too
they didn’t look at me it was too confident that he’s gonna mount anything
confident that he’s gonna mount anything
confident that he’s gonna mount anything to get into that Brotherhood you had to
to get into that Brotherhood you had to
to get into that Brotherhood you had to prove yourself worse
Richard Vargas was a tent mate and when
Richard Vargas was a tent mate and when we were in England one of the things
we were in England one of the things
we were in England one of the things that I admired about Richard was every
that I admired about Richard was every
that I admired about Richard was every night he would kneel down beside his
night he would kneel down beside his
night he would kneel down beside his caught and say the Rosary
this is the real thing now
this is the real thing now no more maneuvers in play this is it
[Music]
[Music] we were pretty safe there for a moment
we were pretty safe there for a moment
we were pretty safe there for a moment but then as the things quieted down like
but then as the things quieted down like
but then as the things quieted down like it here Vargas crying and whimpering him
it here Vargas crying and whimpering him
it here Vargas crying and whimpering him Michelle had landed right beside him his
Michelle had landed right beside him his
Michelle had landed right beside him his head was at my shoulder when I put this
head was at my shoulder when I put this
head was at my shoulder when I put this tourniquet around him and I could see
tourniquet around him and I could see
tourniquet around him and I could see his like shredded I said I knew I
his like shredded I said I knew I
his like shredded I said I knew I couldn’t cope with that
couldn’t cope with that
couldn’t cope with that when I found out that he had died
when I found out that he had died
when I found out that he had died I just went across the road and I just
I just went across the road and I just
I just went across the road and I just sat on her Road and cried it out it
sat on her Road and cried it out it
sat on her Road and cried it out it sounds so callous but there was much you
sounds so callous but there was much you
sounds so callous but there was much you can do it’s always been with me there is
can do it’s always been with me there is
can do it’s always been with me there is no real freedom in these things we’re
no real freedom in these things we’re
no real freedom in these things we’re all obligated to something or somebody
in Holland they were in a day after day
in Holland they were in a day after day and today can be helped
all the sudden them in Belgium I felt
all the sudden them in Belgium I felt this hot sensation in my hand and I knew
this hot sensation in my hand and I knew
this hot sensation in my hand and I knew I had been hit they named it a
I had been hit they named it a
I had been hit they named it a million-dollar wound a light wound it
million-dollar wound a light wound it
million-dollar wound a light wound it would get him out of a front and
would get him out of a front and
would get him out of a front and situation and to this day I’m still
situation and to this day I’m still
situation and to this day I’m still carrying about a 3/8 inch piece of
carrying about a 3/8 inch piece of
carrying about a 3/8 inch piece of shrapnel on my left brush which makes it
shrapnel on my left brush which makes it
shrapnel on my left brush which makes it hard to operate there was no family who
hard to operate there was no family who
hard to operate there was no family who come back to I was just looking for a
come back to I was just looking for a
come back to I was just looking for a place to hang up my hat and I came back
place to hang up my hat and I came back
place to hang up my hat and I came back to Philadelphia because that’s where I
to Philadelphia because that’s where I
to Philadelphia because that’s where I had grown up I was able to spend four
had grown up I was able to spend four
had grown up I was able to spend four years at the University of Pennsylvania
years at the University of Pennsylvania
years at the University of Pennsylvania studying architecture well that was my
studying architecture well that was my
studying architecture well that was my career I worked as an architect for I
career I worked as an architect for I
career I worked as an architect for I guess about 60 years I attended the
guess about 60 years I attended the
guess about 60 years I attended the church and by up the street which was
church and by up the street which was
church and by up the street which was Shelton Avenue Methodist Church and I
Shelton Avenue Methodist Church and I
Shelton Avenue Methodist Church and I met Charlie and year later we would
met Charlie and year later we would
met Charlie and year later we would become married and when her mother died
become married and when her mother died
become married and when her mother died we decided that we would look for
we decided that we would look for
we decided that we would look for another home a short time after that and
another home a short time after that and
another home a short time after that and we have lived here ever since for 62
we have lived here ever since for 62
we have lived here ever since for 62 years
the fact that I was placed in an
the fact that I was placed in an orphanage made it more important to have
orphanage made it more important to have
orphanage made it more important to have a family and to make the family function
a family and to make the family function
a family and to make the family function the way it should function and I think
the way it should function and I think
the way it should function and I think we achieved that the question was asked
we achieved that the question was asked
we achieved that the question was asked to me what I think about my country and
to me what I think about my country and
to me what I think about my country and what it means to be free I think you
what it means to be free I think you
what it means to be free I think you know an American citizen should be
know an American citizen should be
know an American citizen should be basically a responsible person to his
basically a responsible person to his
basically a responsible person to his family first to his community and then
family first to his community and then
family first to his community and then to his country the National warplane
to his country the National warplane
to his country the National warplane museum in Geneseo New York has a
museum in Geneseo New York has a
museum in Geneseo New York has a airplane up there called w7 whisky 7 and
airplane up there called w7 whisky 7 and
airplane up there called w7 whisky 7 and it is the same plane that I jumped out
it is the same plane that I jumped out
it is the same plane that I jumped out of one d-day we were fortunate enough to
of one d-day we were fortunate enough to
of one d-day we were fortunate enough to have a number of our grandchildren and
have a number of our grandchildren and
have a number of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren be there dear shall
great-grandchildren be there dear shall
great-grandchildren be there dear shall we participate with us and actually get
we participate with us and actually get
we participate with us and actually get a ride in the same plane that their
a ride in the same plane that their
a ride in the same plane that their grandfather rode in
grandfather rode in
grandfather rode in [Music]
[Music]
[Music] what do you see out there this is what I
what do you see out there this is what I
what do you see out there this is what I see I don’t see going doom and this is
see I don’t see going doom and this is
see I don’t see going doom and this is your Garden of Eden this is what we were
your Garden of Eden this is what we were
your Garden of Eden this is what we were supposed to have
supposed to have
supposed to have [Music]
and it’s been a good life you just buy
and it’s been a good life you just buy the Borla term wa how can you be 92
the Borla term wa how can you be 92
the Borla term wa how can you be 92 years old does not be blessed those are
years old does not be blessed those are
years old does not be blessed those are of course emotional statements and
of course emotional statements and
of course emotional statements and they’re always hard to stay and when you
they’re always hard to stay and when you
they’re always hard to stay and when you have 13 great-grandchildren you have to
have 13 great-grandchildren you have to
have 13 great-grandchildren you have to know that you were blessed by God and I
know that you were blessed by God and I
know that you were blessed by God and I am
”
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