Senior Center News

Do you want to know how to get there from here? Or here from there? Wonder how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania spends all the monies it takes in from the lottery? Then plan to come to the Chestnut Hill Senior Center on Tuesday, June 28 at 1 p.m. for a special presentation by TransNet and CCT/Connect, the shared ride programs of Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties. There is no charge and refreshments, as always, will be available. The Senior Center is located at 7999 Crittenden Street, just up the block from SuperFresh, Blockbuster and the Market Square Post Office.

On the last Tuesday of every month (June 28 this month) the senior center will host all pinochle players beginning at 10 a.m. If you have a partner or partners, invite them to come along. The center provides the cards and tables; bring a brown bag lunch if you plan to stay till noon or beyond. And, of course, all are welcome to attend the center’s special 1 p.m. program, “Getting there from here.”

Responding to another area of learning that members and neighbors have expressed an interest in, the Chestnut Hill Senior Center will introduce conversational Spanish in July. Groups will meet for 90 minutes on Mondays at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays at 1 p.m.; choose the day and time that best suits you and plan to commit to a six-week session. Call the senior center today for more details: 215-248-0180.

How about dinner and a night out? On Wednesday, June 29, the Trolley Car Dine, located at 7619 Germantown Ave., through its “Helping Hands” program, will host the Chestnut Hill Senior Center. Members of the center, their friends, family and neighbors, and everyone who likes to eat out should plan to have dinner at the diner. Arrive anytime between 4 and 8 p.m. and remember to tell your server or the cashier you are there for the Chestnut Hill Senior Center. Fifteen percent of your dinner check will then be donated to the center and its programs.

The Chestnut Hill Community Association sponsors the Senior Center.

Senior Center Celebrates in Style
by PAT STOKES

You have to hand it to the directors and staff of the Chestnut Hill Senior Center; they never miss a trick when it comes to finding things to celebrate. So here it is June; June 14 is Flag Day, so: tenhut! Speeches! Flags! War veterans! Food! And for totally unexpected fun, parked right outside the center, nothing less than the jeep from M*A*S*H! Yep, the real article.

I arrived at the center after the program had begun, having learned about it only shortly beforehand, but I caught a few of the stories told by Dick Butler, of Oreland, who served in Korea and a number of other war zones, including the Ascension Islands, England and India. He was a pilot of a B24 bomber with the 765th squadron. When I arrived he was, displaying a large photo of a 10,000 pound bomb that he could drop with a flick of his joystick. One time, in 1944, orders came through that the company would move from India to another locale. Off they went, but their gear didn’t quite make the switch, so they were without uniforms, etc., for some time. Then, suddenly, the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the war ended, and they went home. His footlocker and all his “stuff” arrived at his house one day in 1945.

Next we heard from Bill Pronzato, commander of the VFW in Wyndmoor, whom some in the audience recognized as the former pharmacist for Battin and Lunger and then Dettrey’s. Bill enlisted for service at age 18, and chose the Army. About 10 days after enlisting he found himself on the Capetown Castle, a ship bound for England. In Liverpool, which was constantly being bombed by the Germans, he was trained for D-day. His specific assignment was D5, meaning that he was on Omaha beach on the fifth day of that famous landing.

He gave us some highlights of his experience. In Normandy, his outfit, an anti-aircraft unit, protected the airfields from German bomb attacks. At another time his group traveled with General George Patton in the European theater of operations. Once, in Nuremburg, they had the good fortune to hear the Glenn Miller band in a great stadium. In Marseilles, he regularly received mail from his mother, and was able to visit her sister (his aunt), who lived there. One unique treat was seeing the movie Babes in Toyland with Judy Garland speaking her (dubbed in) lines in French. Bill also showed us the Silver Star on his jacket, indicating that he served in five areas of combat, including Normandy, Nuremburg and Rhineland.

So, on to Tom Brennan, Oreland resident, former teacher and collector of M*A*S*H memorabilia. And how did he manage to become the owner of that jeep? Neat story: it seems that when the Subaru company was sponsor of M*A*S*H on TV 29, they held an ongoing contest offering a chance to win the famous jeep. Some people bought tickets every week, trying to win. At last an Oreland woman won it, but really didn’t know what to do with it. A friend of Tom’s offered him a deal: “I have a convertible I want to sell,” he said. “Why don’t you buy it from me and then trade it to the woman for the jeep?” He did, and she did.

There were quite a few rented jeeps used on the show over the years, but Tom’s is the one that was actually owned by Twentieth Century Fox. It is in fact converted from a post-war jeep. He got it in the 1980s, rebuilt the engine, had the seats redone and made a long list of other improvements. As a member of GPA — the Greater Pennsylvania Area Military Vehicle Historical Society — he loves old cars and related collectibles, and whenever possible drives the Jeep in parades, including the esteemed Wyndmoor Memorial Day parade. One of his other passions is the American 48-star flag, which of course he collects.

Mustn’t forget to mention that, as is their custom, the folks at the center provided a good lunch of hot chicken soup and appropriate snacks. As an end to the activities, Bill Pronzato read from a salutation to the flag, saying in essence that “every thread, every stripe, every star means liberty, not lawlessness; laws are for liberty.” Goose bumps all around.

Can anybody sing that theme song from M*A*S*H?

Pat Stokes is a resident of Chestnut Hill and frequent contributor to the Local.