Arthur Fidel was the best possible honoree I could have possibly used for my project. Not only because of his great story, but also because he was my grandfather. I knew Arthur personally, so I really have a connection with my honoree. I really have a personal experience with most of the objects in my shadow box. The train driver’s cap, for instance, is actually mine. Arthur built toy trains that functionally moved on train tracks, and every time Arthur and I would play, I would put on my cap and he would put on his. The tank, resembles not only the trains, but hundreds more of models of planes, cars, trucks, and tanks. When I came of age, he even built some with me, and after he passed away I built them by myself. The book in the bottom right corner symbolizes his love to read and to learn. Anytime I saw him, he was either reading a book, or the newspaper. He loved to read and to advance his knowledge. The many flags on the left side are languages that he practically mastered. His favorite and most fluent language was French. The most amazing part about this feat is not just that he could speak seven languages, it’s that he would learn them in one to two months. The languages he spoke were French, Italian, Japanese, German, Russian, Spanish, and of course, English. The American flags in the background represent how he had an interest in politics, but mainly, he loved U.S. history. He strongly encouraged me to try to learn more about history. The smaller map shows where he lived most of his life; he was born in Brooklyn, New York, and then moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Arthur! Run the course! You have one minute! Time’s tickin’!”
Arthur G. Fidel bolted away. He ran to the first section of the track- barbed wire. He dove down and crawled under barbed wire using his arms and legs whilst his stomach was on the ground. The wire cut the back of his leg. He lifted himself up and arrived at the tires. He jumped his way through the tires one foot at a time. He sprinted to the last obstacle. Everyone called it the wall. He pulled himself up using a thin rope. He was almost able to reach the top. His hand slipped off the top and off the rope. Everything was in slow motion. Arthur, in mid-air, was grabbing continuously for the rope. But the rope did not respond. It just watched Arthur struggle. He hit the ground. Suddenly, pain filled his body. He could not feel anything in his leg besides pain. His fellow soldiers rushed over and carried him away on a stretcher. His entire training experience had changed drastically.
Arthur George Fidel was in Officer Candidate School about to be shipped to Europe. But, he had a training accident which prevented him from going with his unit. Lucky for him, too. His unit, in Europe, suffered severe casualties. There were 90,000 dead from a battle he was supposed to be in. Arthur considered his injury a blessing. Unfortunately, his knee injury was very serious. It meant that he could not fight in the front line ever again. Since he was unable to fight, Arthur tried to help his unit and others as much as he could. He made it his duty to aid his brethren. He was put in charge of supplies, equipment, and the right amount of men. It was his duty to make sure they had the right amount of everything. He also decided if supplies were worth their price, and if so, he would buy them. He kept everything in place and running.
Arthur Fidel was born in Brooklyn, New York. on April 16, 1924. He graduated high school when he was fifteen. He joined the military when he was eighteen. He later went on to go to New York University Law School and finished at the top of his class. His test scores were so perfect he was almost kicked out for cheating. He proved himself by reciting all the cases they were studying, word for word, to the dean. He married a woman name Edythe Rogal when he was 29. They had three children, and fourteen grandchildren. He travelled the globe with his wife, and mastered the languages of his future destinations in few weeks study. He died December 5, 2012, in Pittsburgh.
Arthur never forgot his roots. He grew up with little money in Brooklyn. Arthur would always give to the homeless. He learned the names of busboys, waiters, valets and others, leaving them generous tips. When his beloved Concordia Club closed, he helped every former worker find a job. He was a consistent donor for many Jewish organizations and hospitals. When his grandson, my brother, was born with a nearly fatal heart defect, Arthur started a fund which inspired many others to donate to the hospital. Arthur tried as hard as he could to devote his life to learning and generosity. None of this would have been possible if he didn’t break his knee in the training camp. In fact, I wouldn’t even be here to tell you his story.
Arthur G. Fidel bolted away. He ran to the first section of the track- barbed wire. He dove down and crawled under barbed wire using his arms and legs whilst his stomach was on the ground. The wire cut the back of his leg. He lifted himself up and arrived at the tires. He jumped his way through the tires one foot at a time. He sprinted to the last obstacle. Everyone called it the wall. He pulled himself up using a thin rope. He was almost able to reach the top. His hand slipped off the top and off the rope. Everything was in slow motion. Arthur, in mid-air, was grabbing continuously for the rope. But the rope did not respond. It just watched Arthur struggle. He hit the ground. Suddenly, pain filled his body. He could not feel anything in his leg besides pain. His fellow soldiers rushed over and carried him away on a stretcher. His entire training experience had changed drastically.
Arthur George Fidel was in Officer Candidate School about to be shipped to Europe. But, he had a training accident which prevented him from going with his unit. Lucky for him, too. His unit, in Europe, suffered severe casualties. There were 90,000 dead from a battle he was supposed to be in. Arthur considered his injury a blessing. Unfortunately, his knee injury was very serious. It meant that he could not fight in the front line ever again. Since he was unable to fight, Arthur tried to help his unit and others as much as he could. He made it his duty to aid his brethren. He was put in charge of supplies, equipment, and the right amount of men. It was his duty to make sure they had the right amount of everything. He also decided if supplies were worth their price, and if so, he would buy them. He kept everything in place and running.
Arthur Fidel was born in Brooklyn, New York. on April 16, 1924. He graduated high school when he was fifteen. He joined the military when he was eighteen. He later went on to go to New York University Law School and finished at the top of his class. His test scores were so perfect he was almost kicked out for cheating. He proved himself by reciting all the cases they were studying, word for word, to the dean. He married a woman name Edythe Rogal when he was 29. They had three children, and fourteen grandchildren. He travelled the globe with his wife, and mastered the languages of his future destinations in few weeks study. He died December 5, 2012, in Pittsburgh.
Arthur never forgot his roots. He grew up with little money in Brooklyn. Arthur would always give to the homeless. He learned the names of busboys, waiters, valets and others, leaving them generous tips. When his beloved Concordia Club closed, he helped every former worker find a job. He was a consistent donor for many Jewish organizations and hospitals. When his grandson, my brother, was born with a nearly fatal heart defect, Arthur started a fund which inspired many others to donate to the hospital. Arthur tried as hard as he could to devote his life to learning and generosity. None of this would have been possible if he didn’t break his knee in the training camp. In fact, I wouldn’t even be here to tell you his story.