This Friday, Veterans Day
World War II hero Dave Mann
to share experiences with Chester Village West veterans
Dave Mann was one of 16.1 million Americans who served in World War II. The Chelsea,
Massachusetts native–who served under General George S. Patton– received a Purple
Heart, as well as harrowing memories, during his time in combat. He’s wondered why he
survived and others did not. But Dave never took his eyes and heart away from why he was
there and what it all meant…and what our country still means to those serving in our
armed forces today.
Dave’s book, “What I Fought For: An Aging Veteran’s Love Letter to America” chronicles his
path from innocent teenager to “trained killing machine” on the bloody fields of Europe,
then back to life as a radio broadcast professional after the war.
This Friday, November 11, Dave will share his experiences with other veterans in a special
Veteran’s Day event at Chester Village West. We recently caught up with Dave for a
preview.
Q: What drives Dave Mann today? What is your message to fellow war veterans?
A: People thank us for our service. But they also need to hear our stories! I want the
veterans I talk with to go home and say, “Wow, I was never really asked about my war
experiences. Maybe I should begin talking about them!”
Our country’s World War II veterans are now dying at the rate of 600-800 per day. To my
fellow veterans, I say this: Tell your story to your family, friends, and other veterans. Have
your family pass that story to their friends and other loved ones. If you die and don’t do
this, no one will know about it. If you tell your children, they will listen and tell their friends
and colleagues. They will get information that’s not in the history books.
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We also need our younger generations to ask questions: “Tell me your story about World
War II, Grandpa Ernie. Tell me about your time in Korea, Uncle Joe. What happened in
Vietnam, Aunt Sue? Why did you go to Afghanistan, Cousin Pete?” If we are asked by our
children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, we veterans are not going to refuse to tell
these important stories.
Q: How did the idea of writing “What I Fought For: An Aging Veteran’s Love Letter to
America” begin?
A: When my now-wife, Rona and I met and were getting serious, she would frequently say
to me, “You never really told me what you did, where you went, and what you
experienced.” She wasn’t born at that time, so her only knowledge of WWII was from
schoolbooks, which don’t do the job. She listened intently to what I said, but little did I
know that she was taking notes all that time! She gave me all the notes, hundreds of sheets,
and said “I’ve done my part, now you do yours.” I partnered with a printer to put the book
together and that‘s how “What I Fought For” was born.
I want to give Rona credit for turning my book into an even larger movement. She is
developing her own book of veterans’ narratives called “Tell Me Your Story”. She ran ads
in a number of newspapers requesting interviews from veterans, She also sent a note to
Providence Journal Veterans Affairs Reporter, George Reilly, he mentioned it in a column,
and the phone started ringing. She has interviewed more than 25 veterans of all wars from
New England to the Midwest; the book will be out in November.
Q: You bore witness to the horrors of war. You lost good friends. You came home and made
the difficult adjustment back to civilian life. What helped that adjustment?
A: Everyone was very hungry for certain things when returning. I was hungry for pastrami,
corned beef, and potato salad! When I got home I immediately went to the Bel Deli in
Bellingham Mass, where the owner said “This is your day, Dave – have anything you want
today on the house. But you need to pay from tomorrow forward!” I went to that deli every
night for 30 days and had my favorites. I weighed 145-148 pounds when I was honorably
discharged from the Army. But after 30 days of pastrami and corned beef, I could not
button my uniform during my formal discharge at Ft. Devens. They made me get a larger
uniform to look presentable for the ceremony!
Q: How did you begin your broadcasting career after the war? As a broadcaster, at what
stations and in what cities/towns did you work? What kinds of programs did you host?
Produce?
A: Becoming a broadcaster was a happy coincidence! I was walking in downtown
Manchester, New Hampshire and had to go to bathroom, looked up, and saw a radio
station. I walked in, and the receptionist directed me to the restroom. The station manager
overhead our conversation, because when I was leaving the receptionist said, “Our
manager wants to have a word with you. The manager said that I have a voice for radio. He
encouraged me to enroll in Emerson College’s radio course with then-WORL Boston radio
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host, Nelson Bragg. At the end of course, I made a demo tape and sent it to various stations.
My first response, and first job offer, was from from WNLH Radio in Laconia New
Hampshire. That’s how I got started in radio in 1946. From New Hampshire, I worked at
stations in Lynn, Salem, and Worcester Massachusetts, then in the Midwest and Syracuse,
New York. I ultimately wound up in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Q: What was your role as an announcer at these radio stations?
A: I hosted the morning shows as a DJ. I was strictly the music guy: I played popular
standards of the day including Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and many others. I
would devote 15-minute segments to each, with an overview of the composer and the
artist, and perhaps three or four versions of one song. I did take the occasional phone
request, and did a few phone interviews. But back then there was no seven-second delay,
so we were always worried about someone saying something inappropriate!
Q: Why is the United States of America the greatest place in the world, a place worth
defending?
We are 100 percent free. We never ever should take our flag, and the freedom it stands for,
for granted. We need to make sure we understand what the flag means. Since 911, I have
noticed more emotion when people stand up and recite the Pledge or sing the National
Anthem ... that people pay attention to the words, taking more care about what they say
about our country.