By Tim Chicirda
BucksLocalNews.com

Isadore Brosbe, more affectionately known as “Izzy,” has been known throughout his life in Bristol Borough as a local, friendly pharmacist in town, serving residents for the past 61 years.What many do not know about Izzy is that he was also a pharmacist in the United States Army. However, Army T-4 Sergeant Brosbe does not have fond memories of being stationed overseas in his field hospital outfit, which he describes as being “like a M.A.S.H. unit.”

Izzy’s entrance into the United States Armed Forces was not too simple, as the Burlington High School graduate was turned away by the U.S. Navy when he first applied.

A small, young man, Brosbe was turned away because he was 20 pounds under the required minimum weight limit. This would not stop Brosbe, however.

Upon learning that he was a bit too thin to help defend his country, Izzy approached the first hurdle of his military career, loading himself with an extreme amount of calories.

Brosbe went home and began a streak of drinking gallons upon gallons of milk-shakes and eating a large amount of banana splits.

Soon enough, Izzy had packed on the much needed pounds and now enlisted in the U.S. Army.

Brosbe served as an Army pharmacist in both North Africa and the China Burma India Theater.

According to Izzy’s wife of 62 years, Harriet, “He doesn’t like rice to this day.”

Brosbe and his men spent many of their military days flying over “the Hump.”

In World War II, the Hump was the name given by Allied pilots to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains. Here, American forces flew from India to China to resupply the Flying Tigers and the Chinese Government of Chiang Kai-shek. The region is noted for high mountain ranges and huge parallel gorges, and transverses the upper regions of the larger rivers of South-East Asia.

Izzy and company also flew over northwestern Burma, which was heavily patrolled by enemy Japanese forces.

Brosbe recalled the various types of geographical locations and weather conditions he faced, while in the Army, though according to him he “only suffered minor injuries, nothing major.”

Brosbe also had many connections to the military, aside from his own membership.

Izzy’s younger brother, Edwin, joined the U.S. Army just months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Four years younger that his big brother, Edwin currently lives in Oregon and is retired from his job as a Veterans Administration research bacteriologist.

Bacteriologists study and investigate a group of single-celled micro-organisms that are classed as bacteria. Edwin’s job may have included designing and conducting experiments, understanding health and safety issues, making observations and drawing conclusions, writing reports and scientific papers and presenting papers at scientific meetings and conferences.

Izzy’s youngest daughter Geri was taught art by renowned local sculptor Joseph Pavone, who was profiled on this very page before as a local veteran hero.

Upon returning home from his military service, Izzy owned Brosbe’s Drug Store in Bristol Township from 1948 until 1986, before selling the business.

One of Brosbe’s most famed customers was none other than Bristol Borough’s most prolific politician, Senator Joseph R. Grundy.

Izzy often tells a story about the time Senator Grundy took him to his side of the political spectrum.

Often referred to as “Mr. Republican,” Senator Grundy asked Brosbe if he was registered to vote.

After telling the Bristol legend that he was not, Grundy replied by asking what time the drug store opened up.

After Izzy told Grundy that he opened at 7 a.m., Grundy said, “You’re opening up at 9 a.m. My driver will be downstairs at 7 a.m. in the Buick to take you to Doylestown to register Republican.”

And the rest is history.

And despite your affiliation with either political party, this story relays the message that Grundy often had for society: to truly care and be active in both local and national politics.

This is what Brosbe did. He was a great citizen at home and a hero overseas.

Labels: Army, Bristol, WWII

By Bob Staranowicz
BucksLocalNews.com correspondent

“When I first saw those Marines marching in New York in 1942, I knew then that I wanted to be a Marine.” Jim Campanella had traveled to Grumman, Long Island, from his home in Montclair, N.J., to apply for a job at an Aircraft Company. After seeing the Marines, he went back to New York the next day and enlisted in the Corps. Because he had two cavities, however, he was not accepted. Jim went home and borrowed $2 from a neighbor, had his cavities filled and eventually took the Marine Corps oath in August of 1942.

“I worked at a fish market and delivered newspapers before I enlisted,” Jim says, “but after I joined, I was off to Camp LeJune, North Carolina for basic training.”

Jim had spent time in several different areas in the Pacific including Guam, Guadalcanal, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. He was assigned to the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade as a forward observer.

The island of Guam was occupied by the Japanese from Dec. 13, 1941 to July 9, 1944. In July of 1944, regiments of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade had arrived. Jim was in the second wave of LSTs (Landing Ship). At around midnight on July 26, 1944, the Japanese were trapped on the peninsula and began a suicide attack. Although the Japanese were almost completely wiped out, the Marines still met with very heavy Japanese resistance in the vicinity of the airfield where they fought from caves and bunkers. The peninsula was secured on July 29, 1944. An estimated 3,000 Japanese were lost in the defense of the Orote Peninsula. The invasion cost the United States forces almost 8,000 casualties, including over 1,000 killed. The 1st Provisional Marine Brigade won the Navy Unit Citation for its performance on Guam.

“The worst part of my service came about in Guam when I had to be carried off the battlefield suffering from malaria,” Jim recalls. It didn’t keep him down for long, though.”

Jim was back with his unit in a few days, although he eventually did need treatment again when he returned to the states after the war.

While on the island of Guam, Jim ran into a fellow Marine he recognized from his home town. Carnivale, the only name by which he was known, was eventually killed there.

“I had no idea of his death until I returned home after the war,” Jim says.

Jim recalls another unique story. “I was going on shore and I saw another neighbor from home - Ernest Brunetto - and I handed him a chicken that had been given to me by a local villager and that I had been carrying for a few days since fresh food was hard to get.”

Also while on Guam, Jim was fortunate to be associated for a time with the Navajo Code Talkers. This select group took part in every assault the U.S. Marines carried out in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. The Code Talkers served in all six Marine divisions, sending messages by telephone and radio in their native language - a code that the Japanese were never able to break. The primary duty of the code talkers was to transmit information on tactics and troop movements, orders and other battlefield communications.

“They would call in coordinates and we would respond with fire,” Jim says.

Jim’s next major assignment was off the island of Iwo Jima serving as a floating reserve on board ship as the Marines raised the American Flag on the island on Feb. 19, 1945. Iwo Jima was not originally part of the strategy but because the Philippines fell so quickly, the U.S. was experiencing a longer-than-expected respite prior to the already planned invasion of Okinawa. After the combat, photographers returned to the ship and had their photos developed. One of them handed Jim a group of pictures. One of those photographs appears to be the original infamous shot of the Marine Corps raising the flag on the island taken by Joe Rosenthal, although that has not been verified.

Jim also participated in the invasion of Okinawa.

“On the night before the invasion, we prayed to the Southern Cross for our Safety.” “Crux,” commonly known as the Southern Cross, is a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere and very distinctive.

“We invaded on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945,” Jim recalls.

The Army had run into stiff opposition so the Marines were being ordered to support them and eventually take the island.

One of the significant highlights of Jim's service was his participation in the ceremony at the surrender of the Japanese Military Forces in the area of Tsingtao, China on the Oct. 25, 1945. Jim still has the certificate signifying that event signed by Maj. Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, commander of the 6th Marine Division.

Jim also had four brothers, all drafted and all had seen combat during World War II. His brothers Joe and Leonard served in the Army. His other two brothers, Mike and Bing, were in the Navy.

Jim left the Marines as a corporal after three and a half years of service. He then became a member of American Legion Post 382, The Lt. Vincent J. Russo Post.

Jim is now retired with his wife of more than 60 years, Ann. His daughter, Phyllis Katasak, lives in Buckingham with her husband Denis and son Jim. He also has two other daughters who live in New Jersey.

Labels: Buckingham, Marines, WWII

The Horsham veteran of the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II shares his legacy with students.

By Bob Staranowicz
BucksLocalNews.com correspondent

The China-Burma-India Theater (CBI), often referred to as The Forgotten Theater of World War II, was the longest combat operation of the War from early 1942 until March of 1946. Of the more than 12 million who served in World War II, only about 250, 000 - about 2 percent - were assigned to the CBI Theater. One of those CBI Veterans is Warren Kimmel.

Warren was born in Philadelphia in 1924. After attending Dobbins Vocational School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942. The US Army Air Corps formally existed between 1941 and 1947 as an autonomous part of the US Army. It was then off to basic training in Atlantic City, NJ where he contracted pleurisy and lost a week of training. After basic training, he attended Stewart Technical School in New York, to be trained as an aircraft mechanic. Once his classes were finished, Warren returned to NJ for additional overseas training.

After training, Warren received orders for overseas duty. His first assignment was at Chabua in the Assam Valley in India. Warren arrived in India at the height of monsoon season. He was later sent to Karachi serving as a flight engineer and crew chief for C-46 and C-47 aircraft. The main objective of the troops in India was to supply and support the 14th Air Force and China by providing the war materials and manpower to get it to where it was needed. Army Air Forces flew supplies “Over the Hump” from India to China. Towards the end of the war, up to 80, 000 tons of supplies, including troops, cargo and animals such as mules were sent monthly to China. It was the goal of CBI to keep Japan out of India and to keep China in the war as an ally.

When Warren arrived in India, 25 of the 28 assigned aircraft were in the “bone yard” i.e., not fit for service. With the ingenuity of his fellow soldiers, all 28 of the aircraft were deemed serviceable after only a few months. This was done by attaining scrap parts from every available source.

Warren earned his Wings with over 800 hours in the air, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. He returned to the States in 1945 after the announcement of Japan’s surrender. He was awarded a Victory Medal, an Asiatic Pacific Medal with battle star, and a Presidential Unit Citation medal.

Warren shared many of his other interesting life experiences with me. While training in N.Y., he was at the Stage Door Canteen one evening and got to dance with Shirley Booth who was performing in “My Sister Eileen.” Warren also met his future wife, Kathleen, while training in N.Y. The highlight of his service was the education that he received and that he was able to see parts of the world that he would never have traveled to if not for the service. “My time in the service made a man out of a boy.”

Not all times were good times though. When I asked Warren what it was like when he returned to the states via Miami, he told me that there was no one at the airport to meet his unit and someone had to call the closest base so that the returning soldiers could be picked up. He also shared with me the most uneasy part of his tour, being the time when he was alone in the jungle guarding his plane with Japanese all around the area. “It was the longest night of my life,” he told me.

Being away from home is always difficult on those who serve and Warren spent over two years in India. Warren damaged his hand in India and while in the hospital came down with malaria and lost 40 pounds in two weeks. He did share with me that he was fortunate to have the most dedicated and hard-working nurses administering to him during his hospital stay.

Warren returned to the states in 1945 and married the woman he met in NY. He and Kathleen were married for 59 years before she passed away in October of 2004.

Warren currently lives in Horsham, and is a member of VFW Post 175 and the CBI Veterans Association. He has three sons - Brian, Warren and Scott - all who have served their country, two in the Navy and one in the Air Force. Brian served two tours in Vietnam and was on the USS Forrestal in July of 1967 when it was attacked leaving 132 crewmen dead, 62 injured and two missing and presumed dead.

The spirit of all the military forces that served in the CBI Theater could not be found in any other World War II area.

Warren has demonstrated that spirit with his service.

Warren continues service to his country by speaking at various schools in Bucks and Montgomery County through the “Vets in the Class Room” program and at the Abington and Doylestown Libraries through the “WW II Lecture Series” on the CBI topic. It would be well worth your while to attend one of his sessions.

Labels: Army, China-Burma-India Theater, Horsham, WWII

Labels: Army, Camp Croft, Doylestown, Virginia Military Institute, WWII