I didn't know Uncle Frank personally.
I knew of him, through my friend, his nephew Carlos.
A quiet, mild-mannered, unassuming veteran who survived one of the most horrific battles in our nation's history.
PFC Frank Magana was drafted into the Army in January 1943 and went into the medical corps.
His first action was in June 1944 at Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Carlos recounted the story of that day to me on several occasions, each re-creation sending chills through my body.
Surviving the landing on the beach, PFC Magana spent most of the first few moments of that onslaught racing back into the surf to pull wounded GI's to shore, even though he couldn't swim.
The death and destruction that riddled around him with each passing moment was a blur and when it was over he sat there wondering how he managed to get out alive.
PFC Magana survived that day and many more like it.
A member of the 1st Infantry, the infamous "Big Red One", Uncle Frank marched across France, Belgium and into Germany.
He was honorably discharged in Nov. 1945.
He returned home and left medicine behind, perhaps witnessing too much during his time in the Army, he became a television repairman.
He died on Halloween morning at the age of 83.
A couple weeks before his death, this amazing human being was walking near his home on Sunday, Oct. 7th when he was attacked by one or two men and robbed.
It happened in a dirt lot on the southwest corner of Brundage Lane & 'P' Street.
I bet the young Frank would have cleaned the lot with these scumbags, but the older more frail Frank wasn't able to defend himself.
A good Samaritan found him and called for help.
He was taken to the hospital, where he remained until he was released into hospice care for the final moments of his life.
The police are investigating, but it doesn't appear his death was related to any injuries he sustained in the attack.
Currently, the case is being called an incident of elderly abuse pending further investigation.
It breaks my heart that a man who survived so much at a terrible time in history, or any senior citizen for that matter, would be assaulted for a couple of bucks.
To say that he didn't deserve to go out this way is a huge understatement.
It's not how his family will remember him, or myself for that matter.
I hope someone will come forward and turn in those responsible.
These lowlifes need to be held responsible for robbing Bakersfield of a real treasure.
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1 comment:
Your so right Hart. I hate when you hear these kinds of stories. They just make you feel like why couldn't I have been there during that moment to help him. Those sorry souls are such cowards and to me don't deserve to be walking the streets.
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