PART TWO: HAROLD RUSSELL VISITS CROTON

Welcome to EverythingCroton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools--in short, EVERYTHING CROTON. 

MORE CROTON MEMORIES - HAROLD RUSSELL VISITS CROTON PART TWO (see Part One here http://bit.ly/2jTRSzo

Our many thanks to avid EVERYTHINGCROTON reader Lisa M. who forwarded us a copy of a tattered and faded newspaper clipping detailing Mr. Russell’s visit to our village in 1948. It belonged to her grandfather and while it was in pretty bad shape, we were able to decipher this much additional information:

“HAROLD RUSSELL, the man without hands who has won two Academy Awards for his acting in THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, will speak at an assembly of the Croton Harmon High School on Dec. 20^th at 1 pm. Mr. Russell entered the movie picture business the hard way. During the war, he attached a defective fuse to a charge of TNT. It exploded. When he regained consciousness, he discovered that both his hands had been amputated at the wrists.

“I’ve been a very lucky guy” he says. Until his accident, he had been a paratrooper; now he became a movie star, a husband, a father, and a champion of racial and religious brotherhood.

“The guys in the wards without arms or legs” says Russell, “come in all shapes and sizes. All colors and nationalities and religions. No one has to sell them on the real meaning of democracy and brotherhood.” Mr. Russell’s talk has been arranged for by Edward Millstein, Sunset Drive, a member of the Anti Defamation Committee of the local B’nai Brith. (Next section is not readable)

“We believe that many adults will want to hear this inspiring man” said a member of the of the sponsoring organization this week.”

Stay tuned for more Croton Memories--and if we're lucky, more information on Mr. Russell's visit to Croton. To see past installments of this series:

CROTON MEMORIES: THE CROTON STEAKHOUSE PART TWO http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/10/more-croton-memories-part-two-croton.html

CROTON CHRISTMAS MEMORIES PART ONE, 1938-1950 http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/10/croton-christmas-memories-1938-1949.html

MORE CROTON MEMORIES, THE WOMEN WHO SERVED, WWII http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-wwii-women-who.html

COMPAGNIE PARENTO - http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-perfume-factory.html

VARSITY CHEERLEADING THEN AND NOW http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-varisty.html

CROTON FOOTBALL MEMORIES: THE 1940’S http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/croton-football-memories-1940s.html

THE CROTON STEAK HOUSE A.K.A. COUNTRY KITCHEN A.K.A. PEWTER HORN A.K.A. VICTORIAN MANOR A.K.A. COBBLESTONE INN – http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-croton-steak-house.html

ELLIOTT’S DEPARTMENT STORE http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-elliotts.html

CHIMNEY CORNER CABIN http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-chimney-corner.htm

GINO’S POST INN http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-ginos-post-inn.html

OTTO’S COFFEE SHOP http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-ottos-coffee-shop.html

THE STARLIGHT DRIVING RANGE http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-croton-memories-starlight-driving.html

HARMON SWEET SHOPPE http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-croton-memories-special-request_29.html

CARVEL A.K.A. CROTON CREAMY http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-croton-memories-special-request.html

POP BERGER’S http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-croton-memories-pop-bergers.html AND POP BERGER’S, EPILOGUE http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-croton-memories-pop-bergers.html

SCOOP ‘N JUDY’S http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-croton-memories-scoop-n-judys.html

STARLIGHT LANES http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/croton-memories-starlight-lanes.html

THE STARLIGHT DRIVE-IN, parts 1 & 2 http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/croton-memories-starlight-drive-in_15.html AND http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-croton-memories-more-on-starlight.html