Posted on Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - 11:52 pm:

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The weirdest and probably one of the saddest things I ever saw happened in April of 1954 which makes that almost exactly 52 years ago this month. I was going to Davison Elementary School at the corner of Davison Ave. and Jos. Campau on the eastside of Detroit. The incident that happened was two guys got in a fight after school one day over a cigarette.

Now, if you don’t know the way these things take place, I’ll set the stage for you. Whenever there was a fight getting ready to start or already in progress everybody starts yelling, “fight” and then a herd of people head in the direction of the fight and form a moving circle around the combatants. The noise level becomes deafening because the bloodlust is rising dangerously and everybody starts egging the combatants onto even greater acts of violence.

Now, you have to remember that this action is all taking part over one cigarette. And, after the moving circle moved the combatants and the circle some four blocks away from the schoolyard it ended up on the corner of Davison Ave. between Arlington and Goddard Sts. right in front of a Fire Department Station. The reason the moving circle stopped was because the fight turned serious and the combatants had gone from playing the dozens, “selling wolf tickets” and “signifying” to serious combat. This was the day of straight razors, do-rags, pointed shoes with the tips shined to a fairtheewell and gold front teeth with a star in them.

I can even remember one of the combatant’s last names was Windhom. I couldn’t tell you his first name if my life depended upon it. And, the other combatants name is lost in the ether. The reason I remember Windom is because there were nine Windom brother and I went to school with three of them. Of the nine only three made it to their 20s but I digress.

At some point the straight razors came out and they carved each other up like a Christmas goose. But, the problem with razor wounds is that you don’t know you have them until you start to move and the flesh separates. The unnamed combatant had the cigarette but the viciousness of the fight left him on the ground bleeding and dying. So, Windom bent over, grabbed the cigarette, started laughing and started running away with the cigarette in his hand. He got about a block away, collapsed and was bleeding to death from his guts that were pouring out of his wounds. So, there you are with two dead young men dead over a cigarette.

Talk about disrespecting someone nowadays “ain't shit” because back in those days you could get killed as easy as you can today. Disrespecting people is a serious thing and people need to remember that fact. Out on the mean streets many a badass has been kicked-to-the-curb for real and forever for disrespecting someone! It’s important to remember that fact!!

bury

They were both dead before the police ever got there. This was back in the days before EMTs or Paramedics. Police would come to the site of an emergency with a station wagon with a stretcher in the back. When the police got there the School Principle had gotten there and was crying over their bodies. This was the first time I had ever seen a dead person and I saw two!!! It would not be the last time I would see this kind of violence and death.

Livedog2

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Posted on Sunday, August 20, 2006 - 11:48 pm:

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The Detroit Fire Department Band was organized on April 17, 1920. The idea that this Department should have a band that was truly representative of the personnel of the Department was born in the minds of three men: Captain Anthony Delesie, Glenn Middledatch and Otto Klatt, then members of Rescue No. 1. Captain Delesie wrote the Fire Commission for permission to organize the band, which was immediately granted. The task was really a great one as the number of men in the department that had musical talent was small and men were induced to purchase an instrument and study it. That they had succeeded is beyond question.

In 1926, with a membership of 44 men, the band gave radio concerts for three years on station WJR, which was highly appreciated, as thousands of letters from radio fans all over the country will attest. One of the many honors the band received was in 1926 when it was selected by the City to escort Lt. Commander John Phillip Sousa from the M.C.R.R. depot to Orchestra Hall. Commander Sousa highly praised the band on its fine appearance and playing ability.

It is not known who directed the band until 1946 when Walter Handlik became the first civilian to direct the band. He directed the band until his death in 1958. Incidently, his son James Handlik is presently a Lieutenant on the Fire Department.

The band was then placed under the directorship of retired FEO Leonard Shawpeter until 1961.

The band then looked to the Windsor Fire Dept and Capt. Phillip Murphy was given the job of directing the band.

Because of ill health Mr. Murphy retired from directing the band and passed the directorship on to Captain Alex Meldrum of the Fire Department and is presently still directing the band.

The Chief of Department appoints a band manager to be responsible for all band affairs. Some of the men who held this job thru the years have been Chief Erickson, Chief Edmund DeCaussin, Chief Paul Karabes, Chief Raymond Hoffman, Chief Frank Van Turnout, Chief Robert Engel, and its present manager Chief Edward Tujaka.

The band plays at civic affairs, parades, memorial day services, gives concerts during fire prevention week, plays at all field days, and the sad duty of playing at funerals of members who die in the line of duty. Also, members of the band have volunteered their time since 1963 to assist the Police Dept. band for policemen’s funerals. They also play concerts, at veterans hospital, and old folks homes.

In 1958 under the leadership of Robert Engel, a combo was formed to play for dancing at mixed retirement parties. Until his retirement in 1974 Bob Engel and his Five Alarms played for over 150 retirement parties. The combo is still playing although down to three men from this department and an accordian player who is a fireman in the Warren Fire Department.

In 1964 a German Band was formed under the leadership of FEO Andrew Custage, which played at stag retirement parties and civic affairs which warranted a
small group.

In 1964, Lt. Joseph Krolik took over the leadership and also changed the groups name to the Red Shirt Band. It still plays at civic affairs, stag retirement parties and plays under the stands at our field day.

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