for my family, always an anniversary of when we arrived in the US from France, Nov. 1955 on the original Queen Elizabeth. Looking through old photos, I found this; I'm second from left, my brother is all the way on the right. Click on the thumbnail.




Please add your memories, should be a really nice thread.

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Current Gear: Ron Kirn Barnbuster Tele,
Marshall: 1971 SuperLead 100>1997 1960-TV, bunch of pedals
and a 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe named Veronica

Cool - thanks for sharing!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Very touching story Serge, I kind of lost track of Thanksgiving because here it was last month. I always heard that my great, great, great grandfather or one of them anyway, came in Canada from the Anglo-Normand Islands Jersey and Guernesy, so no pictures here, sorry. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
Claude.

Great photo mclmk8d! Thanksgiving has always been a family holiday around these parts. A holiday I look forward to for many good reasons, but right now I can only think of that turkey dinner

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Thanks for sharing the photo mclmk8d.

For me Thanksgiving is simply a time for being with family. The Beaubs family is alive and well although many of the elders of my family have passed. There are however many new members to carry the Beaubs torch. We are very fortunate lot and it is because of the morals and values that we were taught. I have great respect and gratitude for my Mother and Father who sacrificed much so my siblings and I could "have" the things that we needed.

Also, I just wanted to say that my dad was a veteren of WWII (Pacific Theater). I have much gratitude for his service. Thanks again to our Forum Vets like ABS and the others (you know who you are). We live like we do because of you...sometimes I forget that.....again my deepest gratitude for your service and sacrifices.

Beaubs

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I Can't Explain

My parents were Holocaust survivors from Lodz Poland; they didn't meet until after the war. First, they went through the years of the Lodz Ghetto, where many people died from starvation (avg daily ration 500-700 calories) and disease. Deportations started in 1942, approx 20,000 children under the age of 10 and the elderly, continued until 1944 when the ghetto population was basically down to 1,000 from a high of 262,000.

Off to Auschwitz, Stutthof, Bergen-Belsen and a few other camps. Somehow, they both survived, though when my mother arrived at Auschwitz, she told the Nazi commandant to gas her; she had enough of life after the years in the Ghetto. He laughed in her face, told her she was too healthy, and sent her off to work.

They met in 1945 in Landsberg DP camp, got married shortly after, and moved to France to start life over. My father built up a successful tailoring business, but then laws that were anti-immigrant (meaning anti-Jewish at the time) were passed in the early 50s. My parents applied for a visa to go to the US, which finally came through in 1955, when we left.

They started life over (AGAIN). That first Thanksgiving in the Bronx 2 days after we arrived sticks in my head; to meet this large family that I never knew about, what joy; to be in a new country was a thrill. When we rode the subway, my parents would speak Yiddish to each other. My brother and I would tell our parents to speak English because we were in America. I remember that also. Even after decades in the country, my mom would use French, English, and Yiddish in one sentence...it was quite funny to listen to.
They are both gone now, but always remain in me.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Serge

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Current Gear: Ron Kirn Barnbuster Tele,
Marshall: 1971 SuperLead 100>1997 1960-TV, bunch of pedals
and a 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe named Veronica

Hey Serge, a few years back I had to go through some hard times in my life and at some point I read "Night" by Elie Wisel, after that I never made a complaint about anything that happened to me. From what you said, I think that your parents would have swim across the ocean to bring you and your brother to a safe place. Your parents were heroes in my book and it is true that they still live through you. Thanks for sharing this very inspiring story with us.
Claude.

Thanksgiving has always been a time for my family to gather and spend time together eating, watching football and a little jamming on the side. It's my favorite holiday since it's really the only time my family get together each year.

what a great story. sounds like a classic story of immigrants trying to make a better life for their family. i cannot imagine what they have gone through. my best to your family.

as for myself, my family heritage dates to pre-civil war era. one of my ascendants fought in the civil war, as a matter of fact.

every thanksgiving is an extra special day to give thanks that i have such a wonderful family and great friends- and that includes my fellow forum-ites.

Thanks for sharing this story Serge. Your parents were true heros. I've been to Auswitch and it is hard to comprehend all the evil that happened there. It didn't help to see a dead body while we were driving from Krakow to Auswitch.

Polandnet130.JPG by JónG, on Flickr

We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Iceland but I am thankful for this story of yours.

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Deyr fé
Deyja frændr
Deyr sjálfr ið sama
En orðstír
Deyr aldregi
Hveim er sér góðan getr

For me thanksgiving is about exploitation and genocide. It is also about lying to our youth about history.

On a more personal note, I do enjoy seeing my family. And hope you all do as well. Be safe out there.