Backyard racing pigeon loft was hotbed of activity for Oshkosh man
By Doug Zellmer
of The Northwestern
Bill Greenwald was at his happiest when he could see one of his racing pigeons win a 500-mile race or just enjoying the outdoors.
Greenwald, 86, who died Sept. 11, is remembered for his 67 years of raising and flying racing pigeons. A pigeon loft in the back of his house on Lark Street in Oshkosh was like a second home for Greenwald.
“He started with pigeons as a teenager before he went into service for World War II. I know they used homing pigeons in the service to send messages,” said Suzanne Karakashian, a daughter of Greenwald, who lives in Portland, Ore.
Greenwald had a life membership in the Oshkosh Racing Pigeon Club.
“Bill was one of the first guys to give me birds for nothing. He wanted to help new guys get started in the sport,” said Grady Kuhn, a member of the Oshkosh Racing Pigeon Club. “He gave me tips on racing pigeons and I know when I was a kid he was one of the better flyers in the long distance races.”
Karakashian said her father was in the U.S. Navy during World War II and served on the USS Arizona. However, his tour on the Arizona ended 10 months before the ship was bombed in Pearl Harbor by the Japanese.
She said her father carried with him the tragedy of the Arizona and the shipmates he knew, who died in the sneak attack.
“It tore his heart out,” Karakashian said. “It wasn’t until the 50th reunion of the Arizona that he was able to go back to Hawaiian soil.”
Karakashian said her father had a deep love for the United States.
“He was a patriot through and through,” she said. “He had a big American flag in the backyard and he really loved ‘old glory’ and what America stands for.”
Karakashian said her father enjoyed hunting and fishing and his beloved dog Mittens, who was a mix of cocker spaniel and beagle.
“One day dad was fishing and he saw Mittens running toward him. There was a black cloud above her head,” she said. “The bees were swarming her and she was running towards dad for help.”
Karakashian said her father dropped his fishing pole and both he and Mittens jumped into the river to get rid of the bees.
She said another time Mittens had an altercation with a porcupine and her father gently plucked all the quills embedded in the dog.
“Mittens was dad’s hunting buddy and our family pet,” Karakashian said. “To dad, there were no other dogs like Mittens. They were just like joined at the hip.”
She said her father taught his children values in life.
“He was extremely frugal. It was waste not, want not. He drove that into all of us,” Karakashian said. “He also taught us honesty and integrity and treating people equal.”
byRoss, Thursday, 27 October 2005 22:27, Comments(0)
