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1931-2006 |
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Robert John Kazmer |
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Robert John Kazmer |
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Robert was drafted into the military during the Korean War as a cavalryman, not horses but tanks. The reason he was not in the infantry was he had Rheumatic fever as a teen and had a heart murmur. He was drafted for 2yrs. He had a desk job in Korea, but decided to opt for combat duty so he could get home sooner. Combat duty required only a year in Korea. His mother and father did not know he was serving in combat. The only one he confided this information to was Mira Pan, whom he had known since child hood. Mira had enlisted prior to Robert being drafted. Draftees were called US {unwilling soldiers} while those who volunteered were called RA (Regular Army) as she often joked with Robert. She was serving in Heidelberg, Germany when he started writing to her and telling her about his combat duty and day to day gruel in the Korean War. He made her promise not to tell his mother, who had lost her son Wally on Iwo Jima in WW2. From this correspondence, an enduring relationship formed. He made Corporal in Korea. Mira outranked him by making Sgt., but it took her 3 years.
After serving, Robert returned to his job at Western Electric and decided to take night classes at the Transportation College, to change business fields. He kept on writing to Mira until she returned . When she did, he asked her out on dates. They would go to movies, watch Bishop Sheen on TV and attend free concerts in Chicago’s Grant Park. They made a novena to St. Jude. The novena was for a special intention {which he didn’t reveal till after they were married}, was that Mira would marry him. Which she did on Nov. 5th, 1955.
After completing school he joined with a van line and was given the job of setting up a company print. Shop. He studied rigorously and completed the job. Something he always did before starting a project. After it was completed, he decided to go into business for himself. So with knowledge gained from setting up the print shop and a lot of reading and self-study at night, he started his own print shop called Litho Fast in the garage behind their house in Des Plaines. Starting out a business on your own is scary, but before long it employed 3 full and 2 part time employees. During this period, Bobby, Barbara, Edward, and I were born.
Sometimes, with success comes tragedy. Edward, my older brother died in a swimming pool accident on the 4th of July 1961. This was a crushing blow to Robert and Mira, but their deep love for each other and their faith pulled them thru. Edward joined the guardian angels watching over Robert and Mira and all the family. |