(fwd) WWII and the Accordion (fwd)

[Ted Samsel]

This may cause some of you to assume the fetal position, but I thought
it might enlighten and amuse others of you. (Those with exquisite
taste. You KNOW who you are...)

Forwarded message:
> Subject: (fwd) WWII and the Accordion
> Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.squeezebox
> 
> One of my favorite anecdotes about the accordion and WWII is about a young
> soldier.  He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and got separated from the
> rest of the troops.  He and a few fellow soldiers tried to keep warm, but
> after several hours were severely frostbitten.  When the Americans found
> the group, this one soldier's hands and feet were frozen.  At the army
> hospital, the doctors wanted to amputate to prevent gangrene from setting
> in.  The young soldier refused on the basis that he'd never again play the
> accordion.  The doctors gave him plenty of penicillin and after some tense
> moments, his hands and feet began to recover.  The doctors then brought
> him an old, beat up accordion to use for hand therapy.  In no time at all
> he was playing accordion and entertaining the whole hospital.  After he
> recovered he was transferred to the USO where he played for several troop
> shows in Europe.  That young accordionist came home to America to become
> America's Polka King, Frankie Yankovic.
> 
> -- 
> -Toby Hanson
> jthanson at halcyon.com
> "Remeber­we may not all be Scandinavian, but we're all Smilin'!"
> 
> -- 
> Ted Samsel....tejas at infi.net  *1996* Year of the Accordion~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>          "Home of the brave, land of the free,
>           I don't want to be mistreated by no bourgoisie."
> AAFOUF# 0000003                           Huddie Ledbetter
>