With a focus on human rights, US policy toward Latin America under Jimmy Carter briefly tempered a long tradition of interventionism in a key sphere of American influence, analysts say. Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, defied the furor of US conservatives to negotiate the handover of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, suspended aid to multiple authoritarian governments in the region, and even attempted to normalize relations with Cuba. Carter's resolve to chart a course toward democracy and diplomacy, however, was severely tested in Central America and Cuba, where he was forced to balance his human rights priorities with pressure from adversaries to combat the spread of communism amid the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. "Latin America was fundamental and his global policy was oriented toward human rights, democratic values and multilateral cooperation," political analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington, told AFP. During his 1977-1981 administration, which was sandwiched between the Republican presidencies of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, the Democrat sought to take a step back from US alignment with right-wing dictatorships in Latin America. An important symbol of Carter's approach was the signing of two treaties in 1977 to officially turn over the Panama Canal in 1999. "Jimmy Carter understood that if he did not return the canal to Panama, the relationship between the United States and Panama could lead to a new crisis in a country where Washington could not afford the luxury of instability," said Luis Guillermo Solis, a political scientist and former president of Costa Rica. Carter called the decision, which was wildly unpopular back home, "the most difficult political challenge I ever had," as he accepted Panama's highest honor in 2016. He also hailed the move as "a notable achievement of moving toward democracy and freedom." During his term, Carter opted not to support Nicaraguan strongman Anastasio Somoza, who was subsequently overthrown by the leftist Sandinista Front in 1979. But in El Salvador, the American president had to "make a very uncomfortable pact with the government," said Shifter. To prevent communists from taking power, Carter resumed US military assistance for a junta which then became more radical, engaging in civilian massacres and plunging El Salvador into a long civil war. Carter took a critical approach to South American dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, suspending arms deliveries and imposing sanctions in some cases. But his efforts "did not achieve any progress in terms of democratization," said Argentine political scientist Rosendo Fraga. The American president also tried to normalize relations with Cuba 15 years after the missile crisis. He relaxed sanctions that had been in force since 1962, supported secret talks and enabled limited diplomatic representation in both countries. "With him, for the first time, the possibility of dialogue rather than confrontation as a framework for political relations opened up," Jesus Arboleya, a former Cuban diplomat, told AFP. But in 1980, a mass exodus of 125,000 Cubans to the United States, with Fidel Castro's blessing, created an unexpected crisis. It "hurt Carter politically with the swarm of unexpected immigrants," said Jennifer McCoy, a professor of political science at Georgia State University. Castro continued to support Soviet-backed African governments and even deployed troops against Washington's wishes, finally putting an end to the normalization process. However, more than 20 years later, Carter made a historic visit to Havana as ex-president, at the time becoming the highest-profile American politician to set foot on Cuban soil since 1959. During the 2002 visit, "he made a bold call for the US to lift its embargo, but he also called on Castro to embrace democratic opening," said McCoy, who was part of the US delegation for the trip, during which Castro encouraged Carter to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cuban All-Star baseball game. "Castro was sitting in the front row and we were afraid he would rise to give a long rebuttal to Carter's speech. But he didn't. He just said, 'Let's go to the ball game.'" In the years following Carter's presidency, Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) would go on to resume a full-frontal confrontation with Cuba. Decades later, Barack Obama (2009-2017) opened a new phase of measured normalization, which Donald Trump (2017-2021) brought to an end. US President Joe Biden promised to review US policy toward Cuba, but hardened his stance after Havana cracked down on anti-government protests in 2021. "Carter showed that engagement and diplomacy are more fruitful than isolation," McCoy said. bur-lp-rd-jb/lbc/mlr/bfm/sst/bbk
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MERIT — Thirty years ago, Bland basketball coach Bryan Clark started the Tigers’ annual basketball tournament. Bland observed the 30th anniversary on Thursday night by changing the tournament name from the Bland Invitational, to the Bryan Clark Invitational. Clark and his family were present for the ceremony including his wife, Norma, their children Cody and Meghan, plus Cody’s wife, Brionne, and their children Crew, Asher and Ensley, and Meghan’s husband, Rudolph, and their son Rudolph III. “Coach Clark was instrumental in creating this tournament 30 years ago,” said the master of ceremony, Rodney Godwin. “The last nine years Bland ISD and the coaching staff have continued to strive to keep this tournament something we could be proud of and a tournament other schools would want to be a part of.” Godwin said naming the tournament after Clark will “forever keep his legacy.” Clark served 29 years at the Bland ISD as a coach, principal and then superintendent. He coached the Tigers to 302 victory in 15 years as a head coach and served as superintended for 14 years before retiring in 2015. Both of Bland’s teams opened the tournament on Thursday with victories. The Tigers beat Boles 76-44 and the Community junior varsity 49-43. Weston Wigington pumped in 34 points to lead Bland to the win over Boles and Ashton Stepp fired in 15. Wigington led Bland against the Community JV with 22 points and Stepp banked in 15 points. Bland’s Lady Tigers beat Quinlan Ford 52-33 and then Como-Pickton 68-38. Sadie Soto fired in 14 points to lead Bland over Ford and Nicole Spencer added 11. Jaden Smith and Ashley Valderrama both tossed in nine points for Ford. Soto shot in 24 points to lead Bland over Como-Pickton, while Marley Frazier tossed in 12 points Spencer and Makila Watson both added 10. The tournament, which started with pool play on Thursday, is to wrap up on Saturday with the girls championship game at 4:30 p.m. and the boys finals at 5:45 p.m. 30th annual Bryan Clark Invitational Thursday’s results Boys games Bland 76, Boles 44 B: Efren Aguirre 6, Weston Wigington 34, Eli Ferrufino 4, Mateo Alvarez 6, Teagen Hurst 8, Isaac Oleru 6, Ashton Stepp 15. Bland 49, Community JV 43 B: Dakota Blankenship 2, Weston Wigington 22, Mateo Alvarez 5, Teagen Hurst 3, Isaac Oleru 4, Ashton Stepp 15. C: Andre Bragg 17, Chase Williams 10, Alex Kresska 10. Saltillo 67, Ector 40 S: Heston Peeples 13, Mason Stillwagoner 15, Colby Cook 12. E: Jayce Adams 17, Keithlen Miller 12. Yantis 66, Community JV 32 Y: C.J. Madison 19, Anthony Lopez 10. C: Chase Willliams 10 Joshua Summer 8. Yantis 63, Miller Grove 43 Y: C.J. Madison 36.Alex Lopez 11. MG: Ryker Haivala 12, Christian 11. Girls games Bland 68, Como-Pickton 38 B: Cami Fernandez 9, Nicole Spencer 10, Sadie Soto 24, Zoey Lawson 3, Makila Watson 10, Marley Frazier 12. CP: Shyann Wetzel 11, Kati Calvillo 9. Bland 52, Quinlan Ford 33 B: Nicole Spencer 11, Sadie Soto 14, Marley Frazier 8. QF: Jaden Smith 9, Ashley Valderrama 9. Blue Ridge 45, Boles 44 BR: Avery Wood 15, JoJo Liescheski 8, Kenzie Baker 8. B: Avery Gatson 9, Mia Nowlin 10, Olivia Neely 12.While Clippers Nation and other parts of the NBA world await the return of star Kawhi Leonard, his teammates haven’t been sitting idly while his right knee recovers. They have won games that they had no business winning and are taking care of games that they should win – all without their star player. The Clippers are 18-13 and have a chance to improve upon that during a three-game trip that begins Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. Kawhi? “We’re not thinking about Kawhi coming back yet,” center Ivica Zubac said, in a moment of honesty. When Leonard does return – Jan. 4 reportedly is a good bet – he will find a Clippers team that has developed a solid chemistry, come to rely on James Harden for leadership and Norman Powell for points and built a reputation for stingy defense. “We want to win games, we want to win every game no matter who’s out there and we got it done,” Zubac added. “No matter how it looks, we gotta win. We’re going to play hard; we’re going to defend. “Some nights we’re not going to shoot well, or we’re not going to defend, but one thing we can do every night is play defense. That’s what this team is going to do, we’re going to play hard and play tough on the defensive end and that’s going to give us a chance to win.’ With or without Leonard. “We just focus on what we can control and be in the moment,” Harden said. “Whenever that happens, (we’ll) get to that bridge when it comes. But we’re focused on the next game and the games that we’re in.” Don’t mistake the players’ insouciant attitude for not caring about their superstar teammate. They want Leonard back but can’t get caught up in the hoopla and speculation. They have at least three more games to play without Leonard, who stayed behind to get in more reps before the Clippers’ next home game. “It’s been next man up all year,” said Powell, who is averaging 24.4 points and shooting 46.6% from the 3-point range in Leonard’s absence. “When Kawhi comes back, they’ll figure it out. That’s not our job. Our job is to figure out our new roles and make it all work. “We all are pulling in the same direction. We all continue trying to prove everybody wrong and how they view us, and the job is to be ready for a deep playoff run. That’s how we see it.” When Leonard does return, (Jan. 4 has been rumored) there certainly will be changes in the lineup, players will need to sacrifice either minutes, points or both. “Everybody’s going to have to sacrifice and Kawhi comes back,” Powell added. “I mean, he’s a franchise player, but good thing about this team is we have no egos. We all want to win. We all got something to prove and we’re doing it together.” Harden said Leonard is aware how his comeback could upset what has been building all season. But the veteran point guard believes Leonard’s return will be seamless. The Clippers will continue to play aggressive defense and attack the basket. “We’re still going to put it the same way. It’s just now we got another elite weapon on both ends of the floor, so it’s definitely a bonus for us.”Former President Jimmy Carter, the God-fearing Georgia peanut farmer who survived a disastrous one-term White House stay to launch a second career as a Nobel Prize-winning advocate for global human rights, died Sunday at 100. Carter went into hospice care at home on Feb. 18, 2023 after a short series of hospital stays, the Carter Center charity organization said at the time. The ex-commander-in-chief opted to spend his final days with family rather than seek any additional medical intervention. His son Chip confirmed his death, at his home in Plains , to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His wife of 74 years, Rosalynn Carter, preceded him in death on Nov. 19, 2023. The 39th president was in attendance at her memorial service Nov. 28, where, seated in a wheelchair with a blanket over his lap, he appeared frail and was unable to speak, according to family. Hus daughter Amy delivered remarks on his behalf at the service. Carter, a Democrat, lived longer than any other U.S. president, earning that distinction in 2019 when he reached 94 years and 172 days old. Relegated to the historical sidelines after a four-year presidency mired in malaise, Carter rebounded to write 32 books, build houses for the poor, stand up to tyranny abroad and capture the coveted Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter took office in 1977. With his victory over incumbent Gerald Ford, he aimed to restore faith in America and its government after the nightmare of Watergate forced President Nixon to resign in disgrace. But his own term was plagued by rampant inflation, long gas lines, wars in Afghanistan and Nicaragua, and a 444-day hostage crisis in Iran — the latter low-lighted by an embarrassingly failed rescue attempt. Carter’s bid for re-election was crushed by Republican Ronald Reagan, sending the former commander in chief back to Georgia a beaten man, deeply unpopular and seemingly destined for obscurity. Carter instead grabbed a hammer, climbed a ladder and built houses for the poor with Habitat for Humanity. He boarded planes to monitor elections abroad and broker peace deals. And he returned to his church in Plains, Ga., to teach Sunday school. “I have one life and one chance to make it count for something,” Carter told his biographer, Jim Wooten, in 1995. “My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have, to try to make a difference. “Most of the time, believe it or not, I enjoy myself.” James Earl Carter, Jr. was the first American president born in a hospital — Wise Sanitarium in tiny Plains, Ga., where his mother worked as a nurse. He was raised without electricity or plumbing on his family’s nearby peanut farm. The backwoods town of 600 residents would remain Carter’s beloved and modest home for the rest of his life. His father Earl was an enthusiastic segregationist. But his mother, known to all as Miss Lillian, made a point of caring for poor Black women while cheering on Black boxer Joe Louis and baseball’s color-line defying Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Carter joined the Navy in 1943 to see the world and did so well at Annapolis that he earned a place in the new, elite nuclear submarine program. Nine years later, Carter helped build the reactor for the first nuclear sub and did graduate work in nuclear physics at Union College. The following year, he went home to save the ailing family farm, and with new bride Rosalynn, welcomed three sons and a daughter. He became a deacon at Plains Baptist Church, served on civic boards and in the Georgia state senate. Carter won the Georgia governorship in 1970, at least in part by cozying up to segregationists, who were then furious when he declared the time for racial discrimination was over. Carter soon began outlining the remarkable national campaign that propelled “Jimmy Who?” past a half-dozen high-profile Democrats to the party’s presidential nomination. He stressed his honesty, sincerity, Christianity and outsider status — the perfect panacea for voters in the aftermath of Watergate and Vietnam. Despite some gaffes — he nearly blew a 30-point lead after infamously confessing to Playboy that he had “lusted in my heart” after other women — Carter vanquished Ford in the bicentennial year of 1976. He tried from the start to return humility to the White House. Carter walked the inaugural parade route rather than ride in a limo, banned the playing of “Hail to the Chief,” carried his own luggage and personally kept the schedule for the White House tennis court. But his outsider status didn’t play well on Capitol Hill, where Democratic party leaders regarded him as sanctimonious and balked at his agenda. His younger brother, Billy, who hawked Billy Beer and got drunk in public, didn’t help when he cozied up to Libyan officials and collected $220,000 from the nation’s government. A bizarre attack by a rabid swimming rabbit during a fishing trip added to Carter’s hapless image. His big foreign policy achievement — personally brokering the 1978 Camp David peace treaty between Israel and Egypt — failed to save him. Though he never actually said the word, a malaise settled over his White House. In 1980, voters overwhelmingly chose Reagan’s sunny optimism over Carter’s gloomy warnings about cutting back and conserving. He lost 44 states in the general election. The undaunted political has-been went on to found The Carter Center, which pioneered election monitoring and sent watchdogs to 81 elections in 33 countries. Carter personally traveled on peace missions to Haiti, Bosnia, Ethiopia, North Korea, Sudan, Nepal and Colombia. Though criticized for talking to despots, dictators and tyrants, his rebuttal was always simple: “I’ll talk with anybody who wants to talk about peace.” Carter insisted his presidency was more successful than people remember, noting recently that the United States military never launched a missile or dropped a bomb under his watch. Carter announced in August 2015 that he had cancer after having surgery to remove a small mass from his liver. Though the cancer spread to his liver and brain, the battled-toughened old politician pulled through. He was survived by his three sons, Jack, Chip and Jeff; a daughter, Amy; and 11 grandchildren, including one who captured grandfather’s old seat in the Georgia state senate.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev., Dec. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. (the "Company”) (NYSE:TPH) today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $250 million of common stock through December 31, 2025 (the "Repurchase Program”), which succeeds the stock repurchase program that the Board of Directors authorized in December 2023 (the "2024 Repurchase Program”). For the fourth quarter through December 17, 2024, under the 2024 Repurchase Program, the Company repurchased 1,202,913 shares of common stock at a weighted average price per share of $41.57 for an aggregate dollar amount of $50.0 million. For the full year through December 17, 2024, under the 2024 Repurchase Program, the Company repurchased 3,964,537 shares of common stock at a weighted average price per share of $36.97 for an aggregate dollar amount of $146.6 million. Purchases of common stock pursuant to the Repurchase Program may be made in open market transactions effected through a broker-dealer at prevailing market prices, in block trades, or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, including pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company is not obligated under the Repurchase Program to repurchase any specific number or dollar amount of shares of common stock, and it may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Repurchase Program at any time. Company management will determine the timing and amount of any repurchases in its discretion based on a variety of factors, such as the market price of the Company's common stock, corporate requirements, general market economic conditions, legal requirements, and applicable tax effects. About Tri Pointe Homes® One of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. (NYSE: TPH) is a publicly traded company operating in 12 states and the District of Columbia, and is a recognized leader in customer experience, innovative design, and environmentally responsible business practices. The company builds premium homes and communities with deep ties to the communities it serves-some for as long as a century. Tri Pointe Homes combines the financial resources, technology platforms and proven leadership of a national organization with the regional insights, longstanding community connections and agility of empowered local teams. Tri Pointe has won multiple Builder of the Year awards, was named to the 2024 Fortune World's Most Admired CompaniesTM list, is one of the 2023 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® and was designated as one of the PEOPLE Companies That Care® in 2023 and 2024. The company was also named as a Great Place To Work-CertifiedTM company for four years in a row (2021 through 2024), and was named on several Great Place to Work ® Best Workplaces lists (2022 through 2024). For more information, please visit TriPointeHomes.com . Forward-Looking Statements Various statements contained in this press release, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our strategy, projections and estimates concerning the timing and success of specific projects and our future production, land and lot sales, operational and financial results, including our estimates for growth, financial condition, sales prices, prospects, and capital spending. Forward-looking statements that are included in this press release are generally accompanied by words such as "anticipate,” "believe,” "could,” "estimate,” "expect,” "future,” "goal,” "guidance,” "intend,” "likely,” "may,” "might,” "outlook,” "plan,” "potential,” "predict,” "project,” "should,” "strategy,” "target,” "will,” "would,” or other words that convey future events or outcomes. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release, and we disclaim any obligation to update these statements unless required by law, and we caution you not to rely on them unduly. These forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. The following factors, among others, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements: the effects of general economic conditions, including employment rates, housing starts, interest rate levels, home affordability, inflation, consumer sentiment, availability of financing for home mortgages and strength of the U.S. dollar; market demand for our products, which is related to the strength of the various U.S. business segments and U.S. and international economic conditions; the availability of desirable and reasonably priced land and our ability to control, purchase, hold and develop such parcels; access to adequate capital on acceptable terms; geographic concentration of our operations; levels of competition; the successful execution of our internal performance plans, including restructuring and cost reduction initiatives; the prices and availability of supply chain inputs, including raw materials, labor and home components; oil and other energy prices; the effects of U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and duties on homebuilding products and retaliatory measures taken by other countries; the effects of weather, including the occurrence of drought conditions in parts of the western United States; the risk of loss from earthquakes, volcanoes, fires, floods, droughts, windstorms, hurricanes, pest infestations and other natural disasters, and the risk of delays, reduced consumer demand, and shortages and price increases in labor or materials associated with such natural disasters; the risk of loss from acts of war, terrorism, civil unrest or public health emergencies, including outbreaks of contagious disease, such as COVID-19; transportation costs; federal and state tax policies; the effects of land use, environment and other governmental laws and regulations; legal proceedings or disputes and the adequacy of reserves; risks relating to any unforeseen changes to or effects on liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, indebtedness, financial condition, losses and future prospects; changes in accounting principles; risks related to unauthorized access to our computer systems, theft of our homebuyers' confidential information or other forms of cyber-attack; and additional factors discussed under the sections captioned "Risk Factors” included in our annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. New risk factors may emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors or to assess the impact of such risk factors on our business. Investor Relations Contact: [email protected] , 949-478-8696 Media Contact: Carol Ruiz, [email protected] , 310-437-0045
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100
In the final push to defeat Nazi Germany during World War II, Edward Gorski Jr. was trying to shield himself inside a foxhole in the city of Berlin when the 19-year-old Chicagoan was struck by enemy fire. Gorski, a broad-shouldered Army private with a rugged face, was hit with mortar shrapnel after a fellow soldier in a nearby trench lit a fire for warmth, accidentally revealing their position to German forces. It was May 2, 1945, days after Adolf Hitler’s suicide and days before the end of the war in Europe. The shrapnel struck Gorski in the face, and he nearly lost an eye, but he survived to share some wartime stories — including how he earned a Purple Heart for his combat injuries. “He said you’d see bullets flying, especially at night, and you’d hear them zip,” said a son, Scott Gorski, 62, of North Carolina. “He told me as long as you hear them, you’re fine. It’s when you don’t hear the bullet, that’s when you’re hit.” His father died in early 1993 after suffering a massive heart attack in his Westmont home. The retired private security captain had turned 67 one month earlier. Another son, David, said that after his father’s death he put the Purple Heart and other medals in a bank safe-deposit box but eventually lost track of the box after he moved out of state and the bank closed or merged with another institution. The family assumed the contents of the safe-deposit box were gone forever until a recent December day when the Tribune tracked them down to say that their father’s medals, including the Purple Heart, had ended up in the unclaimed property section of the Illinois treasurer’s office. The office had preserved the medals in a Springfield vault since Oct. 30, 2003, when a Darien bank turned them over as contents from an abandoned safe-deposit box. Treasurer Michael Frerichs is the state’s official custodian of unclaimed property, which includes everything from bank accounts and insurance policies to stamps, baseball cards, jewelry and coins. An estimated $2 billion in forgotten cash and stock has been returned to individuals, employers and nonprofits during Frerichs’ three terms, according to his office. Military medals are often difficult to return because the name under which the property was submitted may not correspond to the name of the honoree. A Purple Heart has no engravings that would identify the recipient or the conflict in which it was awarded. And neither the Armed Forces nor the federal government maintains a comprehensive list. The treasurer launched a special effort, “Operation Purple Heart,” in late 2021 to raise awareness about unclaimed medals. The medals awarded to Edward Gorski Jr. ended up in the custody of the state treasurer’s office as unclaimed property after his family lost track of the safety-deposit box where they had been stored. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) On Veterans Day weekend, the Tribune detailed its efforts to help identify the veterans who earned 11 Purple Hearts that sat unclaimed in the treasurer’s vault. After four months of research, the Tribune succeeded in nine of the outstanding cases. Frerichs gave one of the Purple Hearts to a Decatur woman last fall, the 12th he has returned during his time in office. Two more families have filed claims for medals since the Tribune wrote about their cases. But the safe-deposit boxes connected to Gorski and another man, Robert Cawthon, remained a mystery. The Tribune continued digging and, with the help of researchers at the National Archives and Records Administration in St. Louis, unearthed Gorski’s discharge papers from nearly 80 years ago. The documents confirmed he earned the same five military decorations — including the Purple Heart and a blue combat infantryman badge — as those in the treasurer’s vault. Scott and David Gorski said their father was proud of his military service. They hope to honor his wishes by giving the medals to Scott’s oldest son, Shawn, also an Army veteran. Edward Gorski Jr. voluntarily enlisted in the Army in April 1944, months after his 18th birthday. The oldest child of working-class parents, he grew up on Chicago’s North Side near Wrigley Field. Tall and muscular, he and his brothers looked like their own football team, Scott Gorski said. He wasn’t surprised his father volunteered to serve. “He was a man’s man — there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “I remember my dad saying, ‘Scott, the most important thing about it is keeping the battle on their soil, not ours.’ He said, ‘When you have a battle on your soil, you’ve got a lot more casualties and a lot more problems. It just makes sense to bring the fight to them and away from our families.’” Edward Gorski Jr. and his wife, Evelyn, shown at a family wedding in August 1984, married not long after the end of World War II and lived in Westmont. The military records confirm some of Gorski’s stories. The infantryman and his battalion pushed from France through the Rhineland toward Austria, facing brutal cold, sleep deprivation and days of bloody, ruthless fighting. He survived significant combat, including the battle in the German capital of Berlin where he was struck by shrapnel in the face and body. Though he shielded his family from the atrocities he experienced at war, Scott Gorski said his father told him the hardest experiences were the casualties of men in his battalion, including being forced to leave them behind, and when he witnessed the suffering of children. “The biggest thing to him was some of the things he saw with poverty and kids during the war,” Scott Gorski said. “He remembers seeing a child eating grease in the back of a diner ... just scooping grease out of a bin and taking a sugar packet and pouring sugar on it just so he could get it down.” Gorski said his father told him he’d often share his military rations, such as peaches or chocolate bars. There was one story about a lighter moment that still makes Scott Gorski smile. After a relentless night of combat, as Edward Gorski and his fellow soldiers made their way through Austria, they spotted children sledding on a snowy hill. Ignoring his lieutenant’s command to push on, the soldier driving the truck carrying Gorski stopped to allow the men to run up and down the hill, each taking his turn sledding. “All they had seen was nothing but fighting,” the son said. “He said it made them feel normal for a change.” He said her father’s dedication to his country and fellow soldiers is inspiring. “I couldn’t imagine being that age and making those kinds of decisions every moment of the day while just trying to stay alive,” Scott Gorski said. “He said you really got to have guys who are looking out for each other, and obviously they did because he said a lot of his guys made it back. Some obviously didn’t.” As Edward Gorski fought overseas, his girlfriend, Evelyn, worked long hours at a Chicago parachute factory, according to David Gorski, 68, who now lives in Wisconsin. “They were sweethearts,” he said. “I bet every night she went to bed wondering if he was all right. My mother put herself to work as much as her body could handle so she wouldn’t think about it.” Edward Gorski returned to Chicago after being honorably discharged in November 1945. He had earned a Purple Heart, a European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two bronze service stars, a combat infantryman badge, and the good conduct and World War II victory medals, according to his discharge records. He and Evelyn exchanged vows in a Presbyterian church the following September. David Gorski said his mother had saved her paychecks to help the young couple begin their lives as husband and wife. They started a family on Chicago’s North Side but eventually moved to suburban DuPage County. They lived mostly paycheck to paycheck, with Evelyn staying home to raise their daughter and four sons while working part time selling Avon beauty products. Gorski worked for a while as a welder but eventually switched careers to private security. He worked 13-hour shifts, six days a week, for many years, David Gorski said. Edward Gorski Jr., right, shared a special bond with his grandson Shawn, seen at age 7 at a football game. (Lora Oldham) On some weekends, Gorski took his family on excursions to the Wisconsin Dells, to Springfield or into Chicago for a hot dog at Jimmy’s Red Hots, for a Cubs game or to catch perch at his favorite fishing spot, “the horseshoe” near Montrose Harbor on Lake Michigan. Scott Gorski said his dad “never met a stranger,” at times opening his home to a neighborhood kid in need. His patriotic dad played cards with other veterans at local VFW or American Legion halls and put Scott through scouting, helping troop members earn their safety badges by teaching target practice with rifles he acquired for the task. “There was nothing he wouldn’t sacrifice for us,” his son said. Years later, after he retired, Edward Gorski often babysat his first grandchild, Shawn, who is Scott’s oldest child. Edward and Shawn shared the same birth date, Jan. 9. Shawn Gorski, of Geneva, told the Tribune his grandpa “stepped in” at a crucial time after his parents divorced. Edward took Shawn to fish for bluegills, to play tennis at the courts outside his apartment and for regular trips to Lincoln Park Zoo. He also dutifully attended Shawn’s football games and came along for a trip to Disney World in Florida when Shawn was about 5. “I think he just knew that he needed to be there for me,” said Gorski, 39. Shawn was barely 8 years old when his grandfather died. He still remembers when his mother, Lora Oldham, broke the news to him after he returned home from school. Gorski said he instantly knew his grandfather was gone before his mother spoke the words. Shawn Gorski of Geneva, the first-born grandson of World War II veteran Edward Gorski Jr., also served in the Army. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) At the services, Oldham said, a woman turned to her son and told him: “You were the apple of your grandpa’s eyes.” “And Shawn just started bawling,” she said. “He was always so good to Shawn.” After college, inspired to serve his country after the 9/11 attacks, Shawn Gorski followed in his grandpa’s footsteps and joined the Army. Gorski said he served from 2009 to 2013 as a signal officer in Germany training soldiers on communications before they were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. He said his grandfather was “my buddy, for sure.” “He was incredibly patient and fun,” Gorski said. “It was literally my rules. He had multiple heart attacks and, I think, he knew he wasn’t going to live long and so just kind of let it be, you know, just enjoyed it.” Edward Gorski had a scar shaped like a half “C” beneath his left eye that served as a daily reminder of what he survived during World War II. He also had his medals, which his son Scott said his father kept in a metal Band-Aid tin in his bedroom nightstand. “I think it meant a lot to him,” the son said. “It showed him he wasn’t going to run from something.” Scott assumed the medals were long lost, not realizing his brother David had put them in a bank after their father’s death. “I set the deposit box up because I wanted to keep them safe for my parents’ oldest grandson,” David said. “My dad expressed when he was alive and Shawn was very young that he wanted them to go to him.” David Gorski moved to central Wisconsin nearly 25 years ago with his mother and eventually lost track of the box. The medals ended up in Illinois’ unclaimed property section in late 2003. The only information the state had was David’s name and a post office box address in Darien. A case in the unclaimed property vault of the Illinois treasurer’s office in Springfield holds 11 Purple Heart medals that were turned over to the state. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) After researching several families with the same Polish moniker and connections to the western suburbs, the Tribune identified the correct Gorski through obituaries, old addresses, military records and other public documents. One of the records confirmed that David Gorski once held a P.O. box with the same address as the one the bank provided. The family didn’t know about the treasurer’s “Operation Purple Heart” campaign. Scott moved to North Carolina the year before his father died. Evelyn, David and an older brother were in Wisconsin. Another brother died in 1995. A sister lived in Florida until recently. Scott Gorski said he plans to file a claim, with David’s help, to get back their father’s medals and give them to Shawn. Edward Gorski is buried at Elm Lawn Memorial Park in Elmhurst. Sadly, his widow died weeks before the Tribune contacted the family with information about her husband’s long-lost medals. Evelyn Gorski, who never remarried, died on Oct. 8 in Wausau, Wisconsin. She was 99. More than 30 years after her husband’s death, she is now buried alongside him. Their shared grave marker includes an emblem of a cross, an open Bible and the words “together forever.” Anyone with information about a Purple Heart return, particularly a safe-deposit box connected to Robert Cawthon, is urged to contact the Illinois treasurer’s office at claimantconnect@illinoistreasurer.gov . For more information, visit https://www.illinoistreasurer.gov/purplehearts/ . cmgutowski@chicagotribune.comTrump taps forceful ally of hard-line immigration policies to head Customs and Border Protection