Irving Altus - June 2, 1982
Talking About Experiences
You have two sons?
Four sons.
Oh okay. You mentioned the two, but I know that...
This is the one from here.
...the young one who walked in.
All sons. Then--yeah and this was in '45 when I was talking, you know...
Yeah.
...no job and nothing. And then we had another son and also we have four sons.
Wife: Maybe you know my cousin ???
No, I haven't met him.
I have two warriors. One is in business. Army/Navy store. And one is here, one is working, he's a mechanic. Joey's still home, he's the youngest one. Twenty years old. And that's the--the oldest one is married, so we have three...
Three granddaughters.
And the other two are bachelors and he's uh, too young and that's the thing. And we are happy. Very happy.
Do you talk to your children about your experiences?
Yes, but uh, I mean, the oldest one is very much--he wants to know more than the rest of them. Mark. He came to sometimes you know, when, whenever what, they want him, like the ??? or to the Jewish Center when the things. The other ones, they know the whole thing, I mean, you know, but somehow they...
Wife: It's history.
History. They're not, they're not too much involved with it. Only the oldest one, which he really feels the whole thing.
They don't...
I don't know how much the other ones maybe inside, but they are really not, they're not talking about it. I could more you know, get a you know, from the oldest one than from the rest.
They, they don't want to hear about it.
No, I--they wouldn't tell me. My kids don't ever tell me you know, they--not that they want to hear about it and thing, but. They're not home. And I know the other two, even and the one, Joey, so. I don't know why. They are, they are the quiet types. They're not uh, the big mouths or runners or...
Wife: We don't talk about it.
So...
And uh, it's...
Wife: We don't like to repeat.
You talk when they were children, but now.
So they never asked really and you never really talked about it.
Wife: Oh they know.
They know. No, no, no, Yes. But that that's it. Like I say. They were younger, by the table and the thing. But once they left home, I mean, they don't, you know, so. They went to college, but you know, after high school and, so.
Did other people ask you right after the war? Were people interested in hearing about
...what happened...
I...
...when you came to the United States?
When I came to the United States and from the beginning, wherever I work, in Albany, and here on the job, the people did ask. And I told them the whole thing, but. And even now, my partners are Americans. We are four partners. They know about it. They wanted to know when we met and the thing. But I don't know if you think other people so, they're not going to walk up and ask me what happened, the story, so that's...
Your relatives asked...
The relatives, yeah. They, they, yeah. They know the whole thing. And like I say, close friends or so they know the whole thing.
Now you don't really suffer any physical illnesses from the, uh...
From the Germans, I would say. I really don't think so, to be honest.
You say you survived the war and...
I survived and...
...you're in good shape.
I think so...
Wife: Nerves.
...who knows. Listen, I don't know to make a statement. I don't know nerves. People who were not in camp are more nervous. I, I don't believe. I think I, I am lucky I came out pretty good.
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