(NOTE: It appears that my mailing list is not working the way I wanted it to. Apparently it is not sending replies out to all members. If I am wrong about this - if you already received the following message from Bob, please tell me. Otherwise, I will be forwarding your messages, and that is okay with me. - Jim)
Dear Jim and fellow Bernarr MacFadden students and children of students,
I was so excited to receive your response Jim, and the response of others.
I would greatly appreciate hearing from all of you and sharing memories. I am writing a memoir of my early life(4to 22) and the military school is where it all begins. Below are some of my memories. Please send me yours.
My father,Wladimir Osepof Evanovich Krasnow was from the Russian Imperial Ballet and had been a famous dancer and choreographer in Europe. His father wa a General in the Czar's Army. The General of music.
When he came to America after being the head choreographer of the Berlin Ballet he found here a limited love of the ballet and proceeded to open two dance studios. Into one came my mother to sign up her 10 year old daughter. She fell in love with the maestro and they married. One year later I was born. They fought for four years and after a royal battle in which both parents tried to throw the other out a fourth floor window(my mother was equally strong) the end of the marriage came and with it and my life in a two parent family. When I awoke in the morning all that remained of my mother was her two packed suitcases standing by the front door. She left without saying goodbye to me.
My father the artiste did not know how or did not have the desire to raise me. Within a few short weeks of my mothers abandendment my father drove me from my Bronx apartment to Tarrytown. I remember going through the large metal gates and up the long winding hill to the main house of the Bernarr Macfadden Military School. Together we walked up the flight of stairs to the main door where Mrs Walden, who kind of looked like my mother, greeted us. My dad signed the papers then, as quickly as we entered, he was ready to leave. I was a frightened four year old going on five and tears ran down my face and didn't stop until the next day.
My first stop was the dormitory, a large room with double decker beds. Every four beds separated by a wall. there was no door or closure in front of the beds. A dresser stood in between the two beds and that was shared by all four boys. Four kids to a room. Each child was given a Navy training rifle weighing five pounds. Call it a gun and you slept with it.
A slight, pretty lady name Eloise McBride was in charge. Her room was down the hall. Her son Tommy was one of the boys. He was seven years old when I arrived. His dad, McBride's husband had died in the war. Her sister in law was the famous Mary Margaret McBride of Martha Dean radio and later TV fame. Eloise asked us to call her Mac and we did.
The Captain was a man named Captain Beany and he lived at school with his wife Betty. Good people. Although after Beany came a Captain Cole, I remember hearing rumors of his dismissal for reasons I would not like to mention here since I am not sure they were true.
School had good teachers and no homework. But after school was drill time. Drop your rifle and you slept with it. Talk out of turn and did guard duty of Saturday. Or I remember holding a rifle over my head until my arms dropped for laughing in ranks.Yes mam, yes sir, hold the door open for adults. Tough stuff for a five year old.
Although ages ranged from five to twelve.Harry Smart, our Sargent, one of the older boys led the drill. After drill and one hour before dinner time we had free play. I can never get over calling play free. Play was unorganized and we ended up playing marbles or a game played with a small knife, called I declare war
on---(name of a country) in a large field. I remember camping out on summer nights in this same field and sleigriding down a big hill next to this field. The hill I recall led to the infirmary and eventually a swimming pool that was installed around 1947.
I remember Bernarr MacFadden visits to review his troops. We had to learn the military marching manual of arms. We practiced it so many times I could do it in my sleep. First put the rifle on your right shoulder, take your left hand palm out and place it in the center of the rifle the twirl the rifle around until the butt hits the ground as you drop to your left knee simultaneously. when all forty of us did it at the same time it looked sharp. Macfadden looked impressed.
My father visited every Sunday, the official visiting day. Very few parents came to see their kids and we jammed many kids in our car to take them to Tarrytown for a spaghetti dinner.
My best friend was Johnie Applegate.
Johnie, myself and two other ran away from school in 1947. We got to town stole some candy and cigarettes and snuck in the Music Hall and watched the movie Casey at the Bat. When we returned after smoking 10 packs of cigarettes Captain Beany caught us and made us smoke a big, fat cigar. That was my last cigarette that I ever smoked.
My mother came to visit when I was 12...I hadn't seen her for eight years. Mom,WHO?
At twelve, Mac decided to leave school and marry a one legged butcher from Mahopac named Ed. I didn't stop crying for days. My dad came to the rescue and made a deal with Mac and her new husband and I left school to go and live with them... My precious housemother and her son Tommy.
Please email with your memories. Did you know Mac, Tommy, Capt.Beany and Betty, Mrs Walden(who told scarry stories when the boys and girls got together for storytelling time)Johnie Applegate, Harry Smart(who I understand went on to West Point and fought in the Korean War and I believe was injured. Do you know if any of them are alive and where they are?
Wow 65 years ago and the memories are alive as if they happened yesterday.
Best to you all,
Bob Krasnow
splace@ix.netcom.com
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