Remembrances of Chim from Camp Ritchie
By Earl Prebezac (May 2008) [enprebs5@comcast.net]
Chim and I attended Military Intelligence Training center in Camp Ritchie,
Md. together in 1943. Anything I have read about Chim passes over this
phase of his life.
Chim and I were partners (buddies) in all field exercises in our training. I
also worked with him in the photo lab there. I even have a single 35 mm
print which he took of me.
Now I'm nearly 85 years old…..not much time left, and I am willing to share
my experiences from that time. Prof Ambrose says these little scraps of
data truly help develop the big picture.
Chim was 11 years older ...he was kind of paternalistic towards me.
I must say, I was so deeply moved by Chim's death and the incredible
irony that he was involved with an impetuous, anxious news- person who
practically led him to his death (yes, I remember the piece in TIME
Magazine so very well.)
The connection? Chim was about 11 years older than I, much more
experienced, wiser and certainly more intelligent, whereas I was so very
young (18) and eager....always eager, impetuous, anxious, naive. He
always held me back during field exercises ...admonishing me to take
care, be wary, cautious, slow down. He warned me not to take chances...
always. He was actually saying, "kid, you'll live a hell of a lot longer if you’ll
not be so impetuous - let some one else take the chances."
After reading the report of his death, I thought to myself, "Gads, old Chim
got himself tied up with another eager-beaver!"
I was born to immigrant parents Bronco Pavlovich, a Serb and his wife
Milka Kalish Pavlovich a Czech and Slovak in 1924; St. Louis, MO. The
couple divorced 1931; subsequently my mother remarried George
Prebezac, an immigrant Croat. George officially adopted me several
months AFTER I was in the Army. I took his name.
These details are necessary so that you folks can reconcile the last names
on the certificate from Camp Ritchie. Furthermore, I do believe it is
necessary for you to understand me in order to understand my relationship
with Dave. Not only Me but the times, the Army, and CAMP RITCHIE.
Did Dave ever tell you anything about Camp Ritchie? It's reason for
being? Why he and I happened to be there? These are important.
I don't want to belabor the I-Me thing but .......e.g., Dave was a mature,
intelligent, worldly, well educated, multi-lingual, intellectual and a skilled
photographer. HE DID NOT LIKE THE ARMY.
He got tied up with me, an 18 year-old who dropped out of HIGH school at
age 15: immature, uneducated, provincial, and semiliterate; I didn't know
what the word INTELLECTUAL meant...nor could I spell it. I could,
however, speak and understand a few SLAVIC languages.
I volunteered for the Cavalry before 18 year-olds were being drafted. I
LIKED THE ARMY, and I was disappointed when I was transferred from
the 101st Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Devans, Mass to This School in Md. (I
loathed school).
How were two disparate personalities such as Dave and I selected and
thrown together for this Military Adventure? By Punch Cards...a forerunner
of the modern day computer.
The U.S. Army was looking for people with special language skills,
education and experiences which matched the needs of MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE. They ran punch-cards with army personnel data ....
looking for any soldier who might have indicated any of these skills, on his
enlistment t/ early MIl interviews.
As for me, I was disgruntled by my removal from the Cavalry..a place
where I was to find adventure and combat. Also I was an obnoxious teen-
ager, with little respect for establishment things; a smart-aleck , and as
one psychologist diagnosed: "A HIGH ALIENATION QUOTIENT"! This
means that I missed out on a lot at Camp Ritchie- totally ignorant of what
went on around me.
I have given much thought to the "Camp Ritchie" episode in my life...my
experience with Dave. The memory is frail. Separating fact from fiction is
a challenge.
By Earl Prebezac (May 2008) [enprebs5@comcast.net]
Chim and I attended Military Intelligence Training center in Camp Ritchie,
Md. together in 1943. Anything I have read about Chim passes over this
phase of his life.
Chim and I were partners (buddies) in all field exercises in our training. I
also worked with him in the photo lab there. I even have a single 35 mm
print which he took of me.
Now I'm nearly 85 years old…..not much time left, and I am willing to share
my experiences from that time. Prof Ambrose says these little scraps of
data truly help develop the big picture.
Chim was 11 years older ...he was kind of paternalistic towards me.
I must say, I was so deeply moved by Chim's death and the incredible
irony that he was involved with an impetuous, anxious news- person who
practically led him to his death (yes, I remember the piece in TIME
Magazine so very well.)
The connection? Chim was about 11 years older than I, much more
experienced, wiser and certainly more intelligent, whereas I was so very
young (18) and eager....always eager, impetuous, anxious, naive. He
always held me back during field exercises ...admonishing me to take
care, be wary, cautious, slow down. He warned me not to take chances...
always. He was actually saying, "kid, you'll live a hell of a lot longer if you’ll
not be so impetuous - let some one else take the chances."
After reading the report of his death, I thought to myself, "Gads, old Chim
got himself tied up with another eager-beaver!"
I was born to immigrant parents Bronco Pavlovich, a Serb and his wife
Milka Kalish Pavlovich a Czech and Slovak in 1924; St. Louis, MO. The
couple divorced 1931; subsequently my mother remarried George
Prebezac, an immigrant Croat. George officially adopted me several
months AFTER I was in the Army. I took his name.
These details are necessary so that you folks can reconcile the last names
on the certificate from Camp Ritchie. Furthermore, I do believe it is
necessary for you to understand me in order to understand my relationship
with Dave. Not only Me but the times, the Army, and CAMP RITCHIE.
Did Dave ever tell you anything about Camp Ritchie? It's reason for
being? Why he and I happened to be there? These are important.
I don't want to belabor the I-Me thing but .......e.g., Dave was a mature,
intelligent, worldly, well educated, multi-lingual, intellectual and a skilled
photographer. HE DID NOT LIKE THE ARMY.
He got tied up with me, an 18 year-old who dropped out of HIGH school at
age 15: immature, uneducated, provincial, and semiliterate; I didn't know
what the word INTELLECTUAL meant...nor could I spell it. I could,
however, speak and understand a few SLAVIC languages.
I volunteered for the Cavalry before 18 year-olds were being drafted. I
LIKED THE ARMY, and I was disappointed when I was transferred from
the 101st Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Devans, Mass to This School in Md. (I
loathed school).
How were two disparate personalities such as Dave and I selected and
thrown together for this Military Adventure? By Punch Cards...a forerunner
of the modern day computer.
The U.S. Army was looking for people with special language skills,
education and experiences which matched the needs of MILITARY
INTELLIGENCE. They ran punch-cards with army personnel data ....
looking for any soldier who might have indicated any of these skills, on his
enlistment t/ early MIl interviews.
As for me, I was disgruntled by my removal from the Cavalry..a place
where I was to find adventure and combat. Also I was an obnoxious teen-
ager, with little respect for establishment things; a smart-aleck , and as
one psychologist diagnosed: "A HIGH ALIENATION QUOTIENT"! This
means that I missed out on a lot at Camp Ritchie- totally ignorant of what
went on around me.
I have given much thought to the "Camp Ritchie" episode in my life...my
experience with Dave. The memory is frail. Separating fact from fiction is
a challenge.
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