Submitted By Hugo (Hugh) Wiberg

Dave, thanks for reminding me of the S.A. "memories" site. I shall reach back in time now and again, to see what early Army memories I can resurrect. (I have read through many past contributions and found them quite fascinating!)

I have one anecdote to share which never fails to cause me to smile, and what follows is a true story. This goes back to the late '50's - early '60's, when I played euphoneum with the Boston Central band under B. M. David Galbraith. This was a fine band - about 30 members - a great bunch of players, the Browns, Hargraves, Farrars, Smalleys, Daniels, Milnes, and on and on. On Tuesday nights before band practice, it was the custom for several of the boys to walk a couple of blocks up Berkeley Street for a last quick smoke before start time. (Yes, sorry to say, several of the bandsmen, myself not included, hadn't kicked the butts!) Sometimes I would accompany them, just to enjoy their company. This one evening we were about finished with the street corner socializing when one of the guys said, "Hey ditch the butts - here comes the Colonel!" Sure enough, Col. William Fox comes walking up to us from a nearby parking lot and begins to make small talk with the five of us, apparently unaware of the clandestine smoking. After several minutes of banter, the Colonel said, "Well boys, I've got work to do," and he starts off. He took several steps, than stopped, turned, and said, "by the way, (unidentified), is that your cigarette there in the gutter?" (Unidentified), without missing a beat, said, "No Colonel, you saw it first, go for it!"

(I use "unidentified" because this good fellow is still alive and well and living in
Massachusetts. And I should add that he gave up the evil weed a long time ago.)
--

From Sven Wickberg (Swedish Salvationist) by way of my sister Mary Wiberg

How Sven Wiberg Nearly Killed Me Without even trying
As told by Sven Wickberg

I was some 13 years old, a Junior Soldier of the Stockholm 1 Corps (Salvation Army), and member of the very small and humble Young People's Band. The little band had been diminished, we were only three. Our leader was a Candidate for the Training College and was going to leave us. The bandmaster (of the senior band) said to our parents: We'll take care of the boys! Send them down to the Corps on Sunday night! So we went.

The three of us were two sons of Lt-Colonel Emanual Sundin and myself. We all lived in the same block as the corps. When we came down that night we had no idea at all what was going to happen.
When we walked into that Band Room we were heartily welcomed. Each of us was immediately given a locker (with a key!) for our instruments and a red tunic. It was the old fashioned type, with white stripes ("ribs") on the chest. (At least they used to be white...) We were told to put on our new-old uniforms, take our instruments and come along. "Along" meant walking up the stairs to the back of the platform, then climbing the high platform and preparing to play the first song.

In this rather unconventional way I entered the first Sunday night Salvation Meeting in my life!

Everything was new: the whole "ritual" with testimonies, address, "prayer meeting"... We watched everything keenly with big bright young eyes. I had been told (by my parents) to be back home at the latest 9.30 p.m. Since the meeting had not finished at that time the three of us -- a little noisily perhaps -- went down from the platform in the middle of the sermon and left. From this time on, playing in the Band was our priority. And so I found myself an acting SA bandsman.

But it did not take long until it dawned upon me that sitting on the platform brought with it certain obligations. There was this custom of calling on "anyone" for a testimony. I was scared stiff by the thought that some (idiot) might call on me... And one Sunday our Corps Officer announced: Next Sunday we will have the pleasure of listening to Sven Wickberg....

(My heart stopped!!)

(-- but no, I soon realized that it wasn't me. He had spoken of some Colonel Sven Wiberg..., and
s l o w l y my heart began to beat again.

So I must have met this Sven Wiberg once or twice after this, leading a Sunday night meeting at the Stockholm 1,"Templet" as they call it nowadays. If I remember correctly he had a very piercing look under his big eyebrows. When he entered the platform and gave his troops an inspecting glance, I always felt quite sure his glance said: That little one on the cornet over there must give his testimony to-night...
That never happened, however, so eventually I was more and more at ease and not scared so easily. (And in due time learned how to give my testimony.)

Editor's notes: 1, Col. Sven was my grandfather. [still is, I guess]
2,Sven Wickberg's site= http://www.abc.se/~sw/ some S.A. history included
3, Sven Wickberg's father was the Ninth General of the SA, Erik Wickberg

Here is a recent report that will be a memory that will not soon be forgotten by those who benefited from the efforts of the Salvation Army. I read it in the latest issue of the "War Cry" [page 10] - dated December 8, 2001. Hope I don't get in trouble for using it with out the Army's permission.
As I heard many times as a child, "God Bless the Salvation Army!".

Item:
Disaster contribution report to Congress

ALEXANDRIA, VA - In a statement to Congress, The Salvation Army reports that as of November 15 the Army across the country has raised $60,484,323 in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. These funds have been designated for disaster relief in either New York City, greater Washington, D.C. or Western Pennsylvania. Army policy demands that all designated funds must be used as intended by the donor and are channeled appropriately to the three primary disaster sites. No donated funds have been spent on public relations or fundraising. To date 2.3 million meals have been served at the disaster sites and 54,786 persons have received counseling and/or social service assistance, representing 1,915,877 hours of service by officers, employees and volunteers.

From Janet Sinclair

THIS STORY GAVE QUICK RECALL TO MY OFFICERSHIP DAYS WHEN A DEAR OLD MAN IN THE CORPS OF WALTHAM, MASS, NAMED ''HUTCH" GAVE HIS HEART TO THE LORD. HE SURRENDERED HIS CIGARS ON SUNDAY NIGHT. ON MONDAY HE CAME TO RAKE UP THE LEAVES FOR MY COMMANDING OFFICER, LIEUTENANT MARTHA WINKLEY. WE ASKED HIM ON MONDAY IF HE STILL HAD VICTORY IN HIS SOUL. HE DECLARED POSTIVELY A "YES". WE LET HIM RAKE UP THE LEAVES AND WENT ABOUT OUR BUSINESS. WE RETURNED A LITTLE EARLIER THAN "HUTCH" WOULD HAVE WANTED. HE SPIED US DRIVING UP THE CAR INTO THE DRIVE WAY. SUDDENLY WE NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE RAINPIPE. HUTCH HAD VICTORY FOR ABOUT TEN HOURS....HE DIDN'T WANT TO DISAPPOINT US SO HE STUCK HIS CIGAR UP THE RAIN PIPE WHILE NOT REALIZING THAT MANY LEAVES HAD FALLEN DOWN THE PIPE. THEY CAUGHT FIRE AND WE THEN HAD QUITE A JOB ON OUR HANDS TO STOP THE SMOKE AND FIRE. "HUTCH" DECLARED THAT HE WOULD NEVER SMOKE A CIGAR AGAIN. WE WERE NOT SURE THAT HE WOULD KEEP TO HIS NEW DECLARATION.
JAN

From Joyce Johnstone
Just thought of another person from the Clearwater Corps that you might add to our list. It is Ethel (Perrett) Orfetelli. She lives in Connecticut during the summer and also in Old Orchard. In the winter she comes down to Clearwater and is a great help in the Corps . I remember her and her sister-in-law Lillian Perrett. For many years I was a member of the Boston Palace Corps with Bandmaster David Galbraith. Many times the Boston Palace Band went on band trips to Manchester, Connecticut - some wonderful memories there! Lillian Perrett used to play trombone and was she good! Also she was a fantastic songster leader. I have printed your latest edition and plan to read it while eating supper and practicing for tomorrow's meetings.
Commissioner Ron Irwin is playing the piano tomorrow and I will be at the organ.

God bless you!
Joyce (Johnstone)

From Dave Wiberg
Here’s one that popped into my head recently.

As a college student, I use to work part time during the Christmas season for my future father-in-law, the then Brig. Fred Fahey, doing odd jobs at the Provincial Headquarters in Boston Mass. One of the jobs assigned to me was to load a small truck with toys to be delivered to the old Mechanics Hall for a kids’ Christmas Party sponsored by the S.A. After loading the truck I decided to take a break before driving to the hall. Part of the break consisted of a quick smoke. I’ve been known to have a cigarette now and then. While walking back the H.Q. building, who but Col. Ralph T.Miller [then Provincial Commander] appeared walking towards me. I quickly cupped the cigarette and put my hands into my jacket’s side pockets. We stopped and talked. “Hi Dave, how are you doing ?, is what he first said to me. For obvious reasons, I hoped that this little meeting would not take too long. We talked some more and then he said, “Dave, I think your coat is on fire” A little smile on his face told me that he knew what I was trying to hide from him. He then kindly and gently gave me the solid reasons why I should not smoke. To his credit, I am sure he did not tell anyone about our little chance meeting.

[11/27/2001 6:31:26 AM | Dave Wiberg]

Sent to me by Bill DeMoranville on 11/27/2001

Salvation Army's 'angel' dies at 89
By JOAO FERREIRA, Standard-Times staff writer
DARTMOUTH -- The woman known as the "angel with the bell," who dedicated most of her life to the Salvation Army, died on Thanksgiving morning.

Edith Levesque, 89, of Dartmouth, a Salvation Army volunteer since 1928, died around 5 a.m. Thursday. She fell ill at the Dartmouth Town Meeting on Nov. 13 and went to St. Luke's Hospital, where she later died.
A daughter, Beverly Conrad, said Mrs. Levesque wanted to live through Christmas to greet the supporters of the Salvation Army one last time.
Mrs. Levesque will be buried Monday with an honor guard and brass band from Salvation Army.
Described as faithful and enthusiastic by those who knew her, Mrs. Levesque was the local face of the Salvation Army for many years.
"The managers were wondering when she was going to start ringing the bell," said Capt. Gerald Morgan of the New Bedford Salvation Army. "She is absolutely known as the icon of the Salvation Army."
Mrs. Levesque started accepting collections in front of the Sears store this year, but store police prohibited her from ringing the bell. She would have started ringing the bell in front of Shaw's Supermarket yesterday.
Others also spoke of Mrs. Levesque's love of others.
"This lady was next to a saint; she was a dedicated and a committed woman," said Eloise Pina, a past president of Church Women United who knew Mrs. Levesque for 30 years. "As she was a Christian, this is her homecoming. We're all going to miss her."
Similar words of appreciation poured in yesterday from community members.
Ellen Cushman, 82, of New Bedford, said she remembers Mrs. Levesque standing in front of Shaw's Supermarket in Dartmouth year after year.
She said nobody could go by her without putting a dollar in the kettle.
"She was there every Christmas, right after Thanksgiving," Mrs. Cushman said. "Everybody loved her."
"I feel so bad, I just wished I could have told her how much I loved her," she said. "It's like losing my mother."
Those who knew Mrs. Levesque well described a woman fully dedicated to the Salvation Army and its many activities.
She was especially involved with the youth band, and, until later years, traveled to several events with the group.
"I know that she will be missed. She has worked with young people for 40 years," said Capt. Douglas Jones, commander of the Quincy branch of the Salvation Army. He was Mrs. Levesque's supervisor for 10 years until he left New Bedford last July.
Col. Barbara Van Brunt, Salvation Army associate divisional commander for the state of Massachusetts, said Mrs. Levesque never stopped thinking about others first, even on her death bed.
"I visited her at the hospital on Tuesday and had prayer with her," she said. "She was concerned about getting home to get her Christmas shopping done for her grandchildren."
Col. Van Brunt said she knew Mrs. Levesque since the early 1980s and was always impressed with her dedication.
"She absolutely loved everything she did at the Salvation Army," she said.
Pamela Cole, president of Church Women United, where Mrs. Levesque served as treasurer and played organ, also offered kind words.
"Edith was exactly what we could hope all Christians to be," she said. "Her giving and her serving, and her music, came from a heart truly dedicated to God."
Mrs. Levesque's career at the Salvation Army is long and distinguished.
She taught music to children and managed the thrift store in New Bedford for 30 years.
But it was her smiling face with a bell and a kettle that people will remember most.
"She was someone who always was available," Capt. Jones said. "She will be dearly missed."
Editor's note: Bill DeMoranville told me that Edith Levesque also played in the Old Orchard Camp band for over 50 years.

From Esther Post:
Thought you might be interested
October 19, 2001

Sounds like "60 Minutes" may be doing a segment on the disaster work of The Salvation Army according to the following E-mail. It may be this coming Sunday at 7 p.m. on CBS. Colonel Ed Fritz
* * *
You may already know that the 60 minutes film crew filmed for over 6 hours
last week-end at various places of Salvation Army service in the New York
area. I have not received official word, but am under the impression that
this will 'air' this Sunday night, October 21, at 6:00 p.m. CST on CBS.
Blessings,
Major Deborah Sjogren
Community Relations and Development Secretary
The Salvation Army
10 W. Algonquin
Des Plaines, IL 60016
847-294-2044