Story Behind the Brick
As we all take a breather from the postureing that dominates our political season, I would like to
introduce the flathead valley to a real hero and issue a challenge.
Eugene was born in 1925 the first born son in a family of 10. Life was tough back then so he
helped his dad repair musical instruments to support the family. After graduation from high
school the United States entered World War II so Gene beat feet down to the local recruiting
office and joined the army. College would have to wait. Something far more important
was happening in the world and he was going to make sure that he did his part to help.
You see, thats the way it was back then with our “Greatest Generation”. They realized
that sacrifice and hard work was required to achieve results and sometimes even greatness.
Oh & greatness they did achieve! History has recorded some of the heroism that came out
of that horrible conflict. It has also recorded the horrors that made that war necessary,
horrors so unspeakable that I understand many of them are not taught in our schools today.
As one of the first Americans to enter Auschwitz concentration camp after its liberation by the
Russians, Gene saw first hand what humans were capable of doing to their own kind. It was
tough on a young Iowa kid just starting to see the world through his own eyes. He would
never talk much about those most impressionable years. I think I know why.
Eugene married a beautiful southern girl when he got out of the army, went back to school
and earned his degree in electrical engineering, and started his family with Margie all by 1949.
This family would eventually include 4 boys and 3 girls.
Gene put his schooling and innovation to use with his first employer by developing computers
and later guidance systems. He was on the team that developed the guidance system for
the worlds first nuclear powered submarine, the Nautilus. This opened the door of opportunity
for his career. He developed guidance systems and automatic pilots for the aviation
industry. And after another degree and more training he became the head of the failure
analysis lab at Sperry/Rand corporation. It was here that he reached the pinnacle of his
career when he developed a fail-safe system for pilots to check their instruments before
take-off. He was scheduled to introduce his invention to the world in Paris when he got
sick. Eugene never made it to Paris, France. He died on August 21, 1971 at the age of 46
leaving behind a wife and 7 children.
Eugene Otto Thoennes was a visionary, a patriot, a hard worker – and my father. And, while
all his accomplishments are impressive, they dont make him a hero. What made my dad a
hero was the time he rocked me to sleep when I hurt so bad with an ear-ache.
When he would help me with my homework when I just couldnt grasp the problem. And
when he taught me to ride my first bike, to throw and catch the baseball and later on to
drive that old plymouth. He taught me not to judge people without experiencing their pain
first. He introduced me to the value of working hard toward my dreams whatever they might
be. And most importantly to never, ever give up on what you know is right.
To be able to withstand the horrors of war and remain a gentleman; to reach the pinnacle
of a demanding career and still have the time for the important things in a childs life; to
give of oneself without the expectation of reward; these are the things that make my dad
a hero.
Earlier I mentioned a challenge. I don’t know about you, but I have grown weary of the
gloom and doom of our daily dose of news and of every faction, be they political,
corporate or religious, trying to sway me to believe the way they do. It is said real heroes
go unnoticed because they perform their heroics without fan-fare or applause. You
have just heard about one such hero. Eugene Otto Thoennes’ name is engraved on
a brick at our new veterans memorial along with many others. Seems to me thats a lot
of heroes and a lot of stories. I’d like to hear them, so that the next time I walked past
a brick with a name on it I might be able to recall the “story behind the brick”.
6/08/2008
