The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1941-12-05
* .} $ *: 8! 5
By MoRRIs WEnNBR

For some of you, unfamiliar with
the ways of the modern track and
field gameS-a pentha,On event is
an athletic contest in which each
contestant participates in five
events. In the Modern Olympic
games the penthalOn includes
running broad jump, the iavelin
throw, the 200 meter race, the
discus throw and the 1900 meter
race. The performer scoring the
highest number of points in all
these events is the winner. And
even novice could see at a glance
that to cop one of the win, place
or show awards in such a cruel
ling competition you've got to be
darn good.
Bernie was fireman for the
City of New York. He was a man
of many occupations as well
All this while he was training for
his many athletic contests. This
man Lichtman has carried pota-
toes, rifles, letters, footballs and
hoses in his time. A story goes
how through his efforts to escape
a gang of HelPs Kitchen TOUCHES
with a medal he had won in a po-
tato race at the old De Witt Gin
ton High School in New York, he
first became aware of his prowess
as runner. He was only twelve
at the time. His only chance of
arriving safely at home with his
newly won trophy was to sprint
ahead of fast moving New York
Central freight train on Death"
. Avenue until he could reach a
crosstown street that would en-
able him to avoid his pursuers.
He took the chance and made it
simply because none of his enc
mics was fast enough to catch up.
He was a runner after that.
Bernie joined the College Settle
ment House on East First Street
in New York and entered upon a
career that led to the penthaIOn
supremacy of the United States
and to within reach of Olympic
hOnOrs. If it hadn't been for a
pulled tendon he would have rep
resented the u. S. A. in the inter-
national Olympics in 1920.
It was while toting gun in the
National Guard eighth Regiment
sirD that he first came into prom
inence as a distance man by cap
turing the mile event in a local
meet. During the same time he
took up boxing and mixed with
such outstanding amateurs of that
era as Leach Cross, Johnny Kiln
ton and Dave Kamins. He also
played basketball despite weight
Of only SO pounds. He went on to
accept a bid from the Irish-Amer-
lean A. C. and when that club
was dissolved in 1918, Bernie like
so many other pseudo Hibernianas
went over to the Pastime A. G.
He won ten titles in the years he
competed for this last named club.
At this stage of his career he
Joined the fire department and be-
gan to play football, basketball
and sundry other sports other
than that Of fighting fires.
Once Fireman Lichtman "train-
ed" for a race under difficulties.
An hour before the metropolitan
penthalon championships of 1921,
he was standing ankle deep In
water i'm the basement of a burn
ing building and having what is
known in the fire fighters jargOn
as a "good feed" which consists
of a hearty meal of smoke. AS
soon as the cOnflagratiOn was
under control he obtained permls-
sion from his captain to go to the
scene of the race and he led all
the way to the tape despite the
fact that at no time during the
competition could he draw a full
breath.
When Bernie retired after max
ing his last bid for national non
ors in 1929 against Barney Ber-