Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-08
We Day Comes to d Washington Family of Five,
But the Effects Of War Can Never End
The Mother Counts
Her Letters, Recalls
"A Good Mon
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.


Franklin street NE.
Mrs. Bartolome Castellanos sat
with the pile Of papers in her lap.
She picked up a stack Of V-mails
half an inch thick.
They come back every day now"
she said. II wrote him two V-mails
and two airmails every night"
On one of the V-mails, the lines
scrawled up hill. 1t was the letter
9-year-old Bonita, the Oldest of the
four daughters had written to Pfc.
Bartolorne Castellanos.
II love you with all my heart,
Daddy" Bonita had written.
BENT doesn't know her father was
killed before that letter got overseas.
The little girl was at school when
the postman brought that one and
her mother put it away.
Looks ut OFFICIAL Letters.
Mrs. Castellanos came to the Of
ficial-looking letters in the pile.
There was one dated April 2 from
the General Accounting ONCE to
tell her the insurance claim had
been received and anothr one from
the Veterans Administration on
April 20 saying the claim had been
approved.
"Of course" said one of the off,
cial-looking letters, present war
conditions. together with the in
crease in the number of claims re-
quired to be considered, the shortage
of personnel to process such claims
and the inaccessibility of records
in this and other Offices extends the
time required to effect final settle
ment Of claims"
The letters promised that she
would get some money for herself
and the four children "at the earliest
possible date" and the payment
would go back to February 10, the
day Pfc. Castellanos was killed.
No, said Mrs. Castellanos, she
wasn't getting the family allowance
any more or the extra allotment
Bart" had made. The soldier had
allotted most Of his pay to her, be-
cause, he wrote, you need it more
than I do"
Veterans Administration HELPS,
How was she getting along? Well,
her mother helped and her sister
had called the Red Cross and they
had fixed up budget for her and
given her money for food and rent.
Yes, she had been to the Veterans
Administration-three times. They
were very helpful. They explained
everything.
The young mother shook her
head and sighed.
Il understand 1t down there, but
when I come home and try to ex-
plain about the money to myself, I
get all mixed UP. There's the in
surance money and a widows pen
sion, but I'm not counting on that
for couple months, I guess"
While the baby slept, the three
daughters-aged 8, and 4-had
been eating their lunch. Now they
brought their dishes into the
kitchen and piled them neatly in
the sink.
I'm teaching them to do things"
said their mother, watching them.
Il want them to be capable women
when they grow up-not q burden
like me. You know, my father and
mother raised seven children. They
didn't have much and I hoped some
day could help them. Now they're
helping me. - ="
Colonies Praise Bart"
She dug deeper into the pile Of
papers. There were two letters
there from colonies who had known
Pfc. Castellanos. She wanted to
talk about her Bart" They'd been
married 10 years, she said, when he
was drafted. He was 20 then,
$3o-a-week shipping clerk in a bak-
cry, but he worked overtime so
they'd have more for the children.
They had three daughters then.
Eight-month-old Barta Lea was
born after her father went overseas.
HE wasn't cut out to be a SOL
dier," said his wife. HE had never.
held gun in his hand and he was
so scared of knives I didn't even
have q butcher knife In the house.
6uC look at LlN.
One of the letters told how Pfc.
Castellanos died.. There was q town
In the Ruhr that had to be taken.
Pfc. Castellanos' platoon went into
that town and Pfc. Castellanos was
the first man into every house that
sheltered snipers. The town was
TAKEN. but the soldier was killed.
The other colonel had written:
During that period, his conduct
was In keeping with the highest ira
ditions Of the United States Army.
He was man who wasn't satisfied
with just the best; he wanted to do
better, regardless of how well he did
the job. With Bartolme's passing,
we have lost true friend, a brave
comrade, loyal American and a
fine soldier"
The shipping clerk who was afraid
OF knives won the Combat Infantry
mans Badge, the Bronze Star, the
Purple Heart and the Presidential
Unit Citation.
Awaits Another Ordeal.
II cried terribly the day the Pur-
pie Heart came" his wife admitted.
you see, never believed anything
would happen to him. I prayed all
the time and I tried to be good. He
wanted me to 60 out and have a
good time, but I never did. One
night before he was shipped over
seas he called me from Camp Bland
ing, Fla. I answered the phone and
the first thing he said was, Thank
God After he'd talked to the chill
dren, he told me why he'd said that
He was afraid I wouldn't be there,
but I was"
Ahead of her is one more ordeal.
The package Of his effects hasn't
arrived yet. She wants them very
much, but she keeps remembering
the day his civilian. clothes came
back from his first camp.
ut was such q big, funny bundle, %
she said. II cried then when I hung
the clothes away"
| She sat silent . moment then, her
eyes on the little stack Of V-mail
and official letters. When she looked
up her eyes were wet.