Army Orchestra debuts 1945 war symphony
A World War II veteran was able to hear a symphony he wrote 67 years ago for the first time, when the U.S. Army Orchestra premiered it in Washington, D.C. Retired Col. Harold Van Heuvelen, 93, was inspired by his experiences as a soldier to write a symphony in 1945, but it languished on the shelf for decades and was never performed. When his son Bob found the music in the early 2000s, he launched a campaign to have the Army play it. Its premiere this week drew rapturous applause and a standing ovation for the composer.
Write-in votes for Hank the cat
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A cat that ran for the U.S. Senate in Virginia received about 7,000 write-in votes in last week’s election, according to his owners. That means Hank, who hails from Springfield, Va., can claim third place behind Democratic victor Tim Kaine and Republican also-ran George Allen. The human candidates were separated by 180,000 votes, which means that Hank did not affect the result—but donations to his unlikely campaign ended up raising $60,000 for animal rescue charities. As for the candidate himself, he took defeat graciously. “Hank certainly understood it,” said owner Anthony Roberts.
Teen gives bar mitzvah gifts to injured veterans
When Joshua Neidorf became a man, he decided to make a difference. The Los Angeles teen celebrated his bar mitzvah in September, and decided to give $13,000—most of his take in gifts—to injured veterans. The 13-year-old’s donation will go to Operation Mend, which provides medical services to American soldiers with facial injuries. Neidorf’s generosity was inspired by his family’s friendship with Sgt. Louis Dahlman, who was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007. “It’s amazing that he’s willing to give from his own money to such a great cause,” said Dahlman.
