Page 98 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine

Dr. Steve D. Eckstein
y father, Stephen
Eckstein, Sr. was
Mborn a Jew in
1893 in Latvia. He came to
America in 1912 but ended
up “a bum”. One rainy night,
he was ready to take his
own life when someone in
a Jewish Christian mission
in Pittsburgh befriended
him and introduced him to
Christianity. He “rode the
rails” all over the US before
becoming a Christian in 1920.
He then married a Christian
lady and opened a Jewish
mission himself. He wrote two
books: From Sinai to Calvary
and From Golgotha to Heaven.
I was born in Dallas in 1922,
and the family moved to
Kansas City in 1935, where
my three brothers and one
sister were born.
98 Lubbock Senior Link
A Message in Every Story
by Jane Bromley
Dr. Stephen Eckstein, Jr. of Lubbock was 17 years old when Adolf
Hitler began his rise to power in Germany. He was drafted in 1942,
assigned to the 103rd Division and sent to fight in Europe, where he
spent 179 days on the front lines, including in the Battle of the Bulge.
He is a respected author, professor and Bible teacher in Lubbock. This
is his story in his own words.
On Dec. 7, 1941, World War After participating in the
II began for the US, and I Battle of the Bulge (the largest
was inducted into the Army and bloodiest single battle fought
in November 1942. (Two of by the United States in WWII),
Stephen’s brothers, Paul and the 103 Division continued
rd
Johnny, also served during our nearly 500-mile trek
WWII. Johnny was wounded (the so-called Cactus Route)
on a half-track crossing the across France and Germany
Rhine River. His youngest into Austria, pushing the
brother Louis was in the Navy Germans back, liberating
and served as a physician towns and villages along the
aboard a carrier during the way. One of the most stressful
Vietnam War.) I was trained experiences was when I
in chemical gas for 13 weeks, carried a wounded buddy to
before being transferred to a a Jeep, and we were cut off by
decontamination company gunfire. I was separated from
at Brownwood, Texas. After my unit for several weeks, and
six weeks, I was sent to Texas my parents even received a
A&M for tests and then to telegram reporting that I was
Oklahoma University at missing in action.
Norman for nine months,
where I studied Algebra, At Schillersdorf, our battalion
Geometry, Trigonometry and was dug in on a ridge near the
Calculus. Then suddenly, all little town. Orders were given
of my fellow students were to take a patrol and fire some
sent to camp in Gainesville, flares if we saw the enemy. It
Texas to train as riflemen. seemed like a suicide mission.
I was transferred to 60mm It was snowing heavily, and
mortar training. After several Al Capadonico and I spotted
months in the 103rd Infantry at least a full company of
Division, we were sent to New Germans running toward
York first and then, by ship, to the town and firing machine
Marseilles, France. guns. Cap and I hit the snowy
road, paralyzed with fear.