THE Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 was an unhappy prelude to the outbreak of World War II. Perley B. Payne, whose home is on Quito Hill Road, was a 24-year-old native of Campbell when he heard lectures in San Francisco by returning veterans who told about the struggle against Gen. Francisco Franco. Payne decided to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, fighting the fascists who had overthrown the Spanish Republic.
Payne, now 82, is one of 62 surviving American veterans honored last November by the Spanish government for their service. The Cortes, the Spanish legislature, bestowed the honors on Payne and others who had returned to Spain for the occasion. "Some members of the Cortes, still siding with Franco, stayed away," Payne said.
Jaundice, blood-poisoning and other illnesses kept Payne from taking part in battle, but he witnessed the suffering of the anti-fascist forces that included men from the Soviet Union, France and other countries, as Hermann Goering's German air force bombed Spanish cities. "I was so sick, I had to get help," he said. "I was staggering. I grabbed the tail of a mule that was carrying a wounded soldier." Bullets peppered the ground, the mule driver whipped his animal faster and Payne had to let go. He wound up in a hospital north of Barcelona, where on his birthday a nurse brought him a custard. "I knew it had come from her home because food was scarce," he said.
Once Payne saw Ernest Hemingway talking with a soldier who had lost an arm, "but at the time his name didn't mean much to me." Although American communists flocked to join the Lincoln Brigade, Payne said he never heard any talk of communism. "We talked about what soldiers always talk about," he said. He returned to the states following a slow recovery.
THE China-Burma-India Veterans Association seeks to locate veterans who served in those areas during WWII. Veterans should send name, address, phone number and service information to: Melvin D. McMullen, 120 W. 49th St., San Bernardino, Calif., 92407.
REFLECTING how deeply the community has been touched by the death of Jim Peckler and children Jill, 21, and Jeff, 15, hundreds of people have gathered daily at the family home since news of the tragedy reached Los Gatos. Friends come to lend sympathy and support to Judy Peckler. More than 1,000 people attended services at Calvary Church. Memorial funds have been established at A Place for Teens, where Jill was a founding board member, and at Los Gatos High School.
ALUMNI of Hillbrook School gathered for a basketball game and lunch to celebrate the private school's 50th birthday. Hillbrook, founded in 1936, has preschool to eighth-grade classes.
"ARREST" warrants were issued for various local persons Jan. 29 with the Los Gatos Brewing Company serving as a temporary "jail" in a fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The volunteer jailbirds had their mug shots taken and used cellular phones to call for "bail." The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Dept. and Los Gatos Honda lent a hand.
LOS GATOS baseball players lost a good friend with the death Jan. 22 of James (Jim) Dilles in Corvallis, Ore., at age 73. Dilles was one of the early coaches in the Los Gatos Little League and the Pony League and had continued his interest in local ball games until he and his wife, Marilyn, left their Montevina Road home for Corvallis. Marilyn Dilles was the Los Gatos children's librarian from 1967 until she retired in 1994. She gave weekly read-alouds at the library for children. Jim Dilles, who grew up in South San Francisco, wrote plays and poetry. In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons John Dilles of Philomath, Ore., and Peter Dilles of Reno, Nev.; daughter Mary Dilles of Portland, Ore.; brother Angelo Dilles of Pacifica, and four grandchildren. A private memorial was held.
THERE was a family celebration in Chico for the 50th wedding anniversary of Mark and Lillian Di Duca, who were residents of Los Gatos from 1958 until they moved to Paradise, Calif., in 1981. Mark, president of Di Duca Bros. Inc., heating, cooling and plumbing contractors, served two terms on the Los Gatos Town Council and was named mayor in 1974. A Rotarian since 1966, he is a past president of the Paradise Rotary Club and a past exalted ruler of the Los Gatos Elks Club. Lillian Di Duca served as president of the Los Gatos Republican Women. The family gave the couple a five-day trip to Napa Valley.
WE and Our Neighbors Club seems to be setting a record for institutional longevity. Members will celebrate their 105th anniversary Feb. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the clubhouse, 15480 Union Ave. A Victorian tea and a preservation-fund raffle are planned, and historian Mary Foster will speak. RSVPs go to club president Penny Canario, 267-8175.
ARTIST Jim Bacigalupi, who designed the furniture for St. Joseph's Cathedral in San Jose, has joined with portrait painter James Kelly to form a Los Gatos-based company called Angel Paws. They produce hand-crafted 7-by-9-inch memorial stones for pets, with messages like "My life was full" and "A good kitty." The price is $39.95, plus $9.95 for shipping, handling and engraving. Contact Angel Paws, P. O. Box 2131, Los Gatos, 95031, or call 377-2911.
THE state Legislature approved a measure, authored by local Assemblyman Jim Cunneen, designating Feb. 10-16 as "Random Acts of Kindness Week." It calls RAK "those sweet and lovely things we do for no reason (except) the best of our humanity." So be kind, y'hear?
CARLOS Torres of the Los Gatos Police Department gave Los Gatos Kiwanis Club members tips on how business owners can protect themselves from credit card fraud at a recent meeting.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, February 5, 1997.
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