Every Veterans Day, I think about my grandfather, Ernie “Gido” Deeb. He wasn’t just my grandfather; he was one of my heroes. Gido showed me being a hero isn’t about medals or titles; it’s about how you live, how you put family first, how you treat others, and how you rise to meet life’s challenges.
Gido served in the U.S. Army’s 150th Combat Engineer’s Battalion under Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army, an all-New England unit that fought in some of the most grueling campaigns of World War II. He was just 19 when he faced the chaos of D-Day, landing on Omaha Beach, bombs hitting the water around him, and the blood of friends spilling on the beach. Later, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and his unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation from President Harry S. Truman, along with six battle stars. He didn’t talk about himself much, but when he did, he’d tell us, “Please don’t forget.” Those words were simple, but carried a weight that I still feel.
After the war, he came back to Boston, to the Lebanese community he grew up in on Shawmut Avenue in the South End. He built a life of helping people, joining the Boston Fire Department, where he spent 31 years saving lives and risking his own. After his retirement from the fire department, he went on to manage the Elderly Commission, which provided free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for the elderly in the City of Boston. He spent more than 70 years dedicating his life to his country and helping people. I remember stories of him rescuing a 3-year-old girl from a burning building in Charlestown. Decades later, she returned to thank him. In his mind, he was just doing his job. But for me, that moment captures who he was — a man who didn’t seek recognition but left an impact on everyone around him.
Gido didn’t lecture us about life’s lessons; he lived them. Through his actions, he taught me integrity, hard work, kindness, and, most importantly, how much family matters in life. Growing up, I watched him show up, Sunday after Sunday, bringing the paper, Syrian bread, and a lot of Boston Fire Department merchandise. He lived with a sense of purpose and treated others with respect. Even when Boston honored him by naming the corner of Hanson Street and Shawmut Avenue “Deeb Corner” and declaring June 6 “Ernie Deeb Day,” he stayed humble, more interested in making time for family than in standing in the spotlight.
Now, when I think about the kind of man I want to be, it’s his example I look to. He showed me strength is about more than words — it’s about how you live each day and how you’re there for others without needing recognition. In 2020 we lost him at 97 years old. He was always surrounded by family who loved him as much as he loved us.
So, Gido, this year I’m remembering not only what you did, but who you were. You helped shape me into the man I am today, and I’ll keep carrying your lessons with me. And don’t worry, we won’t forget what you and so many others did for this country.
Sam Deeb is the Item’s chief of staff and art director. He can be reached at sam@itemlive.com.
