Judge Alan Beldock visited as a guest speaker last week with history and government students at Sachem North.
Not only did the judge share his experiences of graduating high school in Brooklyn during a time when the boys wore tuxedos and the girls wore evening gowns to the ceremony, but also how he worked during the day and went to school at night during the Depression, and what it was like to be drafted into the army for WWII.
Beldock, 94, served four years in the Pacific fighting the Japanese. He told one story of how he was lucky to be alive after popping out of a foxhole just as a Japanese plane flew low over the island, explained why full moons were utilized in attacks, and how his parents were pleased when he was stationed in Hawaii because they felt he was safest there. He explained that one of the islands he was moved to was being utilized for Atomic bomb testing.
Beldock served for many years within the judicial system and was a Supreme Court judge for Queens County. He shared a story of being at Game 6 of the 1986 World Series when a parachuting dare devil landed on the field during the game. The next day, this man was standing in front of him in court. He let him go without bail on his own recognizance.
He explained the makeup of the Suffolk County court system and how he still works every day advising hundreds of jurors in Queens County.