May 1965. Rudy boarded an airplane in San Francisco for his flight to New York to begin his leave before a posting in Germany. The unknown loomed ahead. But first, a happy reunion with family, friends, and fate. Rudy had received orders for his overseas posting to Kaiserslautern, Germany. He was to report to his transport after a thirty-day leave.
He spent only a short time visiting his father, Leoncio, in Brooklyn.
Virtually everyone had moved on.
Ralph Pina and his family had moved to New Jersey.
Eddie Davis had also joined the army. But, unfortunately, had died in an airplane crash as he was returning home from leave.
The Seven Sinners had dispersed to the four winds.
Rudy’s parents Leo, and Dolly, were still separated. His mother and sisters lived in an apartment on Francis Lewis Blvd. in Queens Village, New York.
This brings us to Betsy Velázquez.
Betsy and Leon had a history long before Rudy.
Dolly was a childhood friend of Betsy’s mother, Gabriella Hernandez.
The friendship lasted through Gabriella s marriage to Jose Louis Velazquez and the birth of their children, Betsy, Abwilda, and Jose. Four of the Sanchez and Velazquez children were born in March. Leon on the 25th, Betsy on the 21st, Edda on the 15th, and Abwilda on the 14th. The families thought it would be a great idea to celebrate all four birthdays on the same day every year. Both families perpetuated the custom until 1961 when the two eldest children felt it was high time that they had separate birthday celebrations.
Maybe it was fated to happen.
It Happened in 1965, but it did not happen at the World’s Fair.
Instead, it happened on a weekend trip planned by Dolly and Gabriella. The ladies thought it would be great to book a day cruise to West Point, New York.
Even though Rudy was about to embark on an ocean cruise, it seemed like a good idea.
The rest of the children had never previously been on anything more than the Staten Island Ferry.
The day was perfect for an outing.
Rudy and Betsy engaged in light conversation, unaware of what was developing between them.
The first order of business was a tour of West Point Military academy.
After the tour, they adjourned for picnic lunches. Rudy and Betsy found a secluded corner where they could continue their conversation. Suddenly t happened. Rudy leaned in towards Betsy, tipped her chin up with his hand, and kissed her. It was almost as if she was expecting it. In response, she leaned into the kiss, returning it.
Well, that had done it! They took every chance to separate from the others so that they could continue to shower one another with kisses.
Rudy spent as much time with her as possible, At her home, Vandolin Park in Jamaica Queens, near Betsy’s home. And a trip near the end of Rudy’s leave to take in The New York World’s fair. If it had not happened at West Point, it would have happened at The World’s Fair.
What did happen, on the way home, Rudy asked Betsy to marry him. Betsy said yes, with less than a week remaining before Rudy’s departure, together time was at a prime.
The families approved wholeheartedly of the engagement. Knowing that they had the better part of two years before the wedding could occur.
All too soon, the day of Rudy’s departure arrived. Rudy and Betsy tearfully said their goodbyes as Rudy arrived at the embarkation point.
It was a chilly ten-day voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany. Even in June, the passage was cold. Rudy boarded a plane to Hamburg, Germany, where he boarded a five-ton troop truck for the final step to Kaiserslautern, where Rudy would spend the next two years.
At first, Rudy and Betsy were able to make the long-distance love affair work. Rudy kept a photo of Betsy at his bedside. He wrote to her several times a week, and she did the same.
Then, the dreaded day arrived. What every soldier fears was delivered to him. Betsy had written him a “Dear John” letter. She told him how she could no longer tolerate his mother and hers getting together to make wedding plans for them. in the letter. Betsy begged him to understand that she was breaking their engagement to preserve her sanity. Betsy broke off their engagement, but she also broke off all further communication. Rudy continued to get news of her thru his family.
Shortly before his tour of duty ended, he learned that she had married a New York City police officer and was now a mother to a baby boy.
Rudy, who had entertained hopes of reconciliation upon his return, saw his dreams crushed beyond hope of retrieval.
Rudy returned to New York on May 7, 1967. His parents had reconciled and, with Rudy’s help, purchased a home in Selden, New York. Rudy had cashed in most of the Savings Bonds he had purchased while in the army to assist with the financing.
By and by, Rudy faded into the background and was no longer a dominant personality. Leon married and started a family.
During the spring of 1976, Leon attended a party at Abwilda Velazquez’s house. Although he should not have been surprised, Betsy appeared with her young son in tow at the party. She had recently been widowed and was now living alone with her son. Damn, she looks good, He thought. He had not seen or spoken to her since that June in 1965.
“Dance with me?” Betsy asked,
Knowing he should not be doing this, he took her in his arms and danced with her one last time. With a sad look in her eyes, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and thanked him for the dance.
At that point, Leon’s wife Wanda began saying their goodbyes and rushed them out the door.
Leon was never to see Betsy again. However, On a trip to Puerto Rico to visit his father several years later, he visited Abwilda at her home. While there, Leon browsed through Betsy’s recent wedding albums.
Abby decided it would be a good time to call her sister on the phone.
“Guess who’s here?” she asked her sister on the phone and promptly handed the receiver to Leon.
Leon held the receiver up to his ear and said Hello. “Leon?” came a breathless voice on the phone.
They exchanged pleasantries back and forth, each giving their condolences regarding their parents, who had died recently. Leon had lost his mother, and Betsy had lost both of her parents since they had last conversed.
“where are you living now?” she asked.
“DeBary Florida,” he replied, “and you?”
”
Near Atlanta, Georgia.” She replied, “You should come by and visit,” she said.
Leon gave an evasive reply to try to arrange it as he passed the phone on to his father.
Leon knew he would not follow thru on a visit. He knew he would not have the self-control to be physically near her again.
And so it went; an occasional conversation on Facebook was what he had to be satisfied with.
Years later, he attempted to take her up on her invitation to visit. He was now widowed and living in Georgia and was planning a road trip to visit lost connections.
Betsy refused all attempts to arrange a visit.
Abwilda confided that Betsy’s husband was extremely jealous and highly abusive. She did not want him to visit under those conditions.
On September 4, 2020, Leon received an early morning phone call from Abwilda, informing him that she had lost her sister. She had had Cancer for the last few years.
Now, Betsy Velazquez, the One That got away, Rudy’s Elusive Butterfly, was finally out of his reach.