Braddock Heights

You will laugh, cry, and wonder how it was possible. Braddock Heights is
a compilation of stories and emotions. The author experienced life as a
child and teen unlike most. When he was eight years old, his only friends
were hobos and prostitutes. He battled the Catholic school system as a youth
and learned on-the-job training in sex education. As a teen, he defied authority,
walked the thin line between right and wrong, and challenged nature. Above it
all, he loved life.



While serving with the U.S. Army in Germany, he won two championships
playing basketball, assisted in promoting German-American relations, traveled
throughout Europe writing stories for U.S. military newspapers, and befriended a
young penniless Mormon who was hitchhiking across Europe. Continuing his love
for the game, Barend, at the age of seventy-three, still competes in basketball in
state, national, and international tournaments. In 2006, 2007, 2010, and 2011,
he was a member of a New York team that won the gold in the New York Empire
Games. He is a cancer survivor.