Connecticut Veteran, Music Exec Shares Storied Life In New Book

MILFORD, CT — In a storybook life, Connecticut resident Stanley Kavan helped liberate Europe During World War II and then shared music through two of the most iconic artists in history.

Now at 97, Kavan has published a book of poetry called, "The Delicious Little Book of Love, Laughter, and Tears," which highlights his life, spanning his time in the military, his career as a music executive and his community involvement.

Kavan was born in Hartford and now makes his home in Milford at the Carriage Green senior living complex.

Out of high school, Kavan worked as a shipping clerk at a branch of Columbia Records in Hartford. Then, in 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor took place and his thoughts mirrored that of most young American men — joining the Armed Forces.

Kavan's brother offered him a big piece of advice after being sent to fight Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and the Germans in North Africa — don't wait to get drafted. Kavan said he decided to volunteer so he could "choose his own path." He signed up for the Army Air Corps, hoping to become a bombardier, but his "scholastics and ability" enticed the brass to commission him as a pilot instead.

Stationed in Italy, Kavan flew B-17 Flying Fortress bombing missions over Germany and Austria — including a rare daylight, single-ship, unescorted mission that contributed to him earning the Distinguished Service Cross.

At the time, the survival rate of flight crews dropped to less that 25 percent, Lt. Kavan recalled. Still, he managed to keep himself and his crews alive, and accumulated the required 35 missions to complete his our of duty and go home.

Kaven recalled that 35th mission. He was deep into his territory, but the crew could not drop its ordnance. Kavan took another pass in the plane and the crew still could not drop its bombs.

Without enough fuel for another run, Kavan had to direct the plane back to its base and remembered feeling "cheated and dejected" because a mission only counted if a crew dropped its payload or took enemy fire.

He called it "sorriest flight I ever took," figuring he'd still have to fly one more dangerous mission over enemy territory, braving flak and Luftwaffe aces.

Kavan said, however, that, as he showered afterward in the barracks, someone shouted some welcome news ...

"We were shot at and it counted.”

Kavan said his knees "buckled with relief."

Stanley Kavan (tallest in the photo) and his flight crew in World War II. (Stanley Kavan Archives)

After the war, Kavan returned home to his wife and his job at the Hartford branch of Columbia, where he was recognized for his leadership skills and recruited to the corporate office in Manhattan. He rose through the ranks to become vice president of merchandising and advertisement.

Commuting by train several hours each day between his home in Connecticut and his office in Manhattan, Kavan eventually earned him the distinction of being one of the few people to rack up a million miles by rail and a million miles in the air.

Though he had "no musical ability" and never played an instrument, Kavan worked with a few illustrious artists like Mitch Miller and Tony Bennett. He said he tried "valiantly" to bring quadraphonic sound "to the world," while traveling to Europe, Japan, Mexico and beyond.

Kavan has been retired for more than two decades now, but is still involved in the creative arts. He volunteers at Connecticut Talking Books, a Connecticut State Library program that records "books on tape" for the blind. Specializing in celebrity biographies, he's recorded nearly 40 books so far — including his own.

"The Delicious Little Book of Love, Laughter, and Tears," began as supplements to his annual Christmas cards, he said, and evolved into a literary project channeling his military experiences, his career and his outlooks on family, music and the evolution of children's names.

Each of the 35 poems and the short stories features a brief essay explaining the inspiration and origin.

On Veterans Day 2020, Kavan shared an excerpt from the book:

"I had long wanted to write a poem about World War II, a time of unparalleled valor, tragedy and, yes, romance, in our history.

"The words "out of our youth," seemed the perfect stepping stone for what I wanted to convey — an era when America's finest surrendered their youth for their country ... and never looked back.

"I finished the poem coincidental with the installation of a long-sought WWII memorial to be placed on Milford's green on the 30th anniversary of Japan's surrender."

At the ceremony, the mayor, having seen the poem reprinted in a local publication, trashed his prepared remarks and read Kavan's words instead.

"The mayor was pleased. The crowd seemed pleased," Kavan said. "But no one more than me."

Click here for more on the book.