Today’s title refers to both Veterans Day and my grandfather, a veteran. I intended to write about Veterans Day on the actual day it occurred, but I forgot. Not for long, though, so here are my thoughts.
My mom’s father was an Army man. He served in the Korean War and WWII and worked for the government even after retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He would have made it to the Colonel rank, but he didn’t have a college degree. He actually didn’t even graduate high school and instead earned his GED.
His name was Mervin, but I called him “Dakie.” (That’s with a short “a,” rhymes with “khaki,” for those of you who didn’t have a Dakie of your own.) Reportedly the name was created when I tried to imitate my mom, who called him “Daddy.” (She’s Southern. They do that.)
My Dakie was from Georgia, and he could wiggle his ears. He loved spending hours working in the yard, and sometimes when we went to visit him, he’d say to my dad, “Tom, I’ve got a little chore I need some help with.” That usually meant he needed help with an outdoor and/or handyman project, although rumor has it that it once involved nose hair.
My mom tells me that Dakie was just as accident-prone as Mark; unfortunately, they never met. Dakie made a funny little noise to tease our cats every time he came to our house, and he fed dinner scraps to the birds every night. And one time when I was at his house – just me, no parents, no cousins – he told me that I’m his favorite. He also thought I looked like Brooke Shields, so I say he had good taste.
Together with Granny, Dakie traveled in his motor home to Good Sam Clubs, taking us grandkids to Lake Paradise for cookouts, paddle boating and swimming. When I was a real little girl, I would spend Fridays with Granny and Dakie. We would drop Granny off at the beauty parlor, then afterward we’d all go to Hardee’s and eat hamburgers with ketchup and mayonnaise. For dinner, Granny would cook him big meals with mysterious foods like collard greens.
Dakie was a fast driver and a terrible driver (a trait my brother has definitely inherited), and I remember one time he got a ticket on the way back to our house – with my brother and me in the car. And Dakie read his Bible every morning and went to church every Sunday and loved the Lord.
As a matter of fact, I remember one of our last conversations being about the trip he’d just taken with his church, to the Presbyterian Church’s general assembly. Well, that, and the dog race track they were building near his house.
But more than any of these things, the thing I remember most from my Dakie is the importance of patriotism. He had fought for our country; he even came back with some shrapnel in his shoulder. He taught me to stand at attention during the national anthem, and he taught me to respect the American flag (including how to fold one and when it should and should not be flown). And when I stood at Fort Leavenworth during his funeral in the summer of 1991, I learned how brutal the lonesome notes of “Taps” are and how jarring the sound of a 21-gun salute can be to your heart. Like so many of our country’s heroes, my Dakie may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.
I’m thankful for my dear granddad, and for all the men and women who serve and have served in our Armed Forces.
Have you or any of your family members or friends served in the military?
What a great post! :) He sounds like a great grandfather… or… Dakie. (sounds like you must’ve backed some sounds when you were little? turning a /d/ into a /k/? sorry, can’t help it;) Several of my relatives were in the military, but I don’t remember going to a funeral like that — that’s really cool that you got to experience that. I think things like that (personal experiences) can help us better appreciate our soldiers fighting for us now. Sometimes it seems too far removed from us, and I think that’s a shame. :( Thanks to all those brave men and women who serve our country! I’m so thankful that there are people willing to do that. I so couldn’t!
Oh, I forgot to say — I can just imagine him wiggling those ears — what a fun guy! :D
Oh, and by great grandfather, I meant wonderful grandfather, not grandfather’s father or some equivalent. :)
he definitely looks like an ear-wiggler. :)
but ‘daddy’ isn’t solely southern, silly. lots of girls do that. (i’d call mine that, but i call him ‘pappy.’)
he sounds like wonderful grandpa. my grandpas were both WWII veterans. my dad was in ‘nam, my brother in somalia (during that whole blackhawk down thing), my great-grandpa in WWI, my whatever he would be in the civil war, and someone back there was in the revolutionary war. needless to say, we’re a very patriotic family, and that is something for which i am very thankful.
I love this post! I’ve loved all your posts recently, your commitment to blogging this month is highlighting my status a complete slacker!
Both of my grandfathers were military men – one enlisted during the war and came back minus both of his legs, but it took another 50 years, 2 heart attacks and 2 strokes to finally send him home. He was my greatest hero! The other was career air force and still goes by the title of Colonel. He is still with us, and has an awesome accent linking him to his deep South roots.
oh, and mel, your brother-in-law served four years in germany during the cold war. not exactly combat, but service all the same. and his father (my fil) flew in WWII bomber planes.
and navy cousin is a chaplain in the middle east :)
and cousin jarjar was in the army, and two uncles served stateside during vietnam.
oh, and as for the blackhawk down thing, somebody plays broller in the movie (okay, it’s an extra, but it’s right where broller was, doing the job he was doing)
i’m very proud of our boys who have served
LOL at ear wiggler! Awww, what a nice story. Dakie sounds like a wonderful grandfather.
Both my father-in-law and mother-in-law served in the Navy. The 21 gun salute and Taps were played also at their funerals. That always gets to me. My dad served in the Navy for 4 years and I have a nephew that is a Marine.
Wow! A HUGE thanks to all of the men and women in our lives who’ve served!
And…yeah…my poor brother inherited Dakie’s big (wiggly) ears, too. :)
Amy – I don’t think you’re a slacker. Chelley and I were just talking today about taking a blog break. Sometimes real life just gets in the way! :)