Memorial Day

Today I'm thinking of my uncle George, who served
on the USS Canberra in the Pacific Ocean during
World War II.

He liked to tell the story of how when the chaplain
asked him if he could be of service to George,
he would reply, "Yeah - get me out of the friggin'
navy!!!!"

But the chaplain couldn't do that for him, for some
reason . . .

Two memorable Uncle George quotes:

"I spent more time in the water than on the boat," and
"Smoking saved my life . . . I had just left my post and
gone up on deck for a cigarette when a torpedo hit, and
the engine room [where he worked] flooded."

[As a side note, 23 others in that area were not so lucky.]

Of course, ultimately, the water would cause him to
put out the cigarette - so maybe it was the WATER
saving him . . . not the smoking!!

Maybe this helped harden him for the next stage of
his life: he came home, got married and had five daughters.
I remember when all of his daughters were teenagers,
and they lived in an apartment with only ONE
bathroom. He may have wished he was back on the
boat at times!

I think he and my aunt were trying to produce at least
one boy. So it would be, "Well, one more . . .", until
they decided five was enough. I was once accused of
being the "surrogate son" by the youngest daughter
because I was born just after her and our families spent
a lot of time together. At least I didn't have to share
their bathroom.

George got along with just about everyone (I don't know
of anyone he didn't get along with), and always had a
wise-crack or a joke to make you laugh . He's been
gone for years now and although I don't think of him
as often as I used to , when I do, I miss him a lot.

And I guess I'll have to admit: I'm glad he went up on deck
to have that cigarette.