August of 1954 - 

The Patriarch of the Daw family became a fierce protector of his beautiful bride and a devoted father for his newborn son.

Recently turning 18, this unquestioned Manly Man was now able to extend that protection to the state of North Carolina by joining the National Guard. 

He overcame the challenges God had presented him with his mother's ascension to Heaven at such a young age.

My father was surrounded by Manly Men and was well prepared for his incredible accomplishments in the United States Army that are worthy of elegy.

Thanks to God, our dear Mother provided the environment conducive for her children; Sunday School was the link for the most important of all parents' tasks:

A relationship with our Lord and Savior.

A number of occasions found me measuring my mother's consistency with her repeated refusals to allow me to bring my Batman comics to church services.  

Although I enjoyed Sunday School, it was the services afterward that, as I grew older, found me desirous of said comic books.

After the first two refusals, all it took was  her look and the nonverbal communication was accomplished.

 Rewarded for a lifetime of Christian service to not only her family, but also to untold numbers of patients, she is able to provide a divine link to the entire family . 

Decades after our Mother's ascension, patients would regale me with anecdotal stories of their loved one's nurse providing compassion for her patient and the family.

Head nurse at two VA hospitals.

Mother of two amazing daughters and a knucklehead son.

Devoted wife.

Now providing Overwatch...

The nation thanks my mother and father, also.

"Thank you for your service, Sergeant Major!"

Those words still ring as I recall my father's battalion commander at CSM Daw's retirement ceremony.

They followed a lengthy list of accolades that  captured the attention of all attendees - and there were many - at Fort Jackson. 

A Command Sergeant Major...... 

Drill Instructor.

Combat veteran, earning the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Two combat tours.

The Silver Star.

His battalion commander even pointed out his son, a dental officer, actually had a decent haircut.

There have been a number of times in my life that I could not have been prouder of my father.

A number of times.

It was difficult, indeed, to constrain that Banty Rooster...

 My nightly prayers to God include thanks to Him for such an incredible gift of Lisa.

Only thirty-eight  years on this Earth, she left a legacy that will endure my corporal dimension.

It will also provide that Overwatch for Kara and Dylan.

Her last wish -

"Love them for the both of us..."

The First and Second Ladies.

Dylan's penultimate Halloween with his Mother...

Emulating her mother, Kara brought a ray of sunshine to the office and quickly became endeared to our patients.

Her coordinating of patient appointments, primarily confirming their scheduled visit, resulted in a number of patients commenting on her telephone ability.

Kara also performed post-op checks on our surgical and endodontic patients.

The dental office had been Kara's second home for eighteen years.  Now officially a staff member...

I was in full Banty Rooster mode!

A reflection of our family of patients, note the bassinette on the counter over Kara's shoulder.

Lisa was so excited with this gift from a long-time patient.  She shared it with me as soon as I had completed treatment on my patient.

I still remember that smile...

Lisa had a remarkable connection with our patients; Kara was welcomed enthusiastically by our extended family.

Approaching the central sterilization area; she loved the sounds produced by the autoclave...

As I note Dylan's shirt, 'Cars' was another drive-in treat in Dunlap...

Now a taxpayer...

And she worked for peanuts!

Actually, these payments represented Kara's two training sessions before she was let loose on our patients...

I now had the pleasure of working with three delightful ladies; I stayed on my best behavior.

98th percentile -

Yikes!

That Banty Rooster was let out many times subsequent to this affirmation that Dylan had his Mother's IQ...

 Big Brother Kris, who also benefitted from a beautiful highly intelligent Mother, had those same reading and spelling abilities.

Those abilities earned his being kicked out of  kindergarten.

After consultation with his teacher, Patty and I agreed; we wanted Kris to remain academically challenged.  

Kris, who could read anything he wanted as a four-year-old, was promoted to the First Grade.

He had his own desk; my Little Man was now embarking on his Manly Man training odyssey.

  As a Royal Ambassador at Central Baptist Church in Brainerd, Kris' ability to use note cards and speak effectively found him in competition for a state-wide recognition of the best orator.

Initially, Kris' being only five years old was a hindrance to entry into this serious and coveted recognition in this oratory contest, it's theme - a story reflecting hope and salvation from the Bible. 

 Now that Kris was a first grader, it was OK.

And Kris kicked butt (sorry, God...) and became the youngest winner ever.

His exploration of 'Footprints in the Sand', a fifteen minute dissertation by this impressive young man, produced quite the awe in the auditorium.

  Deuteronomy 31:6 

And never referred to his notecards.

 Regarding my hope in avoiding 'like father, like son...', I recall getting my first-ever 'note from the teacher' as a second grader at Fort Carson, CO.

The classroom found me gazing out of the window, watching the birds fly as Spring was approaching.  My teacher had no issue with my grades or behavior.  My homework was always OK.

I was just bored.  Academic and didactic challenges were minimal; the playground that lay just beyond said window was beckoning.  That's where challenges were presented...

Conversations with either of my sons indicate their grasp of reasoning and depth of knowledge over a broad range of subjects is extraordinary.

Kris' IQ, last measured during his Gifted Program years, is 142.

I will never forget turning around and high-fiving Dylan's teacher, seated behind me, her beaming face expressing genuine happiness for this young man.

A few tears streamed down her cheek as she rose to her feet and gave my stud boy a standing ovation.

Thanks to God and his Mother's Overwatch, plus an incredible ability, demonstrated at a young age, to retain knowledge.

Remarkably so.

Lisa was asleep on the love seat; Dylan was also crashed out on the floor.

Kara was still awake, watching TV.

Everything was quiet; my bride was getting much-needed rest as she battled cystic fibrosis.

Leaving the dogs to watch over my family, I went downstairs to shoot some pool.

Five minutes or so elapsed before the blood-curdling scream heard 'round the world was unleashed from my nine-year-old's mouth.

I ran up the stairs, 3 steps at a time, and found Kara quite excited about Dylan's prized beetle roaming the darkened room, lit only by the TV.

The admonishment I provided to Miss Kara for waking her mother was tempered with the fact that this critter was, indeed, ferocious looking...

I was discussing Dylan's growing insect collection with a patient when he mentioned owning a rhinoceros beetle.

That would make a nice addition, indeed, to Dylan and Kara's vivarium.

Having completed this nice man's treatment, I made arrangements to meet him at the Shallowford Road Post Office in order to start a new home for this ugly fellow.

I don't believe he was charged for that visit; I greatly appreciated the opportunity he was giving me to see Dylan's eyes widen and that big grin appear when he viewed this newest addition to the family.

The poor thing was so startled by Kara's scream that it just froze on the hearth and appeared to be just watching TV...

He was subdued and placed back in the vivarium with a better-secured lid.

2 ‎October 2007

My eight-year-old son sure held his own with the unexpected skill requirements for this fast track.

His gaming skills shone through.

Dylan's Big Sister, twelve-year-old Kara, was caught up with an inexperienced racer and ended up crashing on the infield.

A common occurrence, staffers quickly addressed the situation; one waved a flag to slow the racers down so the second staffer could disentangle Kara and the other racer.

My immediate thought was that the much younger eight-year-old Dylan approaching the scene may see the waving flag and his Big Sister on the side of the road, producing an unexpected response.

I was breathing a sigh of relief as the swarm of approaching racers were slowing down en masse.

Except Dylan.

In a move that would have made King Richard Petty himself proud, my young man pulled a great 'slingshot' move.

Recognizing his opportunity to benefit from Kara's misfortune, Dylan accelerated and went high in order to avoid interference with the staffer tending to his sister...

Then he smoothly and deftly went low as he approached the next curve, leaving his competitors in his dust.

Sweet.

  125th Army-Navy Game 

.

1982 -  

I rode a Triumph Bonneville 650 from 1973 to 1976 when I pleased my Uncle Bill with my switch to Honda...

Uncle Bill Pittman, a most remarkable man.

Its 900F Big Brother:

 Initially known as the CB900F Super Sport, it would be renamed the Bol d’Or (Golden Bowl) in honor of the 24-hour French motorcycle endurance race of the same name — a race Honda would win 12 times between 1975 and 1990. 

In 1982, in an effort to protect Harley-Davidson from the deluge of 'rice-burners' like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and the all-powerful Kawasaki, President Reagan  placed a stiff tariff on all imported motorcycles of 700 cc or more.

Just beating the tariff, I became the proud owner of a 1982 CB1100F.

It was wicked, prompting COL Maddox one day to caution me after a rather strenuous physical training (PT) unit session.

Since I always pushed myself during PT, my commander was concerned about my situational awareness on the motorcycle, given my physical exertion.

I assured him I was just fine as I strapped my full coverage helmet on and proceeded to do a brief wheely as I left...

There was only one production year for this beast...

4 valves per cylinder...

Army Dress Blues have earned a place of reverence in military history; the purposeful variation in the shades of blue between the jacket and pants reflect the US Cavalry's 1775 - 1950 history, before becoming absorbed by Armor.  

An infrequent occurrence would be to find my father in Dress Blues.  They were reserved for special events and occasions.

This NCO looked good in Dress Blues; my Mother would always make notice of that...

Our beautiful Mother loved her man in uniform!

Today, Dress Whites can be worn during the summer...

At any rate, when the Pentagon notified my commander of my impending assignment to the Second Infantry Division, Colonel Maddox asked where I would like my return assignment to be.

  There was generally a 'quid pro quo' for soldiers who were on unaccompanied tours.  The Flesh Peddlers in DoD would, on occasion, give that soldier the assignment he had requested. 

 On occasion.  

Responding to COL Maddox's query, I jokingly replied 'Hawaii'.

  Everyone requests Hawaii.  

COL Maddox then phoned the Pentagon and delivered my request. 

l was shocked to see my next assignment after DMZ duty would be Schofield Barracks.

My first thought was how much Patty would like those Dress Whites.

After all, she offered favorable reviews of Richard Gere's various scenes with this nice dress uniform.

A number of scenes found her smiling, a sparkle in her eyes, commenting on how nice those white uniforms looked...

Patty saw her first set of Army green 'Class A' service uniforms on yours truly that life-changing evening at Fall Creek Falls, in the Cascades Ballroom.

Yes, Martha, that Banty Rooster wanted out...

 When the UTC Color Guard was honored with their selection to post the colors at the national ROA  (Reserve Officers Association) convention, I was a pumped barely eighteen-years-old man in love...

Years later, after completing dental school, my assignment as Forensic Officer at the Army's Aviation Center provided opportunities to 'dress  up'; Patty and I attended a number of events requiring Dress Blues.

The dressed-to-the-nines mother of my firstborn was always striking at those black tie events.

I was confident she would appreciate those tropic zone Dress Whites...

 My assignment to the 50th State would provide my deserving wife a paradise in which to nurture our son, Kris. 

So much history to explore with several years stationed right where World War II plunged the United States into war.  Pearl Harbor, Hickam Field, the USS Arizona ...

Oh, and there's Waikiki Beach and Nimitz Beach with Diamond Head looming on the horizon.

And no snakes...

And Becky...

Every Becky I encounter always finds me mentioning Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer.

In fact, I have a beautiful Aunt Becky...

My 'Becky Thatcher', and the Object of My Desire in Mr. Ige's third grade classroom,  allowed me to share a similar experience as that of young Mr. Sawyer.       

Channel surfing yesterday found the 1973 movie 'Tom Sawyer', with Miss Jodie Foster as the Object of His Desire and Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair) as the titular character.

Unable to help myself, I had to download and find the corporal punishment scene.

I wish I could say my butt whipping causation was noble like Tom's...

 I can feel the clench factor kicking in...

Yup, Martha, clenching rivalling that of cracking a walnut...

And so much for the 'no peeking' rule...

It was worth it...

 ...for the woman he loves?

The orders continued that, upon promotion to O-4 (Major), I would be assigned to the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu in order to complete an Oral Surgery residency. 

 Tripler Army Medical Center 

I was really going to miss the knee bouncing of my stud firstborn...

It was good for Kris and his mother to be with family while I was deployed...

 My parents graciously let Patty and Kris live in their home in Hixson, as my father was now teaching Junior ROTC classes at a high school in Jackson, MS.

Especially from Chattanooga...

I had flown out of Chattanooga to -

 Washington, DC

San Antonio, TX

Chicago, IL

Twin Cities, Minneapolis-St. Paul

LAX

They didn't seem to be particularly lengthy, even to LAX.

I had never seen a busy thoroughfare running under the runway before LAX... 

It must have been the missing of my wife and baby that made this journey interminable...

And this was just the first day of the months that will pass before I would see them again.