Tomorrow will be the 34th Fathers Day without my father. He died in November 1980. But not a day goes by where I don't think of him. And for the last third of a century I have carried his last drivers license with me, in my wallet, so Dad is always with me wherever I go. When I had a big presentation to the Chairman of the division I worked in at IBM or to the vice presidents, I took Dad's license out of my wallet and put it into the pocket of my white shirt, right over my heart. I figured that if Dad was that close to me, I wouldn't screw up the presentation and it would go well, and it always did.
I ran and completed the New York City marathon, in 1981. I trained for a year and ran it in his memory. It was a fairly cool day and I wore a pair of garden gloves, and Dad's license was inside the left handed one. He was with me the entire way and helped get me over the tough spots. I also have the watch my mother gave him for their 25th wedding anniversary. I wear it on special occasions in his memory.
I have a lot of family letters in my bureau that I have kept over the years and also a lot of miscellaneous Fathers Day cards, thank you notes, etc. I have the letter my grandfather wrote to my mother during her first year of college. And the ones my parents wrote me during my freshman year. Lots of advice and good wishes in them. One of the letters I wrote to my mother in February of 1981, a few months after Dad died. There is a lot of family news in the letter, what our kids were doing, what my wife Kathy was doing, etc. The last part of the letter I was writing about my father, and what he meant to me. With Fathers Day around the corner, this can apply to all of our fathers.
" I was thinking of Dad this past Wednesday February 25. 3 months already since he died. Its hard to believe its been three months already plus hard to believe I don't have a father any more. I wear his watch every day plus keep his last drivers license with mine in my wallet, and I have his army picture framed and on my bureau, plus I wear a lot of his clothes, so while he may be far away, he is still near.
I hope he realized how much I loved him and thought about him and admired him and respected him, and especially for all he went through his last three years. And I hope he was proud of me and all I have accomplished and I hope I did the right things for him when we came down to visit. I wish we could have gotten down to the Cape more to see you all and to be with him. I hope he realized how much I appreciated everything he did for me and I can't thank him enough."
To Dad and all the fathers out there and to all those who have gone before us, Happy Fathers Day!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Thoughts on St Patrick's Day and Evacuation Day
St Patrick's Day was always a special day in our house growing up. It was my father's favorite holiday. We never had corned beef but instead had a New England Boiled Dinner-a pork shoulder or picnic ham, potatoes, carrots and cabbage, all cooked together. Delicious. And I can still see my father, sitting at the head of the kitchen table, having a few sips of liquid refreshment and singing tura lura lura, his favorite Irish lullaby.
I am only part Irish but my wife and her family are 100% Irish- My wife's name is Kathleen Maura Sullivan. That's about as Irish as you can get or as Irish as Patty's pig!! My wife had a sister named Patricia Sullivan and she was born on March 17. So every year for the past 40 plus years, this was a big party in the family. We would have the party in Massachusetts and for many years, when we lived in Connecticut, we had the party there. And often we would make the drive back to Massachusetts for the party. We would have corned beef and all the trimmings. I would make Irish Soda bread and my wife would make a birthday cake in the shape of a shamrock. We would have some Irish Cream and sing happy birthday to Patty. It was her favorite day of the year and she would open all her presents. The house would be decorated with shamrocks and lots of green.
But Patty died last year, 3 days before her birthday. And a few months later, her mother, my mother in law and good friend, died. So for the first time since I can remember we did not have a party. I don't think anyone was in the mood. We did go out to diner and toasted Patty. Maybe next year.
And we can't talk about St Patrick's Day without mentioning Evacuation Day. This is a special day in American history and doesn't get the attention it deserves. If it hadn't been for what happened on this day, we might have lost the Revolution. Henry Knox owned a book store in Boston and became friends with George Washington. The Americans had recently captured several large cannon at Fort Ticonderoga in New York. Knox was asked to bring those cannons back to Boston in the winter of 1776. . This is one of the great achievements of the war. Knox loaded the cannons on sleds, and had oxen pull them through the snow, down towards Albany and then east across the Berkshires, to Cambridge and Dorchester Heights. It took 6 weeks and they didn't lose a man.
The British General Howe and his staff looked up one morning, and saw these cannons on Dorchester Heights and in Charleston. Howe decided to retreat, and the British left Boston for Nova Scotia on March 17, 1776. This was the first victory of the war and a great morale booster for the 13 Colonies.
Each year on March 17 I have a tradition. I put on some Irish music and pour a glass of Irish Cream on the rocks and I toast all my family, friends, classmates and relatives who have gone before us. I start with my grandparents and work my way forward. I recite each one of their names individually & hoist my glass in their memory. In recent years I usually have to pour a second glass since so many have passed on. In just the last year I have lost a sister in law, mother in law, college room mate and a good friend. They are gone but not forgotten.
In closing, to all my family, friends and relatives who are on the other side, "May all your days be sunny and your skies always blue, and wherever you are now, I will always remember you."
I am only part Irish but my wife and her family are 100% Irish- My wife's name is Kathleen Maura Sullivan. That's about as Irish as you can get or as Irish as Patty's pig!! My wife had a sister named Patricia Sullivan and she was born on March 17. So every year for the past 40 plus years, this was a big party in the family. We would have the party in Massachusetts and for many years, when we lived in Connecticut, we had the party there. And often we would make the drive back to Massachusetts for the party. We would have corned beef and all the trimmings. I would make Irish Soda bread and my wife would make a birthday cake in the shape of a shamrock. We would have some Irish Cream and sing happy birthday to Patty. It was her favorite day of the year and she would open all her presents. The house would be decorated with shamrocks and lots of green.
But Patty died last year, 3 days before her birthday. And a few months later, her mother, my mother in law and good friend, died. So for the first time since I can remember we did not have a party. I don't think anyone was in the mood. We did go out to diner and toasted Patty. Maybe next year.
And we can't talk about St Patrick's Day without mentioning Evacuation Day. This is a special day in American history and doesn't get the attention it deserves. If it hadn't been for what happened on this day, we might have lost the Revolution. Henry Knox owned a book store in Boston and became friends with George Washington. The Americans had recently captured several large cannon at Fort Ticonderoga in New York. Knox was asked to bring those cannons back to Boston in the winter of 1776. . This is one of the great achievements of the war. Knox loaded the cannons on sleds, and had oxen pull them through the snow, down towards Albany and then east across the Berkshires, to Cambridge and Dorchester Heights. It took 6 weeks and they didn't lose a man.
The British General Howe and his staff looked up one morning, and saw these cannons on Dorchester Heights and in Charleston. Howe decided to retreat, and the British left Boston for Nova Scotia on March 17, 1776. This was the first victory of the war and a great morale booster for the 13 Colonies.
Each year on March 17 I have a tradition. I put on some Irish music and pour a glass of Irish Cream on the rocks and I toast all my family, friends, classmates and relatives who have gone before us. I start with my grandparents and work my way forward. I recite each one of their names individually & hoist my glass in their memory. In recent years I usually have to pour a second glass since so many have passed on. In just the last year I have lost a sister in law, mother in law, college room mate and a good friend. They are gone but not forgotten.
In closing, to all my family, friends and relatives who are on the other side, "May all your days be sunny and your skies always blue, and wherever you are now, I will always remember you."
Monday, February 17, 2014
Rose Valland- Little Known WW2 Hero
Last week I went to see The Monuments Men. Some critics thought it was so-so but I thought it was great. I knew that the Germans had plundered all kinds of paintings, sculptures and so much more and hid much of it in secret locations and mines but I did not know that there was a group of men called the Monuments Men and their job was to track down and locate and return all this treasure as the Allies advanced across France and into Germany.
And I had never heard of Rose Valland before. What a hero she was. She worked at the Jeu de Paume museum which was right next to the Louvre. This museum was the headquarters for all the art the Germans stole. The Germans let her continue to work in the Museum probably because she appeared to be quite unassuming and had a quiet demeanor. Unknown to the Germans Rose knew German and could follow everything they said. And she also kept a secret journal of what art was taken and where it was shipped to (over 20,000 thousand pieces). She also passed a lot of her information on to the Resistance. Had the Germans known what she was up to, she would have been shot.
As the Allies freed Paris, she gave the journal to one of the Monuments Men, James Rorimer, which greatly aided the Americans locating all the artwork as they advanced into Germany. After the war was over she continued her work and was recognized for her heroic efforts. She received the Legion of Honor, the Medal of Resistance and was made Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. The United States awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Germany gave her the Officers Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. And finally in 1953 she was awarded the title of Curator! I think she deserved it! And there is a memorial plaque on the outside wall of the Jeu de Paume. The next time I am in Paris I am going to make sure I go there and see that plaque and walk through the Museum and walk where she walked.
She died in 1980 and is buried in her home town of Saint-Etienne-de-Saint-Geoirs. A foundation has been established there to honor her life and accomplishments and there is also a web page http://www.rosevalland.com. And Amazon has a biography of her life available for download on the Kindle. I am going to get that and read about this wonderful woman, this truly great hero, who thanks to her efforts, and all the risks she took, she basically saved the culture of hundreds of years for most of Europe. What an amazing lady. The next time I am in France I would like to go to her grave and place a bouquet of roses there in her memory.
I would recommend going to see the movie. And I just finished the book The Monuments Men, by Robert Edsel. And he has written 2 others. One is a pictorial book on all the artwork that was recovered and another book is just on the artwork that was recovered in Italy. He had too much material and it all couldn't fit in the Monuments Men so he did another book. And one quick back story on the movie. The producer was in an airport book store, waiting for his flight, and he saw the book, The Monuments Men, and thought that this would make a good movie. And he was right. And isn't that every author's dream? I think Robert Edsel is selling a lot of books now and enjoying his movie earnings!
And I had never heard of Rose Valland before. What a hero she was. She worked at the Jeu de Paume museum which was right next to the Louvre. This museum was the headquarters for all the art the Germans stole. The Germans let her continue to work in the Museum probably because she appeared to be quite unassuming and had a quiet demeanor. Unknown to the Germans Rose knew German and could follow everything they said. And she also kept a secret journal of what art was taken and where it was shipped to (over 20,000 thousand pieces). She also passed a lot of her information on to the Resistance. Had the Germans known what she was up to, she would have been shot.
As the Allies freed Paris, she gave the journal to one of the Monuments Men, James Rorimer, which greatly aided the Americans locating all the artwork as they advanced into Germany. After the war was over she continued her work and was recognized for her heroic efforts. She received the Legion of Honor, the Medal of Resistance and was made Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. The United States awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Germany gave her the Officers Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. And finally in 1953 she was awarded the title of Curator! I think she deserved it! And there is a memorial plaque on the outside wall of the Jeu de Paume. The next time I am in Paris I am going to make sure I go there and see that plaque and walk through the Museum and walk where she walked.
She died in 1980 and is buried in her home town of Saint-Etienne-de-Saint-Geoirs. A foundation has been established there to honor her life and accomplishments and there is also a web page http://www.rosevalland.com. And Amazon has a biography of her life available for download on the Kindle. I am going to get that and read about this wonderful woman, this truly great hero, who thanks to her efforts, and all the risks she took, she basically saved the culture of hundreds of years for most of Europe. What an amazing lady. The next time I am in France I would like to go to her grave and place a bouquet of roses there in her memory.
I would recommend going to see the movie. And I just finished the book The Monuments Men, by Robert Edsel. And he has written 2 others. One is a pictorial book on all the artwork that was recovered and another book is just on the artwork that was recovered in Italy. He had too much material and it all couldn't fit in the Monuments Men so he did another book. And one quick back story on the movie. The producer was in an airport book store, waiting for his flight, and he saw the book, The Monuments Men, and thought that this would make a good movie. And he was right. And isn't that every author's dream? I think Robert Edsel is selling a lot of books now and enjoying his movie earnings!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Today is Truck Day!
Some of you might be wondering "what the heck is Truck Day?" Its the day that the Red Sox equipment truck leaves Fenway Park for spring training in Fort Myers, Florida. And that day is today, February 8! But its more than that. Its another sign that spring is coming! As of February 1, there are 52 more minutes of daylight. The sun is now setting after 5pm. Pitchers and catchers report February 15. And one of the great seafood restaurants on Cape Cod, the Kream and Kone in Dennisport, opens on February 13. So despite the 9 degree temperature this morning and about a foot of snow on the ground, spring is coming!
Hundreds of fans gather outside of Fenway to watch the crew load the 18 wheeler with bats, balls, gloves, uniforms, medical supplies and all kinds of equipment. Red Sox officials are there, the team mascot, Wally the Green Monster is there and they all watch all the equipment being loaded from about 7am to noon, and then that giant 18 wheeler with "World Champions 2013" on its side, will roll down Yawkey Way and out to 95 South! So if you are driving on 95 in the next couple of days between Massachusetts and Florida, look for the truck, and honk your horn a couple of times and wave to the drivers. Spring is coming! Its Truck Day!!
Hundreds of fans gather outside of Fenway to watch the crew load the 18 wheeler with bats, balls, gloves, uniforms, medical supplies and all kinds of equipment. Red Sox officials are there, the team mascot, Wally the Green Monster is there and they all watch all the equipment being loaded from about 7am to noon, and then that giant 18 wheeler with "World Champions 2013" on its side, will roll down Yawkey Way and out to 95 South! So if you are driving on 95 in the next couple of days between Massachusetts and Florida, look for the truck, and honk your horn a couple of times and wave to the drivers. Spring is coming! Its Truck Day!!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
50th Anniversary of Beatles on Ed Sullivan
This Sunday, February 9th, at 8pm, will be the 50th anniversary of the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. I remember it like it was yesterday! I was a senior in high school and was in my room upstairs doing homework, when my father called up and said "They are going to on in a minute." My 2 sisters and I rushed downstairs to watch. It was so exciting. We had heard and read all about them and were listening to their songs, and heard about their long hair. And there they were in person and the audience going nuts.
They took rock and roll by storm. There was nothing like it before. They were the opening salvo of the British Invasion. So many other groups and individuals came after them-The Rolling Stones, the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Dave Clark Five, the Yardbirds, the Kinks, MaryAnn Faithful, Donovan and so many more. And many of these groups were influenced by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Bo Diddley. A great research project or thesis, would be why did this all happen in the early 60's, in Liverpool and the London area? Why there and why not other places in England? Or why not in Paris or Berlin? I asked Peter Noonan from Herman's Hermits this after a concert in Connecticut several years ago. He said one of the reasons was Liverpool was a sailing town and many of the sailors would buy American rock and roll records and bring them back to Liverpool and play them. And that inspired many of the local groups.
I think the Beatles were dropped from a spaceship. They wrote over 200 songs, most of them by Lennon and McCartney. How did they do that? And they supposedly wrote some of their melodies in ways that had never been done before. Their music evolved over the years and Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band may be one of the classic albums of all time. I think music fans will be listening to Beatle music 100 years from now. And thanks to YouTube we can always watch them and there are several tribute bands that tour the country. Last year we saw 1964 The Tribute. They looked like the Beatles, sounded like the Beatles, and played the same instruments the same way as the Beatles. It was really amazing. It was almost like the Beatles were there in front of you.
And of course, I can't help but think about Pete Best. He was the drummer with the Beatles for two years, from 1960-1962 but when they did their first studio recording, the Beatles and some of their managers were supposedly not happy with his drumming in the studio, so they let him go and replaced him with Ringo. Yikes. Look at all he missed out on.
So this Sunday night at 8pm, crank up YouTube, watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan once again. I will be and I will hoisting a glass of Irish Cream on the rocks, and toasting the Fab 4 and those days gone by.
They took rock and roll by storm. There was nothing like it before. They were the opening salvo of the British Invasion. So many other groups and individuals came after them-The Rolling Stones, the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Dave Clark Five, the Yardbirds, the Kinks, MaryAnn Faithful, Donovan and so many more. And many of these groups were influenced by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Bo Diddley. A great research project or thesis, would be why did this all happen in the early 60's, in Liverpool and the London area? Why there and why not other places in England? Or why not in Paris or Berlin? I asked Peter Noonan from Herman's Hermits this after a concert in Connecticut several years ago. He said one of the reasons was Liverpool was a sailing town and many of the sailors would buy American rock and roll records and bring them back to Liverpool and play them. And that inspired many of the local groups.
I think the Beatles were dropped from a spaceship. They wrote over 200 songs, most of them by Lennon and McCartney. How did they do that? And they supposedly wrote some of their melodies in ways that had never been done before. Their music evolved over the years and Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band may be one of the classic albums of all time. I think music fans will be listening to Beatle music 100 years from now. And thanks to YouTube we can always watch them and there are several tribute bands that tour the country. Last year we saw 1964 The Tribute. They looked like the Beatles, sounded like the Beatles, and played the same instruments the same way as the Beatles. It was really amazing. It was almost like the Beatles were there in front of you.
And of course, I can't help but think about Pete Best. He was the drummer with the Beatles for two years, from 1960-1962 but when they did their first studio recording, the Beatles and some of their managers were supposedly not happy with his drumming in the studio, so they let him go and replaced him with Ringo. Yikes. Look at all he missed out on.
So this Sunday night at 8pm, crank up YouTube, watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan once again. I will be and I will hoisting a glass of Irish Cream on the rocks, and toasting the Fab 4 and those days gone by.
Friday, December 13, 2013
40th Anniversary of Bobby Darin's Death
Friday December 20 will be the 40th anniversary of the legendary Bobby Darin's death. He was only 37 years old. He was a big part of my childhood. He sang rock and roll classics like Splish Spash and Queen of the Hop and then migrated to wonderful standards like Mack the Knife and Beyond the Sea. And in the late 60's he sang The Simple Song of Freedom which is one of the most powerful songs I have ever heard. You can see and hear all these songs on You Tube. The Queen of the Hop has the classic rock and roll beat and the saxophone solo in the middle of the song is the classic rock and roll sax.
Bobby is a wonderful example of Perseverance. Doctors told his mother he wouldn't live past 15 because of the damage rheumatoid fever had done to his heart. He went on to write 163 songs, recorded over 400 songs, played seven instruments, won 2 Grammy awards, got nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor, he did all kinds of great impressions and was a wonderful dancer. Wow, he did it all. He was probably the greatest entertainer in show business history along with Sammy Davis Jr. And his live stage shows in Las Vegas and around the country in the 60's and early 70's were legendary for his performances and his interaction with the audiences. He was taken from us much too early.
Go into You Tube and watch all his songs. They are all there. Watch Splish Splash and Queen of the Hop and see what rock and roll was really like. Turn up the volume, tap your feet. And watch Beyond the Sea with Kevin Spacey starring as Bobby. He gives an incredible performance. I thought he should have received an Oscar. He looks like Bobby, sings like Bobby, acts like Bobby and dances like Bobby. And near the end of the movie, he sings the Simple Song of Freedom with the choir coming onto to the stage with him. What a dramatic moment. I get chills when I watch this.
So this Friday I will be holding up my favorite beverage, and toasting Bobby, like I did JFK on his 50th, and remember what was and think about what could have been.
Bobby is a wonderful example of Perseverance. Doctors told his mother he wouldn't live past 15 because of the damage rheumatoid fever had done to his heart. He went on to write 163 songs, recorded over 400 songs, played seven instruments, won 2 Grammy awards, got nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor, he did all kinds of great impressions and was a wonderful dancer. Wow, he did it all. He was probably the greatest entertainer in show business history along with Sammy Davis Jr. And his live stage shows in Las Vegas and around the country in the 60's and early 70's were legendary for his performances and his interaction with the audiences. He was taken from us much too early.
Go into You Tube and watch all his songs. They are all there. Watch Splish Splash and Queen of the Hop and see what rock and roll was really like. Turn up the volume, tap your feet. And watch Beyond the Sea with Kevin Spacey starring as Bobby. He gives an incredible performance. I thought he should have received an Oscar. He looks like Bobby, sings like Bobby, acts like Bobby and dances like Bobby. And near the end of the movie, he sings the Simple Song of Freedom with the choir coming onto to the stage with him. What a dramatic moment. I get chills when I watch this.
So this Friday I will be holding up my favorite beverage, and toasting Bobby, like I did JFK on his 50th, and remember what was and think about what could have been.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
50th Anniversary of JFK's Death
50 years ago this Friday November 22, 1963 at 2pm east coast time, I was in home room at Harwich High, waiting to get dismissed for the weekend. We were all talking about the weekend and the senior play rehearsal we were going to have Friday night. Then our principal came over the loudspeaker system and said the president had been shot in Dallas and maybe a senator and governor too. We all looked at each other, not believing what we just heard. We were all dismissed, some taking buses home and others like me, walking home.
I lived less than a 5 minute walk from the high school. When I walked into the house, my parents and sisters were watching the tv and Walter Cronkite announced that the president was dead and Governor Connelly was seriously wounded. We were all stunned obviously. And shortly after it was announced that the police had captured a suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald. It was the first time I had seen my mother cry. And two days later, we were eating lunch, had the tv on and the announcer said, "here comes Oswald" and then we saw that hand and gun in the lower right hand corner, as Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald.
When President Kennedy was elected it was such an exciting time. Our house in Harwich was only about 12 miles from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis. The local Cape Cod paper always had great pictures and stories of the president arriving on the helicopter, and Jackie and Caroline and John-John greeting him. And JFK talked about getting the country moving again, "vigor", landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade, everyone getting in shape and taking 50 mile hikes and playing touch football.
And all that was snuffed out by those shots in Dallas. I was so inspired that a friend and myself did a 50 mile hike from the Cape to Boston, in February, mostly at night going up Route 3. I went off to college in 1964 and initially majored in broadcasting, but inspired by JFK and then RFK, changed my major to political science. JFK talked about helping others and giving back and that has always stayed with me. I have been retired now for 9 years and what I have tried to do is take my 35 years of business experience and 66 years of life experience, and give back to the community in many ways, and I have on my web site a quote that RFK used all the time "To tame the savages of man and to make gentle the life of this world." And so inspired by JFK and RFK I have tried to do that. So in some small way, some of their beliefs and values live on in my actions.
And I can't help but think "what if." What if JFK had lived? Would we have avoided the Vietnam war and 58,000 American deaths? Would the Cold War with Russia have been thawed? Would we have made more progress, sooner, on Civil Rights? And if he lived he probably would have been re-elected in 1964 and who would have been vice-president? There was talk of JFK removing LBJ from the ticket. And then who would have been president in 1968 and would we have had Watergate. So much hinged on those fateful shots in Dealey Plaza.
Years ago I was traveling on business in the Dallas area. I took a vacation day and stayed an extra day and went to Dealey Plaza. I walked down Main St., following the exact motorcade route, and then I turned right onto Houston and there in front of me was the Texas School Book Depository. I immediately looked up to the that 6th floor window and had chills up and down my spine. And then I turned left onto Elm St and went to the approximate spot where JFK was killed. And looked all around, taking it all in. Just haunting. And I went and stood behind the fence on the Grassy Knoll and went over to the underpass. I tried to go up to the 6th floor of the Depository but in those days it was blocked. What happened here? Will we ever know?
And for me, we also lost a lot of the hope, the energy, the excitement, and the promise. I do not know if we have ever recovered from that horrible day. The decade of the 60's was full of assassinations, civil rights issues, a raging war in Southeast Asia and tensions with Russia. We still feel the impact today. And JFK inspired many Americans to get involved in government service. With his death who did we lose? Another great president, a statesman, a great governor or cabinet member?
This Friday at about 1:30pm I will stop what I am doing and raise a toast to President Kennedy, and what was, and what could have been.
I lived less than a 5 minute walk from the high school. When I walked into the house, my parents and sisters were watching the tv and Walter Cronkite announced that the president was dead and Governor Connelly was seriously wounded. We were all stunned obviously. And shortly after it was announced that the police had captured a suspect, Lee Harvey Oswald. It was the first time I had seen my mother cry. And two days later, we were eating lunch, had the tv on and the announcer said, "here comes Oswald" and then we saw that hand and gun in the lower right hand corner, as Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald.
When President Kennedy was elected it was such an exciting time. Our house in Harwich was only about 12 miles from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis. The local Cape Cod paper always had great pictures and stories of the president arriving on the helicopter, and Jackie and Caroline and John-John greeting him. And JFK talked about getting the country moving again, "vigor", landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade, everyone getting in shape and taking 50 mile hikes and playing touch football.
And all that was snuffed out by those shots in Dallas. I was so inspired that a friend and myself did a 50 mile hike from the Cape to Boston, in February, mostly at night going up Route 3. I went off to college in 1964 and initially majored in broadcasting, but inspired by JFK and then RFK, changed my major to political science. JFK talked about helping others and giving back and that has always stayed with me. I have been retired now for 9 years and what I have tried to do is take my 35 years of business experience and 66 years of life experience, and give back to the community in many ways, and I have on my web site a quote that RFK used all the time "To tame the savages of man and to make gentle the life of this world." And so inspired by JFK and RFK I have tried to do that. So in some small way, some of their beliefs and values live on in my actions.
And I can't help but think "what if." What if JFK had lived? Would we have avoided the Vietnam war and 58,000 American deaths? Would the Cold War with Russia have been thawed? Would we have made more progress, sooner, on Civil Rights? And if he lived he probably would have been re-elected in 1964 and who would have been vice-president? There was talk of JFK removing LBJ from the ticket. And then who would have been president in 1968 and would we have had Watergate. So much hinged on those fateful shots in Dealey Plaza.
Years ago I was traveling on business in the Dallas area. I took a vacation day and stayed an extra day and went to Dealey Plaza. I walked down Main St., following the exact motorcade route, and then I turned right onto Houston and there in front of me was the Texas School Book Depository. I immediately looked up to the that 6th floor window and had chills up and down my spine. And then I turned left onto Elm St and went to the approximate spot where JFK was killed. And looked all around, taking it all in. Just haunting. And I went and stood behind the fence on the Grassy Knoll and went over to the underpass. I tried to go up to the 6th floor of the Depository but in those days it was blocked. What happened here? Will we ever know?
And for me, we also lost a lot of the hope, the energy, the excitement, and the promise. I do not know if we have ever recovered from that horrible day. The decade of the 60's was full of assassinations, civil rights issues, a raging war in Southeast Asia and tensions with Russia. We still feel the impact today. And JFK inspired many Americans to get involved in government service. With his death who did we lose? Another great president, a statesman, a great governor or cabinet member?
This Friday at about 1:30pm I will stop what I am doing and raise a toast to President Kennedy, and what was, and what could have been.
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