A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “The six best doctors in the world: The Sun, Rest, Exercise, Diet, Self-respect, & Friends.”?
2. In what TV show did we hear the following? “What a sight, ladies and gentlemen. What a sight. The ‘copter seems to circling the parking area now. I guess it’s looking for a place to land. No! Something just came out of the back of a helicopter. It’s a dark object, perhaps a skydiver plummeting to the earth from only two thousand feet in the air… There’s a third… No parachutes yet… Those can’t be skydivers. I can’t tell just yet what they are but… Oh my God! They’re turkeys!”?
3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following?
   You may say I’m a dreamer
   But I’m not the only one
   I hope some day you’ll join us
   And the world will be as one

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I’ve been using this term – “Nuggets of Normalcy” – for a few months now. I’m sure it may mean different things to different people. Stay with me here… I’ll eventually get to the point.

When you’re in “quarantine” (whatever that means to you) in the middle of a “pandemic” (whatever that means to you), you want your world to go back to being “normal” (whatever that means to you) as soon as possible.

This is not a normal Thanksgiving holiday by any means. Masks… social distancing… hand sanitizer… all things none of us worried about this time last year.

Yeah, I’ve tried the “Zoom dinner get-togethers” and the “Zoom Happy Hours.” They just don’t cut it for me. I guess it’s better than nothing, but I yearn for that social normalcy.

I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Thanksgiving over the Years

My dad was a WWII veteran (80th Infantry Division) and became a lawyer after the war. He and my mom met on a blind date and one thing led to another and well… it’s now just me & my sister, Anne. We lost our parents when they were way too young. But that’s what smoking cigarettes will do to you.

Anyway, growing up, I still remember many wonderful Thanksgiving feasts my mom and dad prepared. Actually, my mom did the cooking; my dad’s contribution was usually, “Damn, that smells so good.”

Our get togethers often included extended family (cousins, aunts, & uncles) and sometimes close friends. There would always be a big turkey (I liked the drum stick), sweet potato casserole (including chopped pecans and an oven-browned marshmallow topping), green beans, rolls galore, mashed potatoes and my dad’s favorite – mom’s creamy turkey gravy. Wow, I’m drooling as I think about it.

Oh yeah; I can’t forget my mom’s sumptuous pumpkin pie and pecan pie. Still my two favorites, and I still use my mom’s pecan pie recipe… except now I add a little bourbon when it first comes out of the oven. Wow!

A Navy Thanksgiving

For me, Thanksgiving in the military differed slightly from home. I’m sure my veteran friends remember one or two special Thanksgivings while away from their home.

Thanksgiving Day 1944 found my dad in an English hospital, recovering from a knee injury he received when a roof fell in on him during an artillery barrage a month earlier in Sivry, France—I’ll write about that one day.

I spent four years (actually, 3 Years, 11 Months & 29 Days, But Who’s Counting?) in the U.S. Navy. Three of those Thanksgivings were away from my home in Florida.

Interesting though (and I had to look over the letters I wrote home to double-check), I spent the holiday at home between “A” school graduation (Aviation Boatswain’s Mate-Handler; Lakehurst, NJ) and before leaving for NAS Agana, Guam, (’73-75) my first duty station. I arrived in Guam on November 26, 1973, a few days after Thanksgiving.

While stationed in Guam, we worked Port & Starboard shifts, 24 hours on and 24 off for 15 months straight. I honestly can’t remember if I worked Thanksgiving in 1974 or not—it’s all such a blur. Though I do remember having a full turkey dinner either then or at Christmas. That would have been my first Navy Thanksgiving.

And yes, I find that as I get older, I have the CRS syndrome (“Can’t Remember Shit”). Am I the only one here?

Shipboard Thanksgiving

My second and final duty station (’75-77) was USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63, an aircraft carrier. I worked on the flight deck in the V-1 Division / Crash Crew while on Westpac ’75, then transitioned to Yellow Shirt (Aircraft Director) after a year in the Bremerton Shipyards. I was fortunate to spend two Thanksgivings aboard Kitty Hawk: one on a cruise and one in shipyards.

While at sea, we certainly had a Thanksgiving feast which was also a kind of celebration for us. How do I remember? It was the day after we left PI (the Philippines) to head back to the states after 6 months on Westpac ’75. Even though it was hard to leave our overseas home port, we all looked forward to getting back to the good ‘ol US.

The trip from PI to Hawaii took about two weeks. Once again, we established the Alert 5s and once again, we’d launch them several times to greet the Russians. But no matter, we were on our way home.

Fire Department Thanksgivings

After I left the Navy, I joined the Gainesville Fire Department—a natural progression from being an aircraft crash & rescue firefighter to a city firefighter. I’d remain in the department for about 2½ years until I graduated from Santa Fe Community College.

More than once, I took duty for another firefighter so he could spend the holiday(s) with his family. I was single, and even though my parents still lived in Gainesville, I thought it important to take duty for someone else on holidays. Besides, one of the best things about working at the fire department was food: plenty of it, and almost every firefighter was a superb cook.

Sometimes, a certain cook (not me) let everyone at his station know who was “in charge.” For example, (this wasn’t me…) one time the crew complained about the food. The next shift, baloney sandwiches were served, or as we used to call them, “HC & cheese” sandwiches. Lesson learned – the crew didn’t complain anymore about the food after that.

There were also times when I was dating my soon-to-be wife, Becky. She’s a RN (now retired) but worked shifts, as did I, in the university hospital ICU (Intensive Care Unit). But on those holidays when I worked, and she didn’t, more than once she came down to the fire station and brought me a sampling of the dinner she’d prepared.

I can honestly tell you, “I married that cook.”

Thank goodness on those holidays at the station with a lot of food, as far as I know, we didn’t have any fires or emergencies. I’m not sure I’d be able to strap on my firefighter equipment, I’d eaten so much. But then, I was in my 20s and in great shape.

Family Thanksgivings

I’ve been married since 1981, have two great kids and two grandsons. I am truly blessed in many ways.

I remember plenty of Thanksgivings with my family since the Navy. Many were either at in-laws or with family here in Gainesville. All were superb and continued the traditions of wonderful food, good company, and (sometimes) good football. Thanksgiving weekend was also when the Gators play the Seminoles.

While I started college (before the Navy) at Florida State University (“Seminoles” – my mom’s alma mater), I finished (after the Navy) at the University of Florida (“Gators” – my dad’s alma mater).

For all my growing-up years, I always wondered why that weekend seemed a little more “tense” in the Adkins’ household than others.

Anybody else grow up in a “split-alumni” household?

This Year – not a normal Thanksgiving

This has been a strange year, no doubt, for anyone and everyone. Thanksgiving won’t be normal by any means. So in times like these, look for those “Nuggets of Normalcy.”

I’ve been thinking about the “4-Fs,” as I call them: family, friends, food, & fellowship. Five if you watch football. But those 4-Fs haven’t really changed over the years. I found out, as many of you did, that when you leave home, your family grows, no matter where you go.

The Navy introduced me to a new family & new traditions, but the 4-Fs remained. When I got married and moved away, new friends and workmates became family. I still call a lot of these folks, “my family away from home.”

The 4-Fs are Still There

That’s the beauty of this time of year. The 4-Fs are still around. They’re not that difficult to find if you take the time to look.

Sure, our Thanksgiving meal will be smaller than normal with fewer people. We’ll call, Zoom, FaceTime, HouseParty, FB Messenger Kids… whatever we can do to spend a little time with our extended families. Perhaps we might even “toast” over video. It will be strange, but we know we are all in this together.

Over the last few years, Becky & I would either visit or have Thanksgiving dinner with her mother, who is 99 years young. She’s only 20 minutes away in a long-term care facility. Unfortunately, because of COVID, we can only visit her through a “plexiglass box.” We certainly understand the precautions the facility is taking and we totally agree with them.

Still, this is not a normal time, so we try to make it as normal as possible. We won’t share a meal this year with Marion, but hopefully, we can help celebrate her 100th birthday early next year.

As you and your family & friends sit down to feast (whatever that means to you) this Thanksgiving holiday, take a moment to not only be thankful for your blessings, but to also thank a veteran and our active duty service men and women. Many of them are not “at home” with their families. But almost all will be able to enjoy the 4-Fs: “military” family, friends, food, and fellowship.

Stay safe, my friends.

Until we meet again,
Andy

Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran’s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE copy HERE.

Previous posts mentioned in this blog:

• #29 – May 8, 1945: “Ours is a Quiet Celebration”
• #35 – US Navy “A” School
• #53 – You Always Remember Your First
• #10 – You Light ’em, We Fight ’em
• #30 – USS Kitty Hawk @ Bremerton Shipyards, Part 1
• #20 – Port Call: Philippines
• #33 – Launch the Alert 5!
• #48 – Not Just Another House Fire

Answers

1. Charlie Chaplin.
2. WKRP in Cincinnati (1978); Les Nessman (Richard Sanders).
3. Imagine (1971); John Lennon; written by John Lennon.